In this episode of The Therapists’ Take Podcast, we dive into the complex and often invisible realm of ambiguous and non-traditional grief. These forms of grief don’t stem from a physical death, making them harder to recognize, articulate, and validate. Together, we unpack the many ways this kind of grief shows up—through infertility and disrupted visions of family (13:53 ), through the slow unraveling of relationships and the loss of safety within them (20:15 ), through the painful recognition of family dysfunction (07:26 ), and through the moral injuries carried by those in military or first responder roles (28:05 ).

With special guest Kristen Callaway, LMFT (01:12 ), we explore how to name these experiences (07:26 ), understand their emotional impact, and take meaningful steps toward healing when closure isn’t straightforward.

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00:00 – Hi, Carrie!

01:12 – Guest Intro: Kristen Callaway, LMFT

04:48 – What Is Ambiguous Loss?

07:26 – Name It to Tame It

13:53 – Broken Expectations & Family Dreams

20:15 – When Safety Feels Unsafe

28:05 – Moral Injury & the Loss of Self

31:50 – Zander’s Final Thoughts

35:27 – Practical Takeaways

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About Our Guest: Kristen Callaway, LMFT

Kristen is a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist and the owner of Seeking Peace Counseling in Edmond, Oklahoma. She is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, a Certified First Responder Counselor, and an Oklahoma Approved Licensure Supervisor. Kristen works with adults seeking healing from trauma, anxiety, and grief, with a special focus on military service members and first responders. She is also the host of the Let’s Sit With This podcast, where she shares grounding tools, encouragement, and honest conversations about the hard parts of life. Outside the therapy room, Kristen enjoys marathon training, baking, and spending time with her husband—a military veteran and law enforcement officer—and their two children.

Kristen's Links:

• Her Website - https://www.seekingpeaceok.com/
• Let's Sit with This Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-sit-with-this/id1818168015
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/seekingpeacecounseling

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Resources Mentioned in Podcast

• Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief by Pauline Boss - https://amzn.to/48jMMrj
• Escaping Domestic Abuse (interview with Brian Putnam) - https://youtu.be/Sz4uPvRr8ro

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For more great content and resources, please check out our linktree - https://linktr.ee/familysolutionsok