About

Kristen Parker, LSW

As a trauma-centered therapeutic coach and restorative justice practitioner,

my mission is to serve folks in the places where private healing and collective

accountability come together.

My approach with clients is always warm, authentic, and radically

non-judgmental. In addition to personalizing my style to meet unique needs,

I also draw on the following modalities and influences to inform and enrich

my work:

Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories
Internal Family Systems parts work
Neurobiological, sensorimotor, and somatic interventions
Restorative justice theory and practice
Radical and critical social thought
Harm reduction and prison abolition

Combined, this leads to a practice that has both psychic depth and contextual breadth. I balance the intrapersonal—the inner confusion, conflict, and overwhelm—with the interpersonal, integrating the influence of the partners, children, families, communities, institutions, and systems that shape our lives.

I specialize in work with adults with varied and often nuanced needs, some of which include complex and developmental trauma, mental health diagnoses, neurodivergence, and chronic disability. But regardless of the particulars, I know that attuned therapeutic relationships always present opportunities to honor how folks have survived in the past and to expand their capacity for change, belonging, and freedom in the future.

Licensing and Education

Licensed Social Worker, Permit Number LSW.0009925605 | 2024, Colorado State Board of Work Examiners

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work | Beginning Fall of 2025, University of Denver (DU) Graduate School of Social Work

Master of Social Work (MSW), Specialization in Trauma and Interpersonal Violence | 2017, Simmons University School of Social Work

Professional Certificate of Restorative Justice | 2022, Vermont Law and Graduate School

Professional Qualifications

Psychotherapy and Therapeutic Coaching

Provided trauma-informed psychotherapy and therapeutic coaching services, including intakes, diagnoses, treatment plans, and interventions.
Established expertise working with survivor-victims of intimate partner/domestic violence, sexual assault, and child sexual abuse.

Restorative Justice Practices

Practiced and trained in victim-offender dialogues under the mentorship of the experts at The Ahimsa Collective, a group of anti-carceral restorative justice practitioners, activists, and educators.
Trained in community group conferencing with the Restorative Denver program at The Conflict Center.
Offered individual and group consultation for facilitators on navigating the impacts of mental health and trauma in restorative justice facilitation and participant preparation.
Responded to emerging restorative justice developments with the Gender-Based Violence and Restorative Justice Working Group at the European Forum for Restorative Justice.

Support and Educational Group Facilitation

Co-facilitated restorative support group for parents who are adult survivors of child sexual abuse.
Co-facilitated educational and skills groups for people responsible for intimate partner/domestic violence.

Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching

Taught and developed course content for graduate and undergraduate programs at several universities.
Established educational expertise in research, program evaluation, and evidence-based practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect during a session with you? I offer weekly 50-minute sessions over a secure telehealth platform. In our early sessions, we will clarify your needs and develop a plan to meet your goals. Then, in subsequent sessions, we'll gain insight into your struggles, overcome barriers to change, grieve the losses connected to your harm experiences, and ultimately improve your quality of life.

What can I expect regarding privacy and confidentiality? • Everything you share in our sessions is confidential, meaning that I keep it entirely private, with only two exceptions—subpoena and mandated reporting. • I am a mandated reporter under Colorado law. This means that if you disclose current harm of a minor, past harm of a minor who is still under the age 18, or a clear intent to fatally harm yourself or others, I am obligated to report this to the appropriate authorities. • However, if you are an adult who experienced child abuse or neglect (including incest or child sexual harm) and you have reason to believe that the person responsible for the harm is neither currently harming minors nor in a position of authority or influence, then I am able to keep your disclosure fully confidential. • If I believe that a disclosure meets the standards for mandated reporting, I will tell you and involve you in the reporting process (if desired).

How much do services cost? It depends so please read this response in its entirety! My standard fee for individual coaching is $100 per session. The fee for healing conversations is variable and determined during consultation. If you are interested in working with me but are unsure if you can afford the cost, please reach out! All I want is for people to benefit from my practice, so I’ll happily discuss working on a sliding scale.

Can I use my insurance to help pay for services? Unfortunately, no. Therapeutic coaching and restorative practices are not recognized as medical services by insurance providers and are not reimbursable.

What is the difference between psychotherapy and therapeutic coaching? Psychotherapy is an evidence-based, medical practice that draws on psychological, cognitive, and behavioral interventions to treat mental health conditions as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Only a licensed practitioner can legally diagnose and provide psychotherapy services; their purview is limited to the state in which they are licensed. Therapeutic coaching combines the theories and interventions of psychotherapy with the goal-oriented, practical approach of a life coach. Therapeutic coaches are not licensed practitioners and cannot legally diagnose or purport to treat mental health diagnoses. As a therapeutic coach, I have the freedom to draw on my experiences as a psychotherapist without having to follow restrictive licensing regulations about who I work with and where they have to live to access my support.

What is restorative justice? Why use restorative justice practices? Restorative justice is a philosophy and set of practices that views interpersonal harm as hurt in need of healing rather than crime to be punished. Howard Zehr elaborates, saying, “Restorative justice is a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in a specific offense and to collectively identify and address harms, needs, and obligations, in order to heal and put things as right as possible.” Restorative justice practices like victim-offender dialogues, family group/restorative conferences, and peacemaking circles are highly individualized processes that have roots in Indigenous practices around the world. They meet real-world needs including… - Uplifting and centering the voices of victims and survivors who are often disbelieved or dismissed during criminal justice proceedings. - Encouraging truth telling—not silence—from those responsible for harm. - Opening up opportunities for people who have experienced harm that is legal (emotional/psychological abuse), difficult to prove (sexual coercion, negligence), or rarely leads to arrest, conviction, or incarceration (sexual assault, intimate partner/domestic violence). - Expanding opportunities for the majority of people who have experienced criminal violence—the people who survive but never report to law enforcement. - Providing a community-based justice response that doesn’t involve police, immigration enforcement, or the criminal-legal system (and the risks that come with them).