BYLAWS
Non-for-profit orgnisation Society for Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy

General provisions

Article 1. This Statute regulates the function of the Society for Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy.

Article 2. (1) the Society for Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy, hereafter referred to as The Society, is a voluntary and independent society established as a non-for-profit legal entity in accordance to the Non-for-Profit Legal Entities Act.

  • The Society acts in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Bulgaria, and these bylaws.
  • The Society brings together professionals, primarily psychologists and doctors acting as mental health workers as well as practitioners and trainees in psychoanalytical psychotherapy and psychoanalysis who acknowledge and follow the principles and criteria of the European Federation for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy and the International Psychoanalytical Society. The Society maintains professional relations with all relevant domestic and international scientific societies and organisations.

Name, seat, management address and termination

Article 3. The Society shall act under the name Society for Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy.

Article 4. The name of the Society in the English language shall be as follows: Society for Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy.

Article 5. The official seat of the Society is the city of Sofia.

Article 6. (amended – Res. Of the GA dated 26th Oct 2019) The management address of the Society is Sofia, Krasno selo, 59 General Skobelev blvd., entr. G, fl.5, ap. 13.

Article 7. The Society is not limited by any terms or other termination condition.

  • Definition of activity

Article 8. The Society is defined as an organisation in public benefit.

Aims of the Society

Article 9. The aims of the Society are as follows:

  • The Society unites the efforts of professionals acknowledging the psychoanalytical approach towards establishing and practicing psychoanalytical psychotherapy in Bulgaria according to the standards of the European for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy and the International Psychoanalytical Society.
  • The Society works towards establishing appropriate social and professional environment for the development of psychoanalytical psychotherapy in Bulgaria.
  • The Society supports professionally related practitioners towards involvement in the psychoanalytical perspective.
  • The Society works towards implementing common projects in the area of mental health, counselling and psychotherapeutic work with state and public organisations and institutions.
  • The Society encourages research, studies, discussions and publications relevant to all aspects of psychotherapeutic psychotherapy.
  • The Society promotes information via digital or printed media reaching out to physicians and people interested in the scientific approach to psychoanalytical psychotherapy.
  • The Society promotes, assists and organizes work, informational and constituent meetings and initiatives.
  • The Society works towards regularly organizing congresses.
  • The Society works to establish an environment for its members for professional training and qualified practice of psychotherapeutic psychotherapy.
  • The Society aims to bring together its members around its professional and ethical principles in training and practice of psychoanalytical psychotherapy according to the standards of the European for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy and the International Psychoanalytical Society.
  • The Society represents its members in any act of cooperation with national and international organisations.
  • The Society aims to maintain work contacts with the European for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy, the International Psychoanalytical Society and the Bulgarian Psychoanalytical Society.
  • The Society aims to establish appropriate scientific environment for mutual work.
  • The Society aims to publicise psychanalytical psychotherapy through organising conferences, lectures, workshops, and alike.

Article 10. The Society may establish branches domestically and internationally in support of its purposes.

Membership, rights and duties

Article 11. Members of the Society may include physical or legal entities wishing to benefit from the Society and acknowledge the aims, bylaws and the Code of Ethics of the organization.

Article 12. (1) Accepting members is a function of the Management Committee and membership is approved upon submitting a written membership application and a declaration of acknowledgement of the Bylaws hereby.

  • Membership becomes active upon resolution of the Management Committee.

Article 13. Membership in the Society is voluntary.

Article 13а. (new – Res. Of the GA dated 21st April 2019) (1) Membership may be either full or associated.

(2) A full member shall align to any of the requirements below:
1.    Has completed a training in psychoanalytical psychotherapy and psychoanalysis as of the criteria of the European for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy or the International Psychoanalytical Society;
2.    Is in a process of training in psychoanalytical psychotherapy and psychoanalysis according to the criteria of the European for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy and the International Psychoanalytical Society and is in therapeutic work within the psychoanalytical paradigm with a therapist who meets the criteria of the European for Psychoanalytical psychotherapy or the International Psychoanalytical Society;

(3) An associate member shall be anyone wishing and interested to take part in the activities of the Society and wanting to develop within the psychoanalytical paradigm;

(4) Associate members have a non-binding vote. They shall not vote in the General Assembly, hold office in the governing bodies of the Society nor shall they vote in any decision making. Associate members shall be entitled to all rights and duties of the Association not specifically denied them in these Bylaws except the ones mentioned in the aforementioned sentence.

(5) The Society shall keep a special register where the type of membership, the time of full membership becoming active as we as the documents certifying that fact for each member.

(6) Upon meeting the requirements for full membership, associated membership transforms into an active full membership with no specific resolution of the General Assembly on that matter. It shall be acknowledged that an associate member has fulfilled the requirement for full membership upon certifying that fact with the required documents submitted to the Management Committee of the Society. The transformation of the membership type shall then be entered in the register.

Article 14. To the extent that it is not defined otherwise in these Bylaws, the members of the Society have the following rights:

  1. To make use of the activities of the Society;
  2. To vote or have a non-binding a vote in governing the Society;
  3. To take part in all activities and presentations of the Society;
  4. To be informed and accounted to on the activities of the Society.

Article 15. To the extent that it is not defined otherwise in these Bylaws, the members of the Society are obliged to:

  1. Adhere to the Bylaws of the Society and the decisions made by the governing bodies of the Society whenever those decisions do not contradict with these bylaws;
  2. Pay their membership fee regularly;
  3. Assist in achieving the aims of the Society.

Article 16. The Society shall not be held responsible for the members’ duties.

Article 17. (amend. – Res. Of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) (1) Membership in the Society is terminated:

  1. upon submission of a unilateral written application to the Management Committee;
  2. in the event of death or certified incapacitation or in the event of terminating the legal entity which is a member of the Society;
  3. in the event of dropping from membership.

(2) A member of the Society may be dropped from membership:

  1. upon expiration of one full year of non-payment of membership fee;
  2. in the event of systematic and violent breach of the ylaws, the acknowledged professional standards, ethical norms or decisions made by the governing bodies of the Society.

(3) Resolutions on the termination of membership pursuant to article.1, para.1 and 2 shall be made by the Managing Committee whilst resolutions on dropping from membership pursuant to article1, para.3 and article 2 shall be made by the General Assembly.

Article 18. In the event of membership termination the Society shall not be responsible to return any contributions already made, in case the General Assembly has accepted that such contributions shall be made. Any member of the Society whose membership has been terminated is required to make all overdue contributions for the whole membership period.

Bodies

Article 19. (1) Governing bodies of the Society shall be:

  1. The General Assembly;
  2. The Managing Committee;

(2) In assisting its aims and performing its activities the Society may form Expert Committees and Commissions.

  • General Assembly

Article 20. (1) The General Assembly is the Supreme governing body and consists of all its members.

  • The General Assembly:
  1. Adopts, amends and completes the Bylaws of the Society;
  2. ( – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) May drop from membership pursuant to article 17, para.1, item 3 and article 17, para.2;
  3. ( – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) Elects and releases the Chairperson and members of the Managing Committee
  4. Defines the amount of the membership fee, approves the accountancy report, approves any expenses made and releases from responsibility members of the Managing Committee;
  5. Approves the general guides and programme of operations of the Society as well as the annual work plans;
  6. Makes decisions about property deals with any realties owned by the Society;
  7. Makes decisions on other matters under any competence given by these bylaws or the law;
  8. ( – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) Makes decisions on transforming or terminating the Society;
  9. (new – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) Approves the budget of the Society;
  10. (new – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) Cancels decisions of other bodies of the Society that may contradict the law, the bylaws or other internal acts regulating the work of the Society.

Article 21. (Amend. – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) Each member shall have the right to one vote.

Article 22. (Amend. – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) The General Assembly shall be considered lawful unless attended by less than half of the members. In the event that the required number of members are not present at the appointed time, the General Assembly shall reconvene an hour later with the same agenda and shall then be considered lawful regardless of the number of members attending at the time.

Article 23. (1) (Amend. – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) The decisions of the General Assembly shall be made with a majority of the votes. However, decisions concerning amendments of the bylaws, dropping membership as well as termination of transformation of the Society a majority of 2/3 of the votes of the attending members shall be required.

(2) Decisions shall not be made on matters that have not been part of the agenda and not been duly announced.

Article 24. The General assembly shall be summoned upon the decision of:

  1. Managing Committee – upon its own initiative;
  2. ( – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) The Managing Committee – on the demand of 1/3rd of the members of the Society;
  3. (Amend. – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015 and Res. of the GA dated 21st Apr 2019) By the court at the region of the seat registration – in the event when, pursuant to item 2 the General Assembly cannot be summoned within two weeks.

Article 25. (1) (Amend. – Res. of the GA dated 21st Apr 2019) The General Assembly shall be summoned by a written invitation sent to all its members not later than one month before the date of the Assembly. The invitation shall indicate all matters to be considered as well as the hour, date and venue.

  • The invitation shall also indicate where the materials will be available for those interested to review in case those materials were not sent with the invitation. A copy of the announcement shall be available at a visible place at the seat of the Society.
  • ( of the GA dated 21st Apr 2019) The invitation is presented to the members of the General Assembly either handed personally, emailed or delivered by courier. Whenever the application for membership contains an email address and a consent to receive invitations to that email address, the respective member shall be considered duly informed upon sending the invitation to that email address. Consent in the sense of the aforementioned sentence may be provided later on (upon membership approval), in writing.

Article 26. The General Assembly shall be summoned at least once in every 12 (twelve) months whereas at the beginning of each year a report on the activity and future guidelines on the work is submitted.

Article 27. (1) The General Assembly shall elect at each of its meeting a Chairperson of the assembly and a recorder.

  • A minutes book is kept at the time of the assembly where the minutes shall be signed by the Chairperson and the recorder of the respective assembly.
  • Managing Committee

Article 28. (1) The Society is governed by a Managing Committee consisting of five members with a 5-year term of office.

  • (cancelled – Res. of the GA dated 21st Apr 2019)
  • The Managing Committee may elect a Chairperson of honour and an international council of honour both having representation functions.

Article 29. (1) The Managing committee meets at least once in every 6 (six) month and is summoned by invitation of the Chairperson which indicates the date, hour, venue and the agenda of the meeting.

  • The Managing Committee may also be summoned upon the demand of 1/3rd of its members.
  • ( – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) The meetings shall be considered lawful if attended by more than a half of the Committee’s members. The decisions shall be made with a simple majority. An exception shall be made for decisions pursuant to article 14, para.2 and article 31, item 3 and 6 of the Non-for Profit Legal Entities Act where decisions shall be made with a majority of all members.
  • Minutes shall be taken at the meetings of the Managing Committee and these are to be signed by all attendees.
  • The Managing Committee can make a decision without holding a meeting, if all members of the Managing Committee sign the protocol for this decision without any objections.

Article 30. (1) The Managing Committee is the operational management body of the Society.

(2) The Managing Committee shall:

  1. Make sure of the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly;
  2. Manage the property of the Society;
  3. Authorise the Chairperson or another member of the Managing Committee to perform certain tasks;
  4. Set specific task forces and identifies their members, tasks and competences.

Article 31. (1) The Chairperson of the Managing Committee shall be elected to remain in office for a term of 5 (five) years. He or she may be employed to perform this duty.

  • The Chairperson:
  1. Shall organize, manage and control, pursuant to these bylaws, the implementation of the General Assembly and the Managing Committee;
  2. Shall represent the Society before any physical or legal entity as well as public bodies nationally and internationally;
  3. Appoints and releases from office any employee working for the Society under civil or labour contractual terms;
  4. Runs the meetings of the Managing Committee;
  5. (cancelled – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015)

Business activity of the Society

Article 32. (1) Business activity

  1. The Society may additionally run business activities that are directly related to its main activity;
  2. The business activity of the Society may include training in the theory and practice of psychoanalytical psychotherapy, practice of psychoanalytical psychotherapy, psychological counselling and psycho-diagnostics;

Consultancy; organizing and attending national and international seminars, conferences and congresses in psychoanalysis, psychoanalytical psychotherapy; publishing original or translated works, including periodicals, in the area of psychoanalysis, psychoanalytical psychotherapy and clinical practice; organizing open lectures for non-specialists, scientific forums, conferences, seminars and workshops towards training in the theory and practice of  psychoanalytical psychotherapy, as well as any other activity not forbidden by law and which is directly related to the main activity of the Society, whereas the incomes from that activity shall be solely used for achieving the aims of the Society described in these bylaws.

Property

Article 33. (1) The property of the Society consists of money (including foreign currency), securities, property, property rights, intellectual rights and others that are necessary for its activities and that are allowed by the Bulgarian law to be elements of the property of any legal entity.

  • The property of the Society consists of the members’ membership fees, donations and testament in the country and abroad, selling, subsidies and other income permitted by the law.
  • ( – Res. of the GA dated 21st Apr 2019) All members of the Society shall pay annual membership fee the amount of which is defined by the General Assembly. The membership fee shall be paid in one instalment by the end of April each year and valid for that same year. In the event of accepting new members after April, they shall pay their membership fee by the 10th day of the month after the month when the membership rights were acquired.
  • (cancelled – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015)
  • The Society shall raise funds from local and international funding organisations towards implementing approved projects as wells as funding from local, regional and national authorities.

Main funding of the Society

Article 34. (1) Main funding:

  1. Membership fees and donations by members of the Society;
  2. Donations and testament;
  3. Subsidies;
  4. Organising various events with scientific, educational or public awareness aims such as round tables, seminars, conferences, discussion forums, workshops, etc.
  5. Organising fundraising events;
  6. Funding from local and international donors;
  • Termination of the Society

Article 35. (amend. – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015) The Society shall be terminated:

  1. Upon resolution of the General Assembly approved by a majority of 2/3rd of the attendees;
  2. Upon decision of the court at the region of the seat registration, on the demand of any who is interested or of a prosecutor in the event the Society is acting against the Constitution, the laws and the good social mores, or otherwise the Society is declared insolvent.
  • Additional provisions

Article 36. (1) (cancelled – Res. of the GA dated 18th Dec 2015)

  • In the event of termination the activity, the positive balance of the Society shall be donated to organisations with similar aims and identified by the members of the General Assembly who approve the decision on the termination of the Society.

Article 37. The Society has a stamp and a logo the visualization of which is defined by the Managing Committee.

Article 38. The Society may become member of other associations with similar aims.

Article 39. For matters unregulated by these bylaws the special legislation on non-for-profit organisations shall be applied.

These bylaws was approved with the general consent of the Constituent Assembly in Sofia on 20th June 2014 г., was amended upon resolutions of the General Assembly dated 18th Dec 2015, the General Assembly dated 21st April 2019 and the General Assembly dated 26th Oct 2019.