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Licensed Therapist · Speaker · Educator · Community Advocate

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Valentina pishchanskaya-cayanan, lmft

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and speaker with over a decade of clinical and speaking experience. I partner with organizations, conferences, and retreat organizers to deliver keynotes, workshops, and trainings on stress management, burnout prevention, building self-confidence, overcoming imposter syndrome, and navigating life's most demanding transitions. My sessions give attendees the tools to show up more fully, whether that is at work, in their communities, or in their own lives.

  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, OR and WA

  • Trained in Evidence-Based Trauma Therapy (EMDR) and Group Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Building Workshops (GTEP and GREP)

  • Tenured Faculty Counselor and First-Year Seminar Instructor, Higher Education

  • Vice President and Co-Founder, DAWN Inc. (Ukraine relief)

  • Born in Kyiv, Ukraine. Raised in the United States.


Experienced Speaker, Clinician, and Facilitator

A decade of clinical expertise, community advocacy, and tools that make a difference.

Featured in regional news: KOIN 6 , the Oregonian, OPB, KPTV and KATU AM Northwest for my expert commentary on the war in Ukraine, refugee mental health, and my leadership of large-scale Ukrainian community fundraising events in Oregon.

My Approach

Sessions That Connect.
Stories That Resonate.

People often tell me they came in expecting a lecture and left feeling like someone finally got it. That is what I work toward every time I step into a room.

My sessions are trauma-informed and culturally responsive because I believe the people in your audience deserve more than a one-size-fits-all presentation. I draw on evidence-based approaches including EMDR and group stress and resilience protocols to create experiences that are not just informative but genuinely transformative. Whether your audience is navigating burnout, anxiety, identity, or major life transitions, they will leave with something they can actually use.

What sets me apart is that I have lived many of the experiences I speak about. Growing up between two cultures, navigating identity and belonging, learning how to build confidence in spaces that were not always designed with you in mind. I know what it feels like to be in that room, and that changes everything about how I show up in it.

That same drive extends into my community work. As Vice President and Co-Founder of DAWN Inc., I organize large-scale fundraising and awareness events for Ukraine, including the annual Ukrainian Winterfest, and have partnered with organizations like the Salem Multicultural Institute to bring Ukrainian culture and her people's story to broader audiences.

Invite me to speak today!

Works Well For

Corporate wellness programs

Professional conferences

Women's retreats

Health organizations

Nonprofit events

Higher education

Community advocacy gatherings

Delivery Formats

Keynote presentations

Interactive workshops

Staff trainings

Panel discussions

GTEP and GREP group stress and trauma workshops

In person, virtually, or in a hybrid format

Speaking Topics

  • One of my most requested topics for corporate wellness programs and professional conferences. I give people practical, evidence-based tools for understanding why anxiety and burnout show up the way they do, how to manage overwhelm, protect their energy, and build sustainable resilience at work and in life. Attendees leave with strategies they can put to use immediately.

  • High achievers and professionals doubt themselves more than most people realize, and major life changes have a way of making that self-doubt louder. I help people move from uncertainty and self-doubt to authentic confidence, with tools that work whether they are navigating a career shift, a leadership role, or a season of personal change.

  • I speak from both personal experience and clinical expertise on what it means to live between two cultures, navigate belonging as a first or second generation professional, and carry the unique weight of the immigrant and refugee experience. I also address what organizations, educators, and communities can do to provide genuinely culturally responsive support for these populations.

  • As Ukrainian-born therapists and co-founders of DAWN Inc., Yulia Brockdorf and I partner to speak on the psychological impact of russia's full-scale invasion, the mental health needs of war-displaced Ukrainians, the humanitarian work DAWN does on the ground, and how communities and organizations can provide effective, culturally competent support.

  • Designed specifically for women's retreats and conferences, this session gets honest about the pressures women carry, why rest and recovery feel out of reach, and what it actually takes to build a life that feels sustainable and fulfilling. Attendees leave with a clearer sense of what they need and the permission to go after it.

  • In partnership with Shayna Collins of Adnei Wellness, I facilitate GTEP (Group Traumatic Event Protocol) and GREP (Group Resource Enhancement Protocol) workshops. As EMDR trained clinicians, we deliver these evidence-based sessions that give teams and organizations a structured way to process collective stress and build resilience together, without requiring anyone to share their personal experiences openly. Ideal for healthcare teams, first responders, educators, and organizations navigating shared challenges.

  • Oregon Conferences for Women

  • Keizer Network of Women

  • Willamette Health Council

  • Women’s Retreats

  • Northwest Regional Equity Conference

  • Odyssey Women’s International: Women’s Health Equity Conference

Past Engagements

  • Business Conferences

  • Eastern European Workshop Series

  • Salem Multicultural Institute

  • DAWN Inc Events

  • Higher Ed Professional Development Days

  • Regional Media such as KOIN 6, KATU, the Oregonian and others

Ready to bring this to your audience?

I would love to be part of your next conference, training, or retreat. Reach out to start the conversation about what would work best for your event and your people.