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Bulgarian Psychology Institute Bulgarian Psychology Institute Est. 2009 · Sofia Vol. XVI · Issue 247
Weekly Briefing · Mon, this week BPA Media Partner · ISSN 2682-9941 Edition: EN · Feed
Monday, April 14, 2025 · Sofia · Course Catalog · Issue 38 · Spring 2025 EN RU

Training & Certification · Cohort Intake Spring 2025

CBT, EMDR & Schema Therapy Certification — Spring Cohort Opens April 14

A 9–14 month accredited path for licensed clinicians, taught in Sofia and Plovdiv by our 14-person editorial faculty. Cohorts are capped at 22 clinicians to preserve supervised practice time.

One clinician per seat · Reviewed within 48 hours · No payment required today

Three Flagship Tracks

Choose the certification that fits your caseload.

Every track is accredited by the Bulgarian Psychological Association and accepted by the Union of Bulgarian Psychiatrists for continuing-education credits. Cohorts begin in April and September each year.

Track 01 · Foundational

CBT Foundational Certification

The longest-running certification at the Institute, completed by 1,820 clinicians since 2012. Designed for early- and mid-career psychologists building a structured CBT practice.

Hours
320
Format
Hybrid
CME
96
Capstone
Supervised case
  • Foundations of cognitive restructuring & behavioral activation
  • Protocols for depression, GAD, panic, OCD, and PTSD
  • Weekly group supervision, monthly 1:1 supervision
  • Capstone case defended before faculty panel
Accredited by BPA · EABCT-aligned Review curriculum

Track 02 · Specialty

EMDR Europe Accreditation Track

A complete EMDR Europe Basic & Adult training package, taught by EMDR Europe Consultants and including all consultation hours required for accreditation.

Hours
210
Format
In-person · Sofia
CME
72
Consultation
40 hrs included
EMDR Europe-accredited Review curriculum

Track 03 · Specialty

Schema Therapy Certification

ISST-aligned certification for clinicians working with personality patterns, chronic mood disorders, and complex relational presentations.

Hours
280
Format
Hybrid
CME
84
Mode
Individual + group
ISST-aligned · BPA-accredited Review curriculum

Inside the Curriculum

A four-stage progression from foundations to defended practice.

Shown here as the CBT Foundational arc — EMDR and Schema Therapy follow the same scaffold with track-specific modules. Each clinician is paired with a faculty supervisor from week one.

  1. 01

    Foundations — Weeks 1–8

    Theory of cognitive and behavioral models, case formulation using the Five Areas model, and the supervised practice of a first structured session. Reading list drawn from Beck, Young, and the Sofia State clinical syllabus.

    72 hours · 2 in-person weekends · weekly seminar

  2. 02

    Clinical Methods — Weeks 9–24

    Protocol-driven work across depression, GAD, panic, OCD, and PTSD, with role-played sessions reviewed in small-group supervision. Faculty rotate by protocol so each clinician works with at least two supervisors.

    120 hours · 5 in-person weekends · biweekly supervision

  3. 03

    Supervised Practice — Months 7–9

    Each clinician carries two to three real cases from their own practice under faculty supervision. Sessions are recorded (with consent), transcribed, and reviewed line by line in monthly 1:1 supervision.

    88 hours · 3 in-person weekends · monthly 1:1 supervision

  4. 04

    Capstone Case — Final 6 Weeks

    A 6,000-word case study, a recorded 50-minute session, and a 40-minute oral defense before a faculty panel of three. Graduates join the Institute's alumni directory and receive the Certificate of Advanced Clinical Practice.

    40 hours · 2 in-person weekends · oral defense

Numbers Our Licensing Boards Trust

Audited every spring by an independent reviewer.

Graduates trained
3,800+
Across CBT, EMDR, and Schema Therapy tracks since 2012
Countries served
42
Including EN and RU editions of the weekly briefing
Reader & cohort retention
94%
Audited by Similarweb, Q3 2024
BPA media partnership
14yrs
Official media partner of the Bulgarian Psychological Association since 2014

Spring 2025 Cohort Calendar

Eight in-person weekends, four Bulgarian cities.

All dates confirmed. In-person weekends run Saturday 09:00–17:00 and Sunday 10:00–16:00 at our Sofia campus, with three weekends hosted in Plovdiv and one in Varna.

Cohort 14 · CBT Foundational · April–December 2025
Weekend Dates City Focus
01Apr 12–13SofiaFoundations
02May 10–11SofiaCognitive restructuring
03Jun 7–8PlovdivBehavioral activation
04Sep 13–14SofiaAnxiety protocols
05Oct 4–5PlovdivOCD & PTSD
06Oct 25–26VarnaComplex cases
07Nov 22–23SofiaCapstone workshop
08Dec 13–14SofiaOral defenses

Cohort cap: 22 clinicians. 11 seats remaining as of March 31, 2025.

Supervising Faculty

Four licensed clinicians lead the spring cohort.

  • Portrait of Dr. Elena Vlahova, clinical psychologist and CBT supervisor

    Dr. Elena Vlahova

    Program Director · CBT Supervisor

    Founder of the Institute, former head of clinical psychology at Sofia University. 32 years of CBT practice, 14 supervised dissertations.

  • Portrait of Dr. Martin Kolev, EMDR Europe consultant

    Dr. Martin Kolev

    EMDR Europe Consultant

    EMDR Europe Consultant since 2017. Specializes in complex trauma and dissociation; co-author of the 2023 cross-cultural attachment study.

  • Portrait of Dr. Ivelina Tasheva, schema therapy supervisor

    Dr. Ivelina Tasheva

    Schema Therapy Supervisor

    ISST-certified supervisor. Leads the schema therapy track; research focus on early maladaptive schemas in Bulgarian adults.

  • Portrait of Dr. Plamen Donev, cognitive-behavioral researcher

    Dr. Plamen Donev

    Research Methods Lead

    BAS affiliate, PhD in clinical psychology. Teaches the research methods module and supervises the capstone dissertation.

Before You Reserve

Questions licensed clinicians ask before reserving a seat.

Is the certification recognized by the Bulgarian Psychological Association and the Union of Bulgarian Psychiatrists?

Yes. All three tracks carry BPA continuing-education accreditation and are accepted by the Union of Bulgarian Psychiatrists for CME credit. Our CBT and Schema Therapy tracks are additionally aligned with the European and international umbrella bodies. We are an official media partner of the BPA since 2014.

What is the language of instruction and are Russian editions available?

All cohort weekends, supervision, and capstone defenses are taught in Bulgarian. Reading materials, written assignments, and the Institute's broader publishing archive are mirrored in English and Russian for clinicians who work across languages. The faculty can answer questions in English or Russian during breaks.

How are clinical hours and supervision structured?

Each track combines in-person weekend intensives with weekly or biweekly group supervision, monthly one-on-one supervision with a faculty member, and a supervised capstone case from your own practice. CBT Foundational includes 320 contact hours plus 88 supervision hours; EMDR includes the 40 consultation hours required for EMDR Europe accreditation; Schema Therapy follows the ISST supervision standard.

Are payment plans available for the full tuition?

Yes. Tuition can be paid in three instalments aligned with the cohort calendar, or monthly over nine months. A limited number of partial bursaries are available each intake for clinicians working in public-sector mental health services in Bulgaria. Reservations are reviewed within 48 hours and no payment is taken until your seat is confirmed.

Ready to review the curriculum in depth?

Reserve Your Cohort Seat