I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become — Carl Jung

Hi,

I’m Kristen. I grew up in Alaska, where long winters and wild landscapes taught me endurance, reverence for nature, and how to find beauty in the cold and dark. The harsh climate shaped me - it taught me about resilience and the quiet strength that comes from weathering hard seasons.

For the past decade, I’ve been lucky to call Colorado home. No matter the season, I’m often on the trails, soaking in the mountains and their steadiness. I feel most at home in nature, on my yoga mat, or in meaningful connection with others. I’m drawn to depth, spirituality and the sacred, laughter, honesty, and the beauty found in simple moments.

I know what it’s like to walk through darkness and to feel lost in suffering. I also know what it’s like to experience repair, regulation, and empowerment. My healing journey has been humbling, transformative, and deeply meaningful.

I believe my lived experience allows me to guide with presence, skill, depth, and compassion. My hope is that in my presence, you feel understood, supported, and not alone. It takes immense courage to look at what you’d rather turn and run away from. I am honored to walk beside you as you as your ally in rediscovering safety, trust, and wholeness.

Kristen Bredar, CPTSD and OCD therapist Denver Colorado

My Approach

At the core of my work is the belief that painful experiences and symptoms are invitations to heal, grow, and transform. They urge us to look inward, tend to what needs care, and create meaningful change in our lives. Our deepest wounds offer an opportunity to cultivate greater self-awareness, resilience, and transformation.

Mental health symptoms, while painful, are not who you are, they are signals of a nervous system under stress and inner “parts” carrying pain. These patterns often begin in times of trauma, stress, or when we lacked the tools and support to fully process our experiences.

Healing occurs through nervous system regulation, bringing compassion and understanding to wounded parts, and integrating our stories into wholeness. The healing journey isn’t something we navigate alone. I’m deeply honored to walk beside you through the challenging and often uncharted waters of healing.

My commitment is to hold space for you with warmth, presence, and respect for your unique process. My approach blends somatic therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Polyvagal Theory (nervous system healing), Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) for OCD, neuroplasticity principles, and compassion-based work. By addressing both body and mind, we create lasting change that fosters resilience, alignment, and a life that feels more joyful and fulfilling.

Credentials

  • Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC)

    LPCC.0023190 State of Colorado

  • Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Regis University

    Bachelor of Science, Public Health, University of Arizona

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Coaching Certificate, IFS Institute

    • Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) Certificate, OCD Training School

    • Certified Yoga Instructor (200-hour), Samadhi Center for Yoga, Denver CO

    • Certified Health Education Specialist, National Commission for Health Education

      Credentialing

    • Certified Personal Trainer, American Counsel on Exercise

    • Somatic Experiencing for Trauma, Study with The Embody Lab

    • Polyvagal Theory and Vagus Nerve Toning, Study with Arielle Schwartz, PhD

    • Navigating Your Nervous System, Study with Sarah Baldwin

    • SOMIA - Heal, Study with Jen Mann and Karden Rabin

    • Kirtan Leader Level 1 & 2, Kirtan Leader Institute, Mike Cohen

    • Feldenkrais Practitioner, Study under Jacqueline Bayne & Bethany Cobb

  • What Colleagues Say

    “Kristen is an incredible therapist. She brings both skill and compassion to her work with young adults, especially those with trauma and OCD. Her use of I-CBT and polyvagal-informed therapy helps clients experience real, lasting change. Highly recommend!”

    -Megan Thomson, LPCC

  • “Kristen's deep attunement, along with her thorough knowledge in her areas of focus, makes her especially effective in trauma work, nervous system regulation, and helping to support and treat OCD. Kristen creates a safe container for clients to move out of survival mode and into true regulation and resilience. Kristen has an incredible ability to bring her depth of sensitivity and intuition to each client she works with that is truly felt. I highly recommend working with her, especially for support around OCD and healing the nervous system.”

    -Janna Centrella, LPCC

  • “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Kristen’s work and can confidently recommend her. She embodies the kind of therapist who is highly skilled while also making clients feel genuinely heard. She meets you where you’re at and aligns with your goals, working with compassion, understanding, and awareness every step of the way”

    -Juan Raffo, LPCC

  • “Kristen brings wisdom and care to her work as a holistic therapist. She partners with clients to process pain and build resilience. With warmth and a deeply compassionate presence, she helps clients feel safe and supported. A remarkable professional.”

    -Cherie Couvillon, LPCC

Interested in therapy with me?

Fill out the form below, and I will be in touch shortly!