Dr. Laura Louis shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Laura, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Growing up, I witnessed a lot of divorces, which meant that I did not have community once I got married. No one could truly advise me in tough moments in my marriage, because none of the ones around me had lasted. So, I decided to create my own community by starting a Facebook group called Black Marriage Matters. I created this group with the intent of it being a safe space for couples to discuss the highs and lows of marriage and to have a village that understands what they are going through.
A moment that I am truly proud of is that my group reached 60k followers recently. As a couple’s counselor, I have such a passion for helping couples work through their differences and stay together. To be able to reach 60k people with my message is a huge blessing.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Dr. Laura Louis, a licensed psychologist and couples therapist specializing in helping couples strengthen their emotional connection, rebuild trust, and communicate more effectively even in the face of career stress, betrayal, or distance. I am also an experienced public speaker who coaches other mental health professionals in public speaking through my company, Couch to Podium. I am passionate about helping mental health professionals and coaches transform their expertise into profitable speaking engagements.
I come from humble beginnings with a lot of odds stacked against me. However, once I figured out that my calling was therapy and serving others, I was determined to make a way for myself to see my vision through. I hope that my journey will serve as motivation for others to find their purpose and stay the course. The road may be rough, but there’s beauty in walking in your purpose.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
As a couples therapist, what I see that breaks bonds the most is communication. When there are breakdowns in communication or the two individuals simply have different communication styles, it can be difficult to maintain the connection. This is one of those situations where the cause and cure are the same. In order to restore broken bonds, communication is imperative. No one is a mind reader, and we all have different needs and expectations. It is important to communicate those things to the other party. Also, seek professional help when you are unable to repair the relationship on your own.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. There was a time when I had just gotten my Ph.D. , started my company, and also had a full-time job. I was still struggling and on food stamps. Around that time, I remember going to Popeye’s to grab food, and I only had enough money for one chicken thigh. I was pretty sure that being that financially strapped meant that I needed to just give up on what I was doing, because it clearly was not working. I felt like I was doing everything that I was supposed to, but I was not yielding the results that I expected. It all felt like a waste of time.
In the end, that moment turned out to be the catalyst for me to push harder to get where I wanted to go. I had hit my rock bottom, but it is in those moments where we choose to sink or swim.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
In the counseling world, the biggest lie is that going to one therapy session is a cure-all. That is untrue. Honestly, going to multiple sessions will not magically fix a person. The healing and growth happen in the work you do outside of therapy. You have to choose every day to make different choices to better yourself. Therapy is there to guide you, help you create a plan for treatment, but the execution is on the individual. Knowledge is not change. The change is reliant on the investment you put into doing the work that is necessary.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing?
I would regret not continuing to spread awareness about the importance of marriage and the restoration and healing needed to preserve it. In the black community, there are fewer marriages, and a lot of the ones that come to fruition do not last. My goal is to educate black people on mental health and the need for counseling in our families and marriages. Married couples earn more money. Children from healthy, two-parent households thrive in life. There are so many beautiful benefits to marriage, and I would absolutely regret not being able to help shift the narrative about that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.atlantacoupletherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.lauralouis/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraLouis/
