coming July 2026
About Callie Ledford
Feeling Heard Changed Everything For Me. Now I Help Kids, Teens, And Adults Find A Safe Place To Heal.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to spend my life helping people, but it took a while for that pull to become clear. Middle school and high school were physically hard years — I went through a series of surgeries after a soccer injury that reshaped a lot of what felt normal. By the time I got to college, I was stepping into a new kind of independence, and I wasn't always sure what to do with it.
That's the season I first walked, nervously, into the counseling offices on my university's campus. What I found there was patient, curious, willing to stay with the harder questions instead of rushing toward answers — and the experience changed what I believed was possible. It gave me clarity in my own story, and it pointed me toward this career.
Later, during graduate school, I worked at a residential treatment center supporting young people navigating significant emotional and behavioral challenges. That setting taught me something I now carry into every session — how much it matters to be the calm, safe, steady presence in the room. Healing takes time and courage. The work doesn't move fast, and it doesn't need to.
How I Work With Clients
What I want every client to feel when they sit down with me is simple: welcomed, safe, and met without judgment. My approach is collaborative. You're the expert on your own life — my job is to walk alongside you, ask good questions, and help you understand what you're carrying and what's possible from here.
I deeply resonate with Brené Brown's reminder: “This journey belongs to no one but you; however, no one successfully goes it alone.” The work of healing and self-discovery is deeply personal, but it isn't meant to be carried in isolation. The right person beside you can change what feels possible.
In session, I try to be the steady presence that gives the harder feelings room to breathe. The conversations don't have to be rushed. The small steps count.
Who I Help And How
I see individuals ages 7 and up — kids, teens, young adults, and adults — and I bring specialized training to a few areas where the right tools really matter.
For trauma, I'm trained in Brainspotting (BSP), a gentle body-based approach that helps clients access and heal the parts of their experience that talk therapy alone can't always reach.
For anxiety and OCD, I'm trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders. It's rigorous work, and it's life-changing for the right clients.
For kids and teens working on emotional regulation — learning to recognize big feelings, sit with them, and respond rather than react — I draw on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the same trauma-informed lens I bring to my adult work.
I also weave in Emotion-Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) when it fits, especially for clients working through life transitions, attachment patterns, or the kind of emotional work that asks for both structure and tenderness.
If faith is part of your story and you'd like it integrated into our work, I welcome that. If it isn't, you're equally welcome here — your care doesn't depend on it.
A Few Things I Love
My niece and nephew are my whole world. When I'm not in session, I'm probably planning my next visit to wherever my twin sister has landed — she just moved from Disney to the beach, so I never have to argue too hard about where we're meeting up. I love hiking, hunting down a good deal, and watching just about any sport you can put on a television.
Ready When You Are
I see clients both in person at our Cahaba Park office in Birmingham and online via telehealth across Alabama. Whether you're an adolescent, young adult, or adult — or a parent reaching out on behalf of a younger child — I'd be honored to walk alongside you.
Healing takes time, and it takes bravery. But you don't have to do it alone, and you don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out. That's part of what we'll work on together. When you're ready, send a note or call the office. We'll find a time.
You Don't Have To Have It Figured Out Before You Reach Out.
Whether you're navigating anxiety, OCD, trauma, a hard life transition, or a child or teen who needs help finding steadier ground, the first step doesn't have to be a big one. Send a note when you're ready.
For more information about how I can help, please email me.
Callie Ledford is an Associate Licensed Counselor (ALC) in Alabama and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Samford University in 2022 and her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands in 2025.
She maintains the following additional training:
• Brainspotting (BSP) Phase 1 — Cherie Lindberg, January 2025
• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — The Knowledge Tree, May 2025
• Emotion-Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Essentials — ICEEFT, February 2025
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) — Medical University of South Carolina, June 2026
Callie is currently under the clinical supervision of Michelle Torbor, with an application pending to transition her supervision to Tal Prince, LPC-S, when she joins Insights later in July.