Dr. Veneta Slavchova

Dr. Veneta Slavchova is one of the experts featured in our Ask the Expert series on the 1Focus Blog.

Dr. Slavchova is a renowned psychologist dedicated to preserving mental health in the workplace. In our interviews with her, you’ll learn how to develop professional resilience, foster teamwork, improve mental health, prevent burnout and more.

Let Dr. Slavchova tell you her story!

Self-Introduction

I’m delighted that Ms. Blanco from 1Focus asked me to introduce myself – I gladly accept the invitation!

My name is Dr. Veneta Slavchova and I was born in 1988 in the beautiful capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. From an early age I was interested in how to better understand human behavior and feelings – that’s how I found my way to the field of “Psychology”. I soon realized that I wanted to think outside the box and study abroad. Spoiler alert: I now have German-Bulgarian citizenship and feel equally connected to both countries.

I have a B.Sc. in Psychology from RWTH Aachen University and a M.Sc. in Psychology from the FernUniversität in Hagen. During my studies I worked as a student assistant at the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation at the Institute of Psychology at RWTH Aachen University. There I quickly came into contact with people who were no longer able to work in their original profession due to health problems. What I found particularly interesting was the question of how mental health and resilience are related to people’s ability to work.

When I became a research assistant at the Department of Health Psychology at the Institute of Psychology at RWTH Aachen University, I got to know the special challenges of physically disabled and mentally ill people in the workplace in several research projects. So I know exactly how important this topic is!

As part of my doctoral research, I studied the fine line between inclusion and stigmatization of people with health conditions in the workplace: Imagine being in the middle of the workplace jungle, but struggling daily with your own health challenges-including burnout, depression, and anxiety.

But you don’t just want to be there, you want to belong. This is exactly where my dissertation comes in. I examine the balancing act between the pursuit of inclusion and the dangers of stigmatization for people with health impairments seeking their place in the workforce. My work highlights the barriers that people with physical or mental health conditions face in the workplace, whether because of their specific health problems, the work environment, or their interactions with colleagues and superiors. I show how inclusion can be made more successful through personal resilience, tailored inclusion strategies and optimal communication with the work environment.

At the end of 2021, my colleagues Prof. Dr. Viktoria Arling, Dr. Jens Knispel, and I decided that the topics of long-term healthy working, mental health, and resilience promotion must be more strongly integrated into corporate practice. This led to the founding of our consulting firm, Arling Slavchova Knispel Consulting GmbH.

All our activities are united by a common vision: We are committed to the long-term maintenance of people’s (mental) health in the workplace or to their recovery after illness. We want people and their environment to fit together in the best possible way, so that healthy working remains possible in the long term.

I personally promote my resilience by engaging in photography during long walks in my free time. The surroundings of Aachen offer a lot of beautiful landscapes. For example, I love the symbolism of the path in the Hohes Venn with the powerful sun in the background: There’s always a way out of burnout, and what awaits you after the low can be very beautiful!

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Psychology (summa cum laude)
• Master of Science (Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen)
• Bachelor of Science RWTH Aachen (Psychology, RWTH Aachen)

Specializations

• Health Psychology
• Work, Industrial, and Organizational Psychology
• Inclusion of mentally ill and physically disabled employees
• Creating healthy work environments and team structures
• Burnout prevention
• Promoting mental health
• Enhancing professional resilience

Languages

• German
• English
• Bulgarian

Consulting Options

• Online
• In-person in Aachen and surrounding areas

Contact

• Email: veneta.slavchova@acaskconsulting.de
• Website: acaskconsulting.de
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/veneta-slavchova

I would love to exchange ideas with you! If you are an entrepreneur, manager, or employee who needs help creating healthy work environments and team structures, preventing or overcoming burnout, promoting mental health, or increasing professional resilience, I invite you to contact me via email or LinkedIn!