Plovdiv Therapy Turns Five This August!
Why is “5” such a meaningful number?
Before the numerologists jump in with fascinating insights, let me share my own perspective: professionally speaking, five years is a significant milestone—it’s the average time many people spend in one job before moving on. As for me? I have no intention of changing careers. Quite the opposite—I feel like I’m just getting started!
This is a big celebration for me.
Building a practice as a psychologist and psychotherapist in Bulgaria—especially outside the capital and starting from scratch—is incredibly challenging. When I returned from abroad thirteen years ago, the profession was, to put it mildly, not taken seriously. When I told family and friends I planned to open a private practice in Plovdiv, most responded with doubtful headshakes. No one really believed it could work.
At the time, very few people had the awareness or felt the need to talk to a professional. Qualified specialists were also scarce. But over the past decade, we’ve witnessed a profound shift in public attitudes. Today, seeing a psychologist is no longer considered exotic or unusual. Increasingly, young adults are seeking healthier ways to cope with stress and explore meaningful changes in their lives. Talking about emotions is no longer taboo.
Psychology has gone from being a marginal field to a popular one.
Unfortunately, many psychology graduates quickly become discouraged. Low starting salaries, limited job opportunities, and the high demands for continued training—especially in counseling and psychotherapy—are major hurdles. The lack of legal regulation, limited internship opportunities, and the closed-door policies of many professional organizations only add to the frustration, pushing some of the best-prepared professionals away from the field.
And yet, despite these challenges, those who are truly called to the helping professions find ways to grow. They continue learning, striving, and refining their skills with deep dedication.
That’s why today I’m celebrating more than just five years—I’m celebrating the fact that my motivation has never left me.
Not even in those hardest years, when I had to juggle multiple jobs—working as a teacher, office administrator, even a reporter—with bills piling up, a full-time private practice seemed like a dream.
As Viktor Frankl reminds us, personal meaning is what carries us through any circumstance.
The meaning I find in this work has carried me through years that shaped and forged my character. I continue to grow—professionally and personally—and find even more purpose in everything I do. Plovdiv Therapy is my safe haven: a space where everyone is welcome to drop the anchor and take a rest during their life journey.
To mark Plovdiv Therapy’s fifth anniversary, all new clients booking their first consultation during the month of August will receive 30% off their first 6 sessions with gift code PLDTR5.
Enter the code in the “Notes” field when booking your appointment.
