Therapists in Cook County, IL
Samuel Louis-Pierre
Pre-Licensed Professional, MA, LPC, NCC
Verified Verified
Chicago, IL 60616 (Online Only)
I have clinical experience working with children, adolescents and adults with issues ranging in depression, suicidal/homicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, psychosis, trauma and conduct related problems.
I have always been fascinated with understanding how people think, how they have come to believe what they believe and how they have become who they are. I have come to realize that many people simply want to feel heard, understood and cared for. This is part of the reason why I became a counselor, along with wanting to help people and destigmatize mental health. Coming from immigrant parents who came to America to enable their children to live a better life than they did, to them that meant getting a practical & stable job. But with time I realized that I didn't want my life to be just practical – I also wanted it to be purposeful.
I have clinical experience working with children, adolescents and adults with issues ranging in depression, suicidal/homicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, psychosis, trauma and conduct related problems.
I have always been fascinated with understanding how people think, how they have come to believe what they believe and how they have become who they are. I have come to realize that many people simply want to feel heard, understood and cared for. This is part of the reason why I became a counselor, along with wanting to help people and destigmatize mental health. Coming from immigrant parents who came to America to enable their children to live a better life than they did, to them that meant getting a practical & stable job. But with time I realized that I didn't want my life to be just practical – I also wanted it to be purposeful.
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Trauma and PTSD Therapists
When should I seek treatment for trauma?
Not everyone who undergoes trauma needs therapy to heal, but many do. If, after experiencing a traumatic event, you find yourself struggling with symptoms such as nightmares, dissociation, irritability, or emotional numbness—especially if these symptoms last more than a month and are severe enough to interfere with your daily functioning—you may benefit from seeking out therapy with a trauma-informed provider.
How long does trauma therapy take?
Different types of therapy for trauma unfold on different timelines. Prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy, for example, each take about three months, while trauma-informed CBT may last anywhere from 8 to 25 sessions. Other approaches, especially those that are less structured or that incorporate elements from multiple modalities, may be more open-ended, though many patients report feeling better within the first few months of treatment.
What happens if trauma is left untreated?
Unaddressed trauma can have serious—even devastating—effects on relationships, career, and day-to-day functioning. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can lead people to distrust or lash out at others, making it difficult to maintain intimate relationships; it can also trigger symptoms such as flashbacks or hyperreactivity that can interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively, personally and/or professionally. Some sufferers turn to drugs to find relief. Symptoms may lessen on their own with time, but there is no guarantee that PTSD will resolve on its own.
Can PTSD come back after treatment?
It is possible for PTSD symptoms to recur months or years after successful treatment. This is because, like most mental health disorders, it is not possible to “cure” PTSD, and stressful life events may cause symptoms to recur in even the most resilient individuals. There is no shame in re-experiencing PTSD symptoms nor in returning to therapy when such relapses occur; indeed, many forms of trauma therapy explicitly encourage periodic “maintenance sessions” to reinforce coping skills and ensure that symptoms stay manageable.