Bulgaria & Greece: Pre-Occupational & Speech Therapy program

During my time abroad, I really fell in love with the career of speech, language pathology, and it made me a lot more excited to pursue my education. I was able to get firsthand experience in what speech pathology looks like in many different ways and I would’ve never had an opportunity like this if I didn’t sign up for Therapy Abroad

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Overall, I would rank this trip as an 8/10. The trip was more geared towards OT students than SLP students. This was mainly due to the language barrier. I wish that in the future this trip would have more translators to help accommodate to speech needs in the facilities. The hotel that we stayed in during our time in Bulgaria was super rough. It was very gross and it didn’t feel like it was being cleaned very well, specifically the beds. It was fun to meet people during the trip and hangout, but I wish that I would have been able to long before the trip began. The information for the trip was only sent out 6 days before departure. I was hoping that it would have been sent out 2-4 weeks before departure. This would have been nice for meeting other people travelling. This is more of a general suggestion, but I hope that Therapy Abroad can update their website! When I first came across the site, it looked like a scam. It’s just a website with several broken links and it requires you to put down $1,000 for the deposit. If there’s anything you guys can do to make the marketing better, please do!

Each excursion/tour was so well planned and executed. I loved all of our local guides and cannot praise them enough for everything they did for us during this trip! I loved that our group also had students at varying levels in their OT/SLP journeys. As a rising fourth year undergrad student, it was very helpful to hear about some real life experiences from grad school and beyond! Overall, this trip was an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world! I enjoyed every single minute of it and felt that I’ve been able to build such strong connections with some wonderful people. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!

Throughout my entire therapy abroad experience, I can’t say a single negative thing. Everything was meticulously planned, and I felt incredibly safe throughout the trip. Personally, I went on the Bulgaria and Greece trip this past summer, and it exceeded my expectations. I gained hands on experience, collaborated closely with licensed professionals, and oversaw various aspects related to speech-language pathology, including the use of AAC devices and swallowing evaluations. I couldn’t recommend it enough!

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With our guides Emo and Styocho, they had truly made the trip. They knew the clients really well and were extremely helpful with guiding us and interpreting if needed. They were with us the whole time which made me feel extremely safe and the itinerary was perfect. It had the perfect balance between free time, therapy, and activities. I wouldn’t change a single thing about this program! I had the best connection with Stella as well. I had the best time at the camp where we were able to plan the therapy sessions and one thing i added in was a mircrophone and would give it to stella to repeat after me to work on.

This program provided me with a lot of very valuable experiences, especially with culture and speech therapy. It was very informative traveling around Bulgaria and learning how speech therapy is done in various settings and with different age groups. The therapy abroad team was amazing! Our supervisors, Carly and Marianna, were really nice and always happy to answer all our questions. Our guides, Emo and Stoycho, were likewise really fun to be around! I always felt safe and well informed of what was going on. They were a lot of fun and made the whole experience so much better.

This program was such an amazing experience. I was really nervous ahead of time as someone who has not traveled internationally a ton and never without family, but these people created such a safe and fun environment where I learned a ton! Our Bulgarian guides Emo and Stoycho were AMAZING with us and making us feel welcomed and so were our clinical supervisors. Totally recommend!!

Stoycho, Emo, Carly, and Marianna were AMAZING! The 4 of them made my trip run so smoothly. Stoycho and Emo were so much fun and I never worried about where we were. I trusted them fully, they always wanted the best for us

Right when we landed we were met by the best guides, and i immediately felt comfortable. I met incredible people and got to see incredible places. Getting clinical hours in Bulgaria was unbelievable and it truly was the trip of a lifetime.

From the second we stepped off the plane we were instantly greeted with great tour guides who cared not only about our safety, but also about our experience! I would recommend this trip to anyone! It’s a great balance between studying and exploring!

This trip was truly one of the best things I’ve ever done!! I learned so incredibly much and got to see so many amazing things. The people I met and the hands on experience I gained was so so so amazing. I wouldn’t change anything about the program. It was so efficient and planned so well. We did not have to worry about anything! I had the best time ever!!!!!

Therapy Abroad has put together an incredibly educational, clinical, cultural, full-bodied experience. I believe the diversity of settings on this program makes it very unique! Our program was able to visit a variety of schools, geriatric centers, hospitals, and both pediatric and adult clinics/day programs. Stoycho and Emo, the two in-country Bulgarian staff members, were organized, energetic, kind, safe, and respectful. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and am already excited for all the things the future programs will learn!

Therapy abroad was such an amazing experience! I never expected to meet such an amazing group of people and get to experience such a special time together. Getting the hands on experience was huge for me. I would highly recommend this trip!

Initially, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was so surprised by all the love that I received throughout this trip. Our supervisors were amazing and Emilian & Stoycho are so knowledgeable and kind!

I don’t even know where to begin! This was the absolute best trip of my life! Our guides, Emo and Stoycho, were the best! They were so helpful and showed us the best places! They were easy to work with and just great people all around! Our therapists that traveled with us were also the best ever! Carly and Marianna were such great mentors! They answered all our questions and went out of their way to make us as comfortable as possible! The only thing I might would change about the trip is to go ahead and do the Athens day before Santorini! It’s a long hot day and I think we would have enjoyed it even more if we had done it immediately after Bulgaria! That way the trip ends with the super relaxing Santorini! This trip was totally worth the money and I would pay it again and again!

Stoycho and Emilian are absolutely incredible- they are welcoming, knowledgeable, professional, the list goes on. I truly could not have imagined a better trip, and could not have imagined it without them. They truly make the best team- and make a place miles away feel like home and family. It is so clear how much they care for this program and their community. Therapy Abroad has created an incredible program where you are able to grow both personally and professionally. You are able to further your skills as a future speech language pathology, while fostering friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. I highly recommend TA- I already can’t wait for my next trip!

I truly enjoyed Therapy Abroad and my time in Bulgaria and Greece. Emo and Stoycho did such a wonderful job taking care of us, I always felt safe with them. If you like sightseeing and a lot of go go go, this is the trip for you! I got to meet so many wonderful people and learned so much from my supervisors, the SLP related experienced and from my peers.

I truly enjoyed every second of this trip! It was an incredible experience to travel and get a glimpse into my future career. Our guides, Emilian and Stoycho, were absolutely amazing. They welcomed us warmly and showed us their beautiful country. They took care of us, met all our needs, and treated us with such kindness, I never once felt unsafe or out of place. In fact, I felt right at home. Getting to observe and participate in Bulgaria’s healthcare system was such a unique experience. We had the opportunity to do hands-on therapy, collaborate as a team, and work alongside the SLPs. It was especially exciting to learn more about speech-language pathology and work with fellow pre-OT students. Therapy Abroad also did great with incorporating times to sight see in Bulgaria! I felt like I grew both personally and professionally, gaining valuable insight into the field of occupational therapy. Traveling to Greece afterward was the perfect way to end the trip! Greece was just as beautiful as I imagined, and it was amazing to deepen my friendships with the incredible girls I had just met. We had a fantastic rental, spent our days at the beach, and enjoyed stunning sunsets. It was so hard to see this trip come to an end, but I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced something so meaningful. If you’re even slightly considering going, do it! I was nervous about traveling alone, but I had nothing to worry about. Everyone is in the same boat, and it truly becomes a shared adventure!

I was part of the Bulgaria/Greece trip in July 2025. Initially, I was extremely nervous to join an abroad program where I didn’t know anyone. Looking back now, I’m so glad I didn’t let that fear stop me from going. During the trip, we had the opportunity to visit and observe occupational therapists (OTs) at a variety of facilities in Bulgaria. We worked with people across the lifespan from children to older adults. We learned about OT within the context of a different healthcare system. Immersing ourselves in another culture was eye-opening and helped me better understand the global impact of occupational therapy. This experience solidified my decision to pursue a career in OT and gave me a deeper appreciation for the profession’s ability to change lives. One of the most unexpected and meaningful parts of the trip was the friendships I formed. Prior to our trip, the Therapy Abroad staff told us on Zoom that we’d grow close, but I never imagined that complete strangers could feel like lifelong friends in just two weeks. Our hosts, Stoycho and Emilian, were incredible. They planned amazing activities, took us to great restaurants, and made us feel completely at home. Our clinical supervisors were intentional and insightful, helping us gain a deeper understanding of OT and guiding us through truly transformative experiences. I felt safe and supported throughout the entire trip. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt unprotected. The staff was also very responsive, offering help with everything from flight logistics to packing lists. It was clear throughout the experience that they genuinely cared about our safety, well-being, and personal growth.

I felt like therapy abroad provided me with the culturally enriching and hands-on experience I hoped for before I arrived. I made genuine connections with the other students and felt fulfilled by the experiences we had the privilege of undertaking as a group.