Elena Mecheva|About me

About me

I graduated with a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree at "St. Kliment Ohridski" University of Sofia. After completing 2 levels in psychodrama, I realized that my interests in the field unfolded in the direction of the so-called dynamic methods.

This is how I came to psychoanalysis - as the method that most thoroughly and comprehensively examines the psyche. I upgrade my professional knowledge and skills through constant participation in formats designed for practicing specialists - seminars, clinical workshops, intervention groups, supervision.

My practice is guided by Lacanian psychoanalysis, in close cooperation with specialists from the Bulgarian Society for Lacanian Psychoanalysis (part of the New Lacanian School and the World Association of Psychoanalysis).

The approach

Psychological work is as individual as the professionals who practice it. Over time, I have become convinced that each psychologist, depending on his vision of the work and the person who stands opposite him, constantly discovers and refines his method.

Everything matters, and depending on the context, the goals of psychological work also change - whether they will be short-term or long-term, whether the main goal will be support in a crisis or confrontation aiming at a personal growth. These are questions that the client will have the opportunity to ask, explore and work through - through activity and involvement in the process.

Psychoanalysis

The paradigm that set a new direction for my professional development is psychoanalysis. At present this is the method in whose theoretical framework I think. In terms of practice, I hone my counseling and therapy skills through the psychoanalytic lens (without actually practicing psychoanalysis).

There are many criticisms of this method - some of them justified. I myself, at the beginning of my studies, strongly criticized it. Over time it turned out that much of my prejudice about psychoanalysis was due to my ignorance of it. The method provides extensive theoretical knowledge about the development of the psyche, defense mechanisms, symptom formation, mental illness and suffering, etc. The valuable thing is that this knowledge can be integrated into the work of any psychologist who has a curiosity for the in-depth study of human behavior; of course, necessarily under the guidance of a more experienced colleague who carries out the so-called supervision - guarantor of the quality work of every specialist in our profession.

Psychodrama

I had the opportunity to improve my creativity and improvisation skills within the framework of my psychodramatic training. An effective method, causing both the presenter and the consulted to be spontaneous; to create together a specific "reality" - a reflection of what a person carries within himself. At the same time, this "reality" is not only constructed, but can also be reflected, restructured, experienced in a new way.

Psychodrama is a method that is very suitable for exploring new and unfamiliar roles for the person, or well-known old roles, but ineffective. The opportunities to express emotions, attitudes, fears, give the client an interesting direction in which to think about what is happening in his life, to experiment, or to find models that work better for him.