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Welcome. I’m Val. Writer, guide, and thoughtful question-asker.
I help people navigate the hard-to-name moments in life: identity shifts, emotional stuckness, relationship unravelings, midlife awakenings, and everything in between.
If you're in transition, in reflection, or simply in search of more depth, you're in the right place.
My work lives at the intersection of psychology, emotional intelligence, and lived experience.
It shows up as writing, live workshops, guided series, and intimate conversations that help you understand yourself more clearly — and move forward with more meaning.
Some people find me through my newsletter, Life Intelligence.
Some arrive through yoga.
Some just feel that quiet internal nudge: “I need something to change.”
Many come through referrals, too.
Here’s what I believe:
You don’t need to be fixed.
You need a safe place to be honest and tools to move forward without abandoning yourself.
If that resonates, I invite you to explore what I offer:
👉 Writing
👉 Live Zoom workshops
👉 Guided series
👉 (Coming soon: retreats and small group intensives)
Live more. Love more. Do more. Matter.
Let’s begin.
Valentina Petrova has a Master’s in Integral Psychology from John F. Kennedy University and a Bachelor’s in Sustainable Economic Development from Whittier College. She is certified as a strategic interventionist and life transitions coach through the Robbins-Madanes 100 hours training program. She is a facilitator for the nationwide Alternatives to Violence Project, working with people in severe circumstances, such as prisons.
She is Facial Action Coding System (FACS) certified and has worked as an academic researcher on emotion expression and suppression at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Since 2004, Valentina has published close to a hundred articles on psychology, spirituality, and well-being in various publications, including the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice (July 2015). Her life-coaching practice, personal development workshops, public speaking engagements, and volunteering on a crisis support line give her daily opportunities to help others.
She started her first small business when she was 21 years old and a student at Leeward Community College in Hawaii. From a hobby, she transformed her passion for making clothing into a featured trendsetter during the MAGIC show in Las Vegas in just a few years. She sold the label prior to arriving in California to work on her BA in Sustainable Economic Development. This took her to the United Nations to work on a project analyzing the actions and interactions of the 26 UN agencies at the time in order to discover areas of duplication of effort and help streamline their operations. Under the Agency for Interagency Affairs, Valentina published a report which was used by these agencies.
Eclectic best describes Valentina’s experiences. She has been a day-trader, owner/manager and event coordinator for a four-diamond B&B and a large RV park, and the owner of a yoga studio and a wellness center for 13 years. In her native country, she competed as a professional athlete and made it to the Olympic team, but instead of competing in the 1992 Olympics, she immigrated to the United States and watched them from Hawaii.
What people say about me:
Valentina gets to the point and is an effective no-nonsense communicator.
She draws from her varied experiences and finds creative solutions, inspiring stories, and motivating guidance.
She is efficient, organized, and a great strategizer.
She walks her talk.
She is passionate about helping and empowering people.
She inspires everyone with a sense of possibility and helps them find their strengths.
She has deep insights into human nature, psychology, and behavior.
She cares!
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