Hi,
I’m Valenca Valenzuela, LCSW

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. I sit with the dying as they contemplate their legacy. I advocate for a world that celebrates decolonized healing.

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, 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.