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Dr. Vladimir Bostanov
Vladimir Bostanov is a therapist with training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, gestalt therapy, person-centered counseling, and other approaches; he has a PhD in psychology
First, to avoid any misunderstanding: I am not a psychiatrist. I have a PhD in psychology, not in medicine, neither am I an MD, and accordingly I cannot prescribe any medications. My knowledge and skills are in the area of clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and counseling.
Now, some history. If you are not interested in learning about my past, just skip it.
I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, attended the German Language High School, studied nuclear and particle physics at the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". Started a PhD in solid state physics in Augsburg, Germany. Got married, got divorced. Had an existential crisis. I left physics after having dedicated a lot of time, effort, and enthusiasm to it, and switched to psychology. This happened in 1999. The next period of my life (till 2017) was very fruitful and rewarding.
I got a PhD in psychology from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and then started a second graduate study in clinical psychology at Idaho State University in Pocatello, USA. It included training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). However, I got ill and went back to Europe.
Back in Germany, I underwent training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), gestalt therapy, person-centered counseling, and other approaches. I learned to meditate, to be mindful. Together with my colleagues at the University of Tübingen, I planned and conducted research in clinical psychology. I organized and conducted therapy groups for people with recurrent depression, consulted clients in suicidal and other crises.
From 2017 to 2023, I had to "earn my living" as an IT security consultant at a cybersecurity company in Tübingen. This was a difficult period, but, fortunately, it came to an end, and, in 2023, I decided to dedicate myself to working with people again.
The following is the most important information in a brief and structured form.
Professional experience in psychotherapy and counseling
- Individual counseling with adult clients, mostly people in suicidal or other life crises.
- Individual therapy with adult clients, predominantly suffering from depression and anxiety.
- Conducting therapy groups — mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).
Psychotherapy and counseling training
| Period | Organisation: Training |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Cristoph-Dornier-Stiftung für Klinische Psychologie, Tübingen: CBT training |
| 2003 | Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, USA: Graduate study in clinical psychology and training in CBT (terminated prematurely for health reasons) |
| 2004 | Arbeitskreis Leben e.V. (AKL), Krisenberatungsstelle Tübingen: Training in crisis interventions, telephone and face-to-face counseling with clients in suicidal and other life crises |
| 2004-2006 | Institut für Achtsamkeit und Stressbewältigung, Köln & Oxford University: MBSR and MBCT training, completed |
| 2008-2011 | Institut für Gestalttherapie Tübingen & Fortbildung1.de: Gestalt therapy training, completed |
| 2008-2012 | Institut für Gesprächspsychotherapie und personzentrierte Beratung Stuttgart & Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Gesprächspsychotherapie (GwG): Training in person-centered counseling, completed |
| 2011-2012 | Milton Erickson Institut Rottweil & Milton Erickson Gesellschaft für Klinische Hypnose: Training in hypnotic communication, not fully completed |
License
Gesundheitsamt Tübingen, 2002. Erlaubnis zur berufsmäßigen Ausübung der Heilkunde auf dem Gebiet der Psychotherapie (License for practicing psychotherapy granted by the Tübingen Public Health Authority after passing the corresponding examination)
Psychotherapy and counseling activities
| Period | Organisation: Activity |
|---|---|
| 2004-2017 | Arbeitskreis Leben e.V. (AKL), Krisenberatungsstelle Tübingen: Crisis interventions, counseling and therapy predominantly with clients in suicidal and other life crises |
| 2006-2016 | Institut für medizinische Psychologie, Universität Tübingen: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
| 2024-now | hOUR SPACE, Sofia: Psychotherapist and counselor in private practice |
Selected publications
- Bostanov, V. (2003). Event-Related Brain Potentials in Emotion Perception Research, Individual Cognitive Assessment, and Brain-Computer Interfaces, Dissertation der Fakultät für Informations- und Kognitionswissenschaften der Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.). https://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:21-opus-12969
- Bostanov, V., Keune, P. M., Kotchoubey, B., & Hautzinger, M. (2012). Event-related brain potentials reflect increased concentration ability after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: a randomized clinical trial. Psychiatry research, 199(3), 174-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2012.05.031
- Bostanov, V., Ohlrogge, L., Britz, R., Hautzinger, M., & Kotchoubey, B. (2018). Measuring mindfulness: a psychophysiological approach. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 12, 249. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00249