Laurie Kahn

Laurie Kahn, MA, LCPC, is the founder and director of Womencare Counseling Center. Her vision provides the foundation for the relational model we hold with our clients as well as our commitment to the training, mentoring and resourcing of therapists.

She has presented at the First African Conference on Traumatic Stress in South Africa and at annual conferences of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. She has been honored by the Family Institute as Alumna of the Year for her dedication to the field of family therapy. For the last ten years, as co-creator of the Trauma Consultation Program, she has trained practitioners throughout the Chicago area in the treatment of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorders.

Although Laurie is a frequent presenter at conferences in the field of trauma, she insists, "There are no real experts in trauma; we are all humbled in its wake." To work with those who have been traumatized, she believes, necessitates both humility and responsibility.

In her capacity as a teacher, mentor, and consultant, she sees the gifts of each therapist while challenging them and fostering their growth and development. She stresses the integration of theory and practice yet never loses sight of the importance of our humanity as foundational in this work.

As a therapist, Laurie has worked with the many faces of trauma, yet she specializes in repairing the relational impact from childhood trauma on survivors who have been abused, neglected or betrayed by a trusted person or caretaker. She believes in the power of therapy to help heal the pervasive impact of these betrayals and to restore the ability to love and cherish oneself and others.

Laurie can be reached at 847-475-7003, extension 22
or email lkahn@womencarecounseling.com.

Workshops and Trainings This Year

• Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Groups in the Womencare Trauma Consultation Program.
• Ethics, Integrity and Mindfulness: Understanding the Therapist’s Journey, December 2, 2010
  
• Traumatic Transference and Countertransference: Minefield or Goldmine? May 27, 2011
  
• Summer Institute on the Relational Treatment of Trauma
  

Current Group

• Survivors of Trauma and Childhood Abuse, an ongoing psychotherapy group,
  Wednesdays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Laurie is available to train, present or consult on:

• The Theory and Treatment Implications of Betrayal Trauma
• Relational Trauma, Relational Repair: A Relational Model for the Treatment of Complex PTSD
• Treating the Lasting Effects of Childhood Trauma: A Phase -Oriented Model
• Designing a Trauma-Informed Curriculum for In-Service Staff Training
• Workshop on Workshops: Consultation and Training on Designing and Presenting Workshops or In-Service Trainings
• The Therapeutic Impasse: Reenactments, Countertransference Dilemmas and Other Therapeutic Challenges
• Love Gone Wrong: The Treatment of Relational Trauma and Its Impact on Survivor Capacity to Form Healthy Relationships
• The Art of Being a Trauma Therapist: Exploring the Uses of Self-Disclosure to Enhance Trustworthiness and Safety
• The Cost of Caring: Understanding Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma
• Listening to the Language of Trauma: Showing and Telling

Education and Credentials

• MA (Masters Degree in Interpersonal and Therapeutic Communications, Counseling Psychology), 1976, Governor's State University
• LCPC (Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor)
• Certified Transactional Analyst 1982
• Certificate in Family Therapy, 1996, Northwestern University Family Institute

Professional Affiliations

• Illinois Chapter of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISST-D)
• The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)
• American Psychological Association (APA)

Publications

• Kahn, L. (2009). Book Review: Cultural Competence in Trauma Therapy: Beyond the Flashback, Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 10(1), 123.
• Kahn, L. (2007). Listening to the Untold Stories. In Other Voices, Ed. Norb Blei. Door County, WI: Cross+Roads Press.
• Kahn, L. (2003). This Sacred Work. Reconstructionist Journal 68(1), 43.
• Kahn, L, (2006). The Understanding and Treatment of Betrayal Trauma As a Traumatic Experience of Love. Journal of Trauma Practice, 5(3), 57-72.