Instructor

This course (lesson) was created by Dr. Naira Velumyan, the Founder of the Academy of Social Competency, Ph.D. in Psychology, Forbes Coach, Registered Psychotherapist, International Speaker, Entrepreneur and Etiquette Expert. Her overall narrative is based on combining personal experience with extensive empirical knowledge on human psychology, behavior and motivation that she brings into a practical setting. At the age of 23, Dr. Velumyan lost her husband who was murdered because of business and money dealings, which left her widowed with two children of 3 and 5 years old. Without any formal education or background, business seemed the only opportunity for a decent survival in the wild 90-s in Russia. She wanted to give her children a better life, which their father struggled for. In the wild 90-s, doing business in Russia was an adventure, putting anyone’s life at risk. Conflict resolution skills and tough negotiations were the status quo, and therefore she had to develop these skills very fast. She started with two local hardware stores, then opened a wholesale clothing company, and later a car repair service, followed by the small chrome-plating factory. Later, Dr. Velumyan turned to studying law that she needed for running her businesses in those turbulent years, and graduated with a law degree. Driven by her long-standing interest in the nature and motivations of people, she continued her education in the field of psychology, followed by graduate studies and successfully becoming a PhD in psychology, along with several psychology certifications along the course. Her knowledge of psychology and business experience were strong assets for consulting entrepreneurs, who often turned to Dr. Velumyan for advice. After the 2008 global economic crisis, she was engaged in an anti-crisis counselling, where she implemented her expertise in communication, conflict resolution and negotiations. Along with this, she was providing extensive private counselling for individuals and families. During her career, Dr. Velumyan has trained hundreds of individuals and addressed hundreds of corporate and family cases. Currently, she lives in Canada, running two businesses.