Hi,
I’m Valenca Valenzuela, LCSW
Grief & Trauma Therapist and Educator
Death Doula & Life-Cycle Celebrant
I am a student of life and loss. I am a holder of ceremonial space. I am a companion to the grieving, dying, and those holding wounds of the past. I am a grief activist that believes in bringing grief out of the shadows and into the light. I speak for the parts of us shaped by survival. I walk with those carrying stories in their bones.
Since 2003, I have been living in Portland, Oregon on the land of the Multnomah, Chinook, and many other named and un-named tribes. I currently dedicate much of my time to growing with my two children, as well as focusing on my own learning of ancestral healing, plant medicine, dreams, earth-based spirituality, and art. Time spent in the trees or at the ocean helps to ground me and feed my soul.
Professionally, I have been traveling a path that has prepared me for this work in immense ways. I have been walking alongside grief, death, and trauma since 2007. As an LCSW who has provided grief support for almost two decades, I understand how to hold space in the deepest of places. As a holistic practitioner since 1998, I have helped folks to regulate their nervous systems and embrace embodied practices to help stay grounded and present in their experiences. My long path to Raven & Rose has been one of the most life affirming adventures for me. I have known for years that I wanted to assist individuals and families through life’s painful passages. I feel grounded in this work and I consider it a great honor to hold space for you and your loved ones during these tender times.
Qualifications
Jory Mental Health Collective, Grief Therapist & Trainer (2023- Present)
Going with Grace End-of-Life Training, End-of-Life Doula Certification (2020) & Going with Grace Course Instructor (2021- 2023)
Celebrant Foundation & Institute, Life-Cycle Celebrant, Certified Funeral Celebrant & End-of-Life Ceremony (2020)
Portland State University, Master of Social Work (MSW) Graduated 2012
Trillium Family Services, Family Therapist & Trauma Group Facilitator (2011-2018)
University of Portland, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Graduated 2010
Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families, Grief Group Facilitator & Grief Services Coordinator (2009-2023)
Village Health Care, Social Services & Companion to the Dying (2007-2009)
Glendale College, Massage Therapy & Holistic Modalities Certification 1998
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Theater, Dance, and Voice training 1997
