80 specialists from Bulgaria and abroad took part in the second international conference of the Bulgarian Association for Psychotraumatology and Stress Therapy (BAPS). The forum was held with Burgas State University "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov".
On 19 October 2026, the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) accredited BAPS's basic-level training programme in psychotraumatology, which covers modules I to III. After a review, the society found that the programme matches the basic level of its curriculum for treating post-traumatic disorders in adults. The accreditation is a step towards structured training in psychotraumatology in Bulgaria that follows European professional standards.
The conference theme was "Psychological trauma: from diagnosis to post-traumatic growth". ESTSS was also a partner of the university and BAPS. Dr Atanas Atanasov, chief assistant professor and BAPS chairman, organised the forum. He works in the Department of Nervous Diseases, Psychiatry and Psychology at the university's Faculty of Medicine.
At Dr Atanasov's invitation, 12 members of the ESTSS board came to Bulgaria. The international speakers included Prof Dominic Murphy, the society's president for 2025-2026, Prof Miranda Olff, Gavin Rees of the Global Centre for Journalism and Trauma, and Dr Odeta Geležėlytė of Vilnius University. Assoc Prof Violeta Valcheva, who teaches at the university and sits on the BAPS board, was a special guest.
Talks covered modern ways to diagnose and treat psychological trauma, recovery, and the possibilities for post-traumatic growth. The specialists shared research and practical experience. They also discussed how to deepen their cooperation with colleagues abroad.
Dr Atanasov thanked the partners, the university leadership, the speakers from abroad, the participants and the association's team.
He said such meetings offer a chance "not only to exchange knowledge and professional experience, but also to build lasting ties between academia, professional organisations and the international scientific community".