Biography
Ivan Valkov is a theologian and psychologist with over thirty years of experience in Christian education, academic teaching, and theoretical research into the connection between spirituality and mental health. His work encompasses teaching, leadership in educational institutions, participation in international seminars, and publications in theology, moral philosophy, and Christian psychology.
Ivan Valkov holds higher education degrees in theology and psychology from institutions in Ukraine and Bulgaria. From 1989 to 1993, he studied at the Bible College in Odesa, Ukraine, where he earned the qualification of “Teacher of Ethics in Secondary School.”
After relocating to Bulgaria, he continued his education at the Evangelical Theological Institute in Sofia, graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology. Between 2003 and 2005, he studied at Shumen University “Bishop Konstantin Preslavski”, where he earned a Master’s degree in Theology, followed by a Master’s degree in Psychology in 2009. His psychological studies focused on distinguishing between biological and spiritual roots of mental disorders.
Throughout his professional career, Ivan Valkov has gained substantial teaching experience. He taught for ten years at the Bible College in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. He later became a lecturer at the Odesa Christian Humanitarian University, and since 2011, he has served as Rector of the Christian College in Sofia. He regularly participates in seminars and educational events in Bulgaria, Germany, the USA, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
In addition to his academic and teaching roles, Ivan Valkov has over thirty years of experience in pastoral care and psychological counseling. His work includes individual and family support, guidance in emotional and spiritual crises, and the applied integration of theological and psychological principles in practical ministry contexts.
Biography
Ella Kurudimova is a Psychotherapist with an academic background in psychology and behavioral health, as well as practical experience working with children, adolescents, and families in a clinical setting. She is fluent in English, Russian, and Bulgarian.
Ella Kurudimova holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2006–2011) and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (2015–2019), both from California State University, Sacramento. Since 2019, she has been pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership in Behavioral Health at Grand Canyon University.
Between 2019 and 2021, she worked as a clinician at Victor Community Support Services in West Sacramento, California. In this context, she provided individual and family psychotherapy, conducted group work, therapeutic plans and assessments.
She has also gained administrative and client experience in other institutions, as well as valuable experience as a volunteer in orphanages in Eastern Europe where she worked with children and youth in vulnerable social settings with interventions including emotional and cognitive support, discussion groups and mentoring.
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