We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sommer Howser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sommer, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
Strangely, the defining moment in my “professional” career was also the moment that changed my life. When I was thirteen, I experienced sexual assaults by multiple perpetrators. I didn’t tell a soul at that time. I went back home after being on runaway status, returned to school, and acted like I was “fine.” I struggled for years with depression, anxiety, flashbacks, hypervigilance, over exercising, self injurious behavior, perfectionism, and nightmares. Then at the age of 22, I went to a routine medical check up and checked the box that I had experienced sexual assaults. It was the first time I allowed myself to admit what happened to me as a young woman. Currently, I work in healthcare with women, men, girls, and trans youth who have also experienced sexual assault, sexual violence, sex trafficking, and other really “hard” life experiences. My experience of silence, struggling with my own mental health, and early adversity, empowered me to do the work I do today. Many days are hard and overwhelming. Some days, I lose hope in the systems set to protect us because they can’t always help or create justice. However, I know the passion I hold for my clients is expansive and real. I wouldn’t do anything else. I am a thriving survivor who understands the needs of persons impacted by extreme violence while working within the systems that impact justice and “move the needle,” for fellow survivors.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I am a passionate, thoughtful, strong, advocate for persons impacted by human trafficking. Approximately 4.5 years ago, I moved from crisis intervention into a role working with children, teens and adults, impacted by human trafficking. I also completed my Doctor of Social Work in August of 2020 during a pandemic, which was a beast of an experience. I focused my studies on understanding sexual exploitation for women and girls in Texas. I feel honored, blessed, and grateful to now thread my love of Yoga into crisis intervention and working with persons impacted by human trafficking. What I’ve learned is that even outside exposure to things like trafficking, violence, child abuse, etc., we all experience trauma. If you live long enough, something will create pain and hardship. It’s the nature of humanity. I have learned that with mindfulness and practices like Yoga, we can tolerate more than imagined and we have power within our own selves to heal. So all of this to say, I am in the business of healing, growing, learning, helping, and understanding. My Yoga practice mimics this on and off the mat in all that I do.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
So to succeed as a healer, social worker, counselor or any adjacent field, you have to take care of yourself. In addition to the challenging work that is my life’s passion and calling, I am a single mom making it in an expensive city. Some days it’s very hard. My child is sick, the tire is flat, the bills need to be paid, my dog needs to get to the vet, all of it. The only way I can stay in it and keep showing up for my clients and coworkers, is to take care of myself in all ways. It’s not self- care I seek to impart onto others, it’s self-preservation. I must preserve myself in order to continue showing up for persons impacted by human trafficking, my child, my community, my friends, myself. Sometimes it may create challenges for me in holding boundaries and caring for myself, but again, it’s a HAVE to, not a SHOULD. I wish I would have known about self-preservation eight to ten years ago, self-preservation is a must for any helping professional.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I don’t like the term resilience anymore as I worry it’s not helpful to those who may not be considered “resilient.” However, I am definitely a woman who “pulls herself up by her bootstraps.” I experienced a lot of childhood adversity along with a lot of protective factors that empowered my “resilience.” I would like to highlight my education as a place where I continued despite and because. I put myself through three degrees including a bachelors, masters, and doctorate. My goal in achieving these degrees wasn’t to have letters behind my name, my goal was to have a seat at the table. Victims and survivors of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, family violence, etc., they rarely get to have a seat at the table. Above all people, they deserve a seat at the table, their voices must be heard, and they must experience opportunities for a bright future. I worked during all three degrees, continued my healing journey in therapy, and continued to show up for my son after he was born in 2011. I can’t call myself resilient because some days, I’m not, I am raw and vulnerable, and to be honest, pissed off at the systems, the oppression, the pain, but I will not stand down, I will not give up, and I will continue to show up, always.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @yall.yoga
- Other: Dr. Sommer M. Howser, LMSW, BSW, RYT sommersunshine@gmail.com
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