Hi, I’m Julia Tienson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and bilingual therapist based in Portland, Oregon. I  provide therapy in Spanish and English. It's important to know that I'm a non-native Spanish speaker referred to as "la güera" by some of my Yucatecan amigos. I have been doing social service work in two languages since 2013 and am honored and committed to providing quality and culturally responsive therapeutic care. 

It is my firm belief that we all equally and inherently possess the innate potential to become our truest, integrated self. From my social work lens, I believe it’s crucial to contextualize our sufferings and challenges in the systemically oppressive, capitalistic, patriarchal structures we live in. I seek to empower the people and communities I work with through authentic relationship and collaborative strengths-centered healing. I hope to support people to identify their innate resilience, attune to their embodied wisdom, and move toward a life that feels more aligned and fulfilling.

My approach integrates mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), trauma-informed somatic practices, and Buddhist philosophy. I work from a holistic, relational, and strengths-based lens, creating a space that is warm, non-judgmental, and collaborative.

I specialize in parenting and family therapy, supporting people through transitions of caregiving, growing up, aging, and loss. My perspective is shaped by my lived experience of being raised in Oregon, living internationally, being a mother, grieving daughter, and co-creating a blended family. All of this has deepened my compassion and contributed to a more personal understanding of family systems, grief, transitions, and resilience.