Short report from OSP: recent deeds

by: Georgi Stankov

1st row: Seli, Yanko, and Krisi; 2nd row: Kito, Stoyo, Georgi, and Petya.

 Here is a very short report about what is going on with our Open School of Psychology.

As you already know, we started our first academic year three weeks ago with eight students. Fortunately, the group cohesion is growing. I have noticed that after three weeks of getting to know each other, now the members are more open, devoted and creative. On Sunday we were very productive. As result we built the foundation of our study of small world phenomenon via online social networks. By the way, the regular themes of the day were SWOT-analysis and smart-goals. I encouraged students to use these new tools while discussing and planning our team's next steps.

Two of our students were missing because of their SAT 1 in Plovdiv, but next week we will be together and hopefully we will work even more efficiently.

Moments from the discussion: the gents were enthusiastic and action-oriented, and the ladies were more skeptic and analytically-thinking-oriented. :)

The first graduating class of Open School of Psychology started today

by: Georgi Stankov

Today our Open School of Psychology began its first graduating class.

Greet our first students: Dimitria, Kristina, Selime, Galya, Petya, Milena, Yanko, Kito, Stoyo, and Atanas.

The class' contents include (but it is not limited to):

• Personality psychology and personality types; 
• Social psychology and interpersonal relations; 
• Cognitive psychology, creativity and creative thinking;
• Organizational psychology and team work; 
• Positive psychology and Health psychology;
• Forensic psychology and antisocial behavior; 

Additionally, through various activities and techniques from psychodrama, art therapy, and encounter group's approach, students will have opportunity to:

• achieve better self-understanding via self-exploration and self-discovery 
• improve their competencies for social adjustment and public performance 
• increase their abilities for effective communication and assertiveness 
• overcome hard times in their lives 
• experience a new and exciting approach for teamwork 

Team building for the Probation service in Haskovo

by: Georgi Stankov

On 31th August and 1st September 2012 we conducted a team building for the officers from the Probation service in Haskovo district. Totally 14 officers took part in this event near Ivaylovgrad in the beautiful Eastern Rhodopes. 

In the wild nature we created a soul-nurturing atmosphere, in which the probation officers worked with a great enthusiasm to improve the quality of their professional performance. 

Here are some photos from the outdoor exercises. 

One of the teams is building his strategy...

The game begins.

Yes, we can! 

Be quick or be dead...

Overcoming obstacles...

...is not an easy thing!

On the other front the battle continues with lacrosse-like game.

Fast and furious!

It is time for the next test!

I tie the wrists and ankles of the participants.

Before the wild run...

In a moment of a strong pressure, the guys held their hands...

...and then they went through the challenge together.

The gentle presence of the ladies.

Natural born winner.

Part of the team.

Time to think...

Thinking deeper...

We think too!

The winners? They all were winners!

And this is me, relaxing after the team building and waiting for my deserved dinner!

Georgi Stankov at Psychodrama festival 2012

by: Georgi Stankov

 From 20th to 22th of January 2012 in Plovdiv was held Psychodrama festival, organized by "Centaur Art Foundation" and the Bulgarian Society for Psychodrama and Group Therapy. 

The festival's main aim was to assure a creative space where psychodrama practitioners could share their experience and ideas. The fest was open not only for the psychotherapeutic community, but for wide circles of people: students, artists, professionals in various types of training practices, communication areas, management, business, and others. 

For years I believe that the most meaningful thing we can make as a community is to go beyond the therapeutic model of psychodrama. There are many people "outside" who need support, but would not enter into a therapeutic center - Psychodrama should think of them and should sought to work with them. Psychodrama is able to heal even in a non-thrapeutic setting, says my experience.

So I decided to participate at Psychodrama festival Plovdiv'2012 with the workshop "The Encounter".

I set three goals of the workshop:

• To present different models of "encounter"; 
• To explore the roles in which people come in different social interactions; 
• To give an insight to the participants about what psychodrama does. 

I defined the workshop's target group precisely in the spirit of "open" psychodrama in which I believe: "people looking for new experiences and new knowledge, no matter if they are accountants, engineers, graphic designers and students from vocational school..."

The desired end result was: "participants to look at everyday reality in different way".

In my opinion, the workshop was well done. The participants (film director, a student of psychology, two philosophers, a tv professional, psychiatrist, etc.) gave me positive feedback and some of them sent me friend requests on Facebook, through which I judge they really liked the workshop. 

I don't have photos from my workshop, but I share a photo form Desislava Daskalova's workshop "One Art - the art of losing", which I attended. 

City identities, 12th May 2012

by: Georgi Stankov

"City identities" is my seminar about the links between psychology and architecture. This year the seminar has  had three editions until now, and on the last one luckily we had a photographer with us. The seminar is based in Haskovo but its design and know-how are applicable everywhere.

The hypothesis of "City identities" is simple: as one person has his own personal identity, the city has a unique identity too. Identity is not static - it is dynamic and it is influenced by political, social, economic and cultural events, trends and processes. The seminar's concept is to show how city's identity appears and develops, and to explore the possible futures of the city.

And since I am a huge fan of Jane Jacobs, this seminar was a humble tribute to her and a reflection of Jane's Walk principles.

Follow us with this photo-reportage :)  

May 12th, 2012, Saturday morning: meeting at the City garden.

In the yard of the Orthodox church "Sveta Bogoroditza" (or "Holy Mother" - another name for Virgin Mary).

The old part of Haskovo.

The tobacco warehouses played a major role for the economic development of Haskovo in 20th century. 

The center of  Haskovo is so rich of identities. Monuments and buildings from different historical periods have a date here: Armenian church, Muslim mosques, bourgeois, communist and modern time buildings.  

The headquarter of the Mayor and the local government in Haskovo. The architectural style is mixed because the building was rebuilt again three times (so far).

The legendary Haskovo cinema "Klokotnitza": here in the late 1980's I had watched "The Wall". Great architecture!

The seminar continued with indoor training and practical work about the "Possible futures of Haskovo."
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Note: our partner in the organization and implementation of the seminar was European Integration Agency - Haskovo.