Tahlia Harrison

About Tahlia

Hello, I’m Tahlia. I’m a licensed therapist based in Portland, Oregon, and I work with people navigating pressure, transition, and the emotional cost of showing up in hard roles. My style is warm, direct, and collaborative, with an integrative approach. This provides the tools to look at everyone from multiple angles and support you in making sense of your story, and build a life that feels more aligned, honest, and sustainable. I work well with people who don’t feel like they fit in a box and my practice is rooted in dignity, curiosity, accountability, and care across all identities. I am experienced with and committed to serving the needs of all people in my Portland community including our LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, immigrant, kink, and poly communities. I value and practice humility and culturally responsive care, not assuming one size fits all. This means there will be times when we actively examine power, oppression, and systemic factors (when appropriate), and never frame distress as a solely individual failing.

Areas of Focus

Mental Health Conditions & Diagnoses: Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Trauma, Neurodivergence

Trauma, Abuse, & Safety: Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse

Life Transitions & Adjustments: Life Transitions, Adjustment Issues, Loss or Grief

Identity, Culture & Community: Identity Issues, Gender Identity, Racial Identity, LGBTQ+ Issues, Multicultural Issues, Spirituality

Relationships & Interpersonal Dynamics: Romantic Relationship Conflicts, Family Relationship Conflicts, Codependency, Intimacy Issues, Polyamorous and Open Relationships, Dating Challenges, Divorce or Separation, Communication Skills, Boundaries, People-Pleasing

Personal Growth & Emotional Wellness: Self-Esteem, Personal Growth, Creativity, Mindfulness, Mind-Body Connection, Stress, Motivation and Procrastination, Perfectionism

Substance Use & Addiction: Harm Reduction

My Approach

I practice therapy with a warm and candid approach, you do not need to edit yourself here. We can talk honestly about what is hard, what is unsustainable, and what still matters to you. The work will also be deep and practical, making meaning of patterns, relationships, systems, and history, while also focusing on what can actually shift in your day-to-day life. And lastly, I focus on being affirming and non-performative, working from a place of cultural humility and care for complexity. This practice welcomes people across identities and relationship structures, especially those who want therapy that feels thoughtful, grounded, and real.

People often describe me as: Curious and clear—I ask questions that help you zoom out and actually see the pattern; Warm and grounded—I can sit with big feelings and hard stories without flinching; A bit funny—we will probably laugh, even when things are heavy. Humor is allowed here; and Direct but kind—I won’t just nod along; I’ll share what I’m noticing, gently but honestly.

My approach with therapeutic models is integrative and tailored to help you make sense of your story, understand your parts, and build a life that feels more attuned, honest, and sustainable. Models I draw from include:

Existential Therapy (exploring meaning, freedom, and responsibility in the face of life’s givens); Narrative therapy (reauthoring life stories and externalizing problems through language and storytelling); Experiential Therapy (change through emotionally engaged, in-the-moment experiences and creative activities); Attachment-based Therapy (repairing relational patterns through a secure, responsive therapeutic bond); Internal Family Systems (“parts work”; relating with inner subpersonalities compassionately)

Education, Training & Certifications

• Master’s degree in Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy from Lewis and Clark’s Graduate School of Counseling—a program centering systemically oriented, culturally competent clinical training. This approach accounts for the cultural, social, and spiritual issues that shape the whole person. Master’s degree Bioethics and Science Policy from Duke University. PhD in progress from the University of Ottawa in experimental psychology with Dr. Monnica Williams in the Laboratory for Culture and Mental Health Disparities.