Dr. Plamena Daskalova
I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Professor of Counseling Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. Before founding Praxis Counseling Services, I served as the Director of Training at a group psychotherapy practice in Chicago, where I oversaw clinical development and supervision for emerging therapists. My prior clinical experience includes work in several university counseling centers, including Northwestern University, DePaul University, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Breadth of Clinical Experience
In addition to my work in university settings, I have practiced in hospital-affiliated clinics and community mental health centers, where I provided care to individuals and families presenting with a wide range of psychological and psycho-social concerns. These experiences have strengthened my ability to adapt interventions to diverse clinical presentations, cultural contexts, and levels of acuity. Working in such multidisciplinary environments also deepened my appreciation for collaboration across systems of care and the importance of integrating evidence-based approaches with cultural and contextual awareness.
Clinical Focus
Clinically, I specialize in treating mood concerns such as anxiety and depression, adjustment and acculturation challenges, and relational or family-of-origin trauma. In addressing complex trauma, I draw from contemporary somatic and cognitive approaches to support healing from experiences of neglect, abuse, and attachment disruptions.
I also maintain a recognized subspecialty in career-development concerns, working with professionals navigating demanding careers, burnout, career uncertainty, and challenges with work-life balance. This area of focus reflects my ongoing interest in the intersection between identity, purpose, and professional fulfillment.
Academic and Professional Engagement
Lastly, I remain actively involved in teaching, research, and professional consultation. I teach graduate courses in the Counseling and School Psychology departments at Loyola University Chicago.
“The good life consists in deriving happiness by using your signature strengths every day in the main realms of living. The meaningful life adds one more component: using these same strengths to forward knowledge, power or goodness.”
-Martin Seligman, PhD
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Northwestern University, Postdoctoral Fellowship
Northwestern University, Pre-doctoral Internship
Loyola University Chicago, Ph.D. Counseling Psychology
Loyola University Chicago, B.S. Psychology & Political Science (Alpha Sigma Nu Inductee)
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IL Licensed Clinical Psychologist #071.010666
Authority to Practice Inter-jurisdictional Psychology PSYPACT #11116
EMDR, Level I
Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level I
Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR)
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Clinical Instructor, Loyola University Chicago (2018- Present). Classes taught include:
· CPSY 440: Practicum Supervision
· CPSY 454: Human Development
· CPSY 532: Advanced Theories of Psychotherapy
· CPSY 433: Multicultural Counseling
· CPSY 424: Career Development and Counseling
· CPSY 435: History and Systems in Psychology
· CPSY 435: Assessment in Counseling
Student Executive Board Coordinator & Executive Committee Member, ACEPT (2021-2024)
Director of Training, Allow Wellness (2021-2022)
Clinical Training Director Assistant, LUC (2015-2017)
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Gonzales, R., Cabirou, L., Daskalova, P. & Hill, L. (In progress). Microaggressions in clinical supervision.
Vera, E., & Heineke, A., Schultes, A., & Daskalova, P. (2022). Social and Emotional Needs of Emergent Bilingual High School Students: Perspectives of Teachers, School Counselors, and School Social Workers. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 1-38. 10.1080/10474412.2021.2018657.
Vera, E., Heineke, A., Daskalova, P., Schultes, A., Pantoja‐Patiño, J., Duncan, B., Yanuaria, C., & Furtado, C. (2021). Emergent bilingual high school students' social and emotional experiences. Psychology in the Schools, 58. 10.1002/pits.22559.
Yoon, E., Cabirou, L., Galvin, S., Hill, L., Daskalova, P., Bhang, C., Mustaffa, E. A., Dao, A., Thomas, K., & Baltazar, B. (2020). A meta-analysis of acculturation and enculturation: Bilinear, multidimensional, and context-dependent processes. The Counseling Psychologist, 48(3), 342-376.
Vera, E., Hill, L., Daskalova, P., Chander, N., Polanin, M., Galvin, S. Boots, T., & Polanin, M. (2019). Promoting upstander behavior in youth: A proposed model. Journal of Early Adolescence, 39(7), 1020-1049.
Vera, E., Hook, K., Daskalova, P., Hill, L., Galvin, S., Fritsche, S., Catellier, J., Haywood, S.,...Gruber, E. O. (2018). Understanding the socio-emotional worlds of English learners: A retrospective study. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 28(2),137-163.
Vera, E., Carr, A. L., Roche, M. K., & Daskalova, P. (2018). Contextual predictors of vocational hope in ethnic minority, low-income youth. Professional School Counseling, 2(1), 1-11.
Brown, S. D., Roche, M., Abrams, M., Lamp, K., Telander, K., Daskalova, P., Tatum, A., & Massingale, M. (2018). Relationships among supports and barriers and career and educational
outcomes: A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(3), 395-412.Vera, E., Daskalova, P., Hill, L., Floro, M., Anderson, B., Roche, M., Aydin, F., Adams, K., Camacho, D., Raziuddin, A., & Carr, A. (2017). Parental messages, school belonging, social skills, and personal control as predictors of bullying in ethnic minority adolescents. School Mental Health, 9(4),347-359.
Roche, M. K., Daskalova, P., & Brown, S. D. (2017). Anticipated multiple role
management in emerging adults: A test of the social cognitive career self-management model. Journal of Career Assessment, 25(1), 121-134.