Dr. Valentina Stoycheva received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn and a post-doctoral fellowship specializing in military and trauma psychology at the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Personnel and their Families, Northwell Health. She has received specialized trainings in utilizing empirically-based treatments (EBTs) for PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders, as well as couples/family psychotherapy, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (TF-CBT) for children.
Dr. Stoycheva has worked extensively within the field of trauma—ranging from early childhood abuse to domestic violence, to surviving natural disasters and war-related trauma—as well as with anxiety and panic disorders, mood disorders, and personality disorders. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. The scope of her experience includes working with children, adolescents, adults, and families, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Her approach is integrative, blending psychodynamic, relational, cognitive-behavioral, and dialectical-behavioral techniques, tailored individually for each client. Dr. Stoycheva has also held a two-year Research Fellowship at the Pacella Parent-Child Center, New York Psychoanalytic Institute. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate-level college courses and has contributed over a dozen publications and presentations in the fields of trauma, family dynamics, and the psychotherapy process.
Dr. Stoycheva is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), of Division 56 (Trauma Division) of APA, of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), and of the Suffolk County Psychological Association. She is a coauthor of The Unconscious: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications – winner of the 2021 Book Prize in Theory of the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis. The book focuses on how everyday unconscious processes shape our beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, behaviors, and the psychotherapy process. You can also read Dr. Stoycheva’s article series The Everyday Unconscious on Psychology Today.
In 2018, Dr. Stoycheva was awarded Adelphi University’s 10 Under 10 young alumni award. She consults for organizations and treatment centers regarding trauma-informed care and her commentaries have appeared in national publications such as The New York Times.
Dr. Stoycheva is fluent and can provide therapy in English and Bulgarian.