Meet Kristen Callaway, LMFT

Therapy that meets you where you are — without judgment, pressure, or pretense.

Hi, I’m Kristen.

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an EMDR Certified Therapist, and founder of Seeking Peace Counseling PLLC. I help adults heal from trauma, anxiety, and the grief of lives that haven’t gone as hoped. Many of my clients are first responders, high-capacity professionals, or people who grew up without enough safety. If you’ve spent years holding it all together — and now feel like something inside you is unraveling — you’re not alone. You don’t have to keep surviving like this.

My work is rooted in this belief: healing happens in steady, honest relationships where you get to show up fully — messy, guarded, grieving, angry, scared — and still be met with respect and care. Therapy with me isn’t about quick fixes or passive nodding. We’ll roll up our sleeves and do the real work — at your pace, with deep compassion and a good dose of humor along the way.

What It's Like to Work With Me

I bring my personality into every session. I want you to be authentic, so I’m authentic as well. That means sarcasm, metaphors, the occasional swear word, and always, always honesty. I believe therapy should feel like a real conversation — not a clinical performance. Clients describe me as direct but warm, grounding but curious. I’m not afraid to sit with hard stuff, and I won’t ask you to go anywhere I’m not willing to go with you.

You’ll never have to earn your place in the room. Whether you're bracing for the next crisis or just tired of pretending you're fine, this is a space where you can lay it down and be real.

A Bit About Me

I’m a Colorado native turned Oklahoman (still not over the tornadoes, to be honest), a wife, and a mom of two. I love running, baking, and going on adventures with my kids. My humor style ranges from dark sarcasm to dad jokes, and I’m deeply committed to rewatching The Office, Schitt’s Creek, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine on a continuous loop. I love I’m also the host of the Let’s Sit With This podcast, where my passion for helping people find safety and understanding with their bodies can be shared beyond the therapy hour.

I’ll laugh with you, be mad with you, and sometimes cry with you (because sometimes life really sucks). More than anything I’ll be rooting for you to heal and grow, and walk the path with you.

I am the proud wife to a military veteran and law enforcement officer. I have a deep respect for those who protect and serve our communities and our country. Understandably, I have a deep passion for serving the communities I consider family. I have a personal understanding of the challenges that first responders and their families face. I’ve celebrated Christmas Day in a patrol car and by myself. I know far to well being mid sentence of a story, hearing dispatch key up and knowing the phone call has to quickly end. I know what the weight of the uniform does to families.

This is a space where you don’t have to censor your story, hold back your dark humor, censor your language, or pretend you’re fine. There is no call, no scene, no deployment that will be too shocking, too overwhelming for me - I’ve likely already heard something very similar. Whether you wear the uniform or love someone who does, I’m here to support the messy, complicated, and often silent parts of your experience—with respect, cultural competence, and absolutely no judgment.

Law Enforcement is always welcome to come in full uniform (gun and duty equipment included).

Areas of Focus

I have a passion for providing individual counseling to adults who have struggles related to:

First Responders, Forensic Experts & Criminal Investigators, and Military.

The demands of a high-stress career take a toll on mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. First responders, forensic experts, criminal investigators, and military personnel often experience chronic stress, exposure to traumatic events, and emotional burnout, yet feel pressure to stay strong and keep going. Therapy offers a space to process what you've been carrying—whether it's job-related trauma, difficulty shutting off hypervigilance, or the emotional strain of the work you do. I help professionals in these fields develop tools for stress management, emotional regulation, and reclaiming a sense of self beyond the job. Learn more here

First Responder Spouses

I know what it’s like to have a phone call cut short because an emergency call came out (you’ve probably just learned to stop talking when you hear certain tones in the background, same here). To have holidays be on some random day, or to celebrate Christmas in a parking lot with coffee and cars parked together. To have your kids ask where mom/dad is, and be sad that something important is being missed by their hero. I love and believe the saying “we wear the weight of their badge on our heart.” Being in a relationship with a first responder comes with unique challenges—feeling disconnected, managing home life alone, or carrying the emotional weight of your partner’s job. You may struggle with feeling unseen or like your needs take a backseat to their demanding career. I provide support for spouses to navigate the complexities of their relationship, set healthy boundaries, and find a strong sense of self amidst the challenges. Learn more here

Healthcare professionals

The high stress professionals who take care of everyone else — including those in hospitals, clinics, mental health, and long-term care. You are emotionally maxed out from systems that often prioritize efficiency over humanity. You may be navigating chronic stress, moral injury, or the quiet grief of doing everything you can — and still feeling like it’s not enough. Therapy offers a space to finally feel your own response, reconnect with what matters to you, and receive care without guilt. Read more here

Anxious Overachievers

The ones who are always managing, fixing, or performing. You might look steady on the outside, but inside, it’s a constant storm of overthinking, self-doubt, and never feeling like enough. In therapy, we make space for the parts of you that are tired of holding it all together. Read about it here

Grief that Doesn’t Fit the Script

Whether you're mourning a death, a diagnosis, or something harder to name. It might be a child you couldn’t have, a parent who wasn’t who you needed, a future that disappeared, or a relationship that never quite existed the way you hoped. Some grief is public and recognized. Some lives are mourned in silence. Either way, it deserves space here. Read more here

If you don’t feel like your struggles fit within this list, but but something about me and my work resonates with you, please send me a message! I enjoy helping people with all kinds of struggles find hope and healing.

How I Help

Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why I integrate evidence-based approaches to meet you where you are.

Processing Trauma & Releasing Its Hold on You

If the past feels like it still has a hold on you, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they don’t feel as intense or intrusive. Trauma can leave the brain stuck in survival mode, making it hard to feel safe, trust others, or react with flexibility. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements or tapping) to activate the brain’s natural healing process, similar to how REM sleep helps us process daily experiences. Over time, distressing memories lose their emotional intensity, allowing you to respond to life from the present rather than being pulled back into the past. Learn more about EMDR here.

But trauma isn’t just something we remember—it’s something we feel in our bodies. That’s why I use somatic approaches grounded in Polyvagal Theory to help regulate the nervous system. If you’re always on high alert, feeling disconnected, or stuck in patterns of avoidance, we use breathwork, grounding exercises, movement, and nervous system education to shift out of survival mode and into a state where healing can happen.

Shifting Thought Patterns & Breaking Old Cycles

When anxiety, self-criticism, or perfectionism feel like they’re running the show, it can be overwhelming. I work with clients to shift unhelpful thought patterns, build psychological flexibility, and move toward values-based living. Therapy is not just about changing thoughts—it’s about learning how to move forward even when difficult emotions show up.

Regulating Emotions & Strengthening Boundaries

If setting boundaries, managing emotions, or navigating relationships feels overwhelming, I incorporate approaches that teach practical, real-world tools for self-regulation. These skills help with emotion management, distress tolerance, and creating healthier relationships, making it especially helpful for those who struggle with people-pleasing or emotional burnout.

Understanding & Healing Inner Conflicts

For those who feel like different parts of themselves are in conflict—one part wants to set boundaries, but another fears rejection—Parts Work helps bring clarity and healing by exploring inner dynamics with compassion, fostering self-acceptance and integration. Some parts may be protective, stepping in to keep you safe, while others may hold pain, fear, or shame from past wounds. Through this work, we explore these inner dynamics with compassion, helping you understand, integrate, and heal the parts that have been carrying too much for too long.

The Goal? Moving from Survival to Peace

Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you—it’s about helping you reconnect with yourself, heal from the past, and build a life that feels more peaceful and fulfilling. Whether it’s releasing the weight of trauma, calming an overactive mind, or learning to set boundaries without guilt, my goal is to help you move from just getting through the day to truly living. Together, we’ll create a space where you can process what’s been holding you back and develop the tools to move forward with more confidence, clarity, and self-trust.

Education and Credentials

  • An EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ has engaged in at least 20 hours of consultation with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ for EMDR and has practiced their skills with at least 25 different clients in at least 50 EMDR sessions. An EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ has voluntarily met standards of consultation, clinical practice, and continuing education to provide EMDR therapy. An EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ is committed to fulfill ethical standards and is engaged in continuing education. To maintain this certification, a therapist must continue to satisfy the EMDRIA requirement including completion of continuing education requirements and adherence to ethical standards. EMDRIA

  • Obtained Certified First Responder Counselor certification through Academy Hour

    Opened Seeking Peace Counseling in 2020

  • Obtained my clinical license (meaning I can practice independently) in 2019, after a 2 year candidacy period, including 1000 hours of clinical therapy, and over 150 hours of clinical supervision while working at a non-profit counseling center.

    Completed EMDR Basic Training through EMDR Consulting in 2019

  • Oklahoma Baptist University

    Completed a 500 hour clinical practicum during my graduate program, receiving weekly clinical supervision on campus and at my internship site, a nonprofit counseling center.

  • Oklahoma Christian University