Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Stokesberry.
Hi Samantha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey started on the soccer field at age three. Little did I know that this journey would take me all the way to South Africa in 2014. I come from a family of athletes and teachers. From a young age, I learned the importance of teamwork, discipline, and sacrifice. I was taught to love others no matter where they came from or what they looked like. My parents raised me to kill others with kindness and to fight for justice. When it was time for me to go to college, I struggled with which path to take – becoming a teacher like my mom, or pursuing a soccer career like my dad. After years of indecision and switching my major three times, I finally settled on studying Sports and Fitness; Human Performance. This decision changed the trajectory of my life forever. Upon graduation, I had the opportunity to participate in a coaching course in South Africa. I jumped on the opportunity and moved their full time to coach at a futsal academy for girls living in the underprivileged communities in the Western Cape. During my coaching career, I decided to try out for the South African Women’s National Football League. I made the team and captained it for three years. As I settled into my new life overseas, I began to notice how many of the girls I coached had been sexually abused and exploited by other members of their communities. I knew I wanted to do more to help, so I did my research and found a nonprofit organization that fought to raise awareness and prevent human trafficking in South Africa.
In 2015, I became the Western Cape Outreach Coordinator for the nonprofit organization STOP – Stop Trafficking of People. I spoke in schools, community centers, police departments, and government organizations, teaching and raising awareness about human trafficking. I also had the privilege of working with a team on the streets of Cape Town to help the women who were tricked and trafficked into prostitution. We would build relationships with them, listen to their stories, and provide resources for them to get back home to their families in other African countries.
As I got more involved in helping victims and survivors of sex trafficking, I realized that many of the girls that I had been working with did not know how to protect or defend themselves. In fact, many of them didn’t believe that raising their voices or fighting back was even possible. So, I decided to teach free self-defense classes to any woman who was interested in learning how to defend herself. I would teach the classes in the safehouses for trafficking survivors and in the local community centers for single moms. It was incredible seeing the confidence and joy that radiated out of these women’s faces. They were princess warriors.
During my final year in South Africa, I knew it was time to go back to school to get my counseling degree. I came back to the states in 2019 and moved to Austin, TX to complete my Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree and to pursue getting my professional counseling license. I currently work at a counseling center where I counsel survivors of sex trafficking pro bono as a way to give back to the community. I also take my days and weekends off and use them for teaching about sex trafficking at conferences, hosting workshops on how to heal from trauma, and traveling internationally to work with safehouses and equip their caregivers with the tools they need to love and serve their residents well.
I use my social media accounts to raise awareness on mental health issues, teach about sex trafficking, and make others laugh! Through TikTok and Instagram, I have been able to raise donations for therapy items and sensory tools that go directly towards the work I do with survivors in session. All of the items are donated to the survivors that I counsel and they are used to help them on their healing and recovery journeys.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working in the counseling field is challenging, but working with sex trafficking survivors takes it to another level. I counsel girls and women who have faced unimaginable trauma. The stories are heartbreaking and enraging, and sometimes the battle for hope and healing feels impossible. This work requires patience and grace. There are times when the heaviness weighs on me to the point where I can only grieve. Having my own counselor has helped with processing through the traumatic stories and events I hear every single day. This work requires immense support, both emotional and financial. All of the work that I do with survivors of trafficking is on a pro bono basis, which means I never charge a survivor for counseling costs or for therapy items. Finding other people and organizations who believe in the work that I do is challenging because it’s such a dark and misunderstood industry. Many people prefer to turn a blind eye because it feels more comfortable. Others prefer to pretend like trafficking doesn’t happen because it takes away the fear of it happening to one of their own children. Unfortunately, trafficking is everywhere, even here in Austin.
As I progress in this work and as a trauma counselor, I hope to make a difference in the lives of many survivors by helping to advocate for them in court, help them get asylum when needed, and to help them rebuild their lives after escaping the industry. My biggest struggle currently is getting other individuals to join in.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am in the process of acquiring my license to become a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Texas. I specialize in working with survivors of sex trafficking and individuals who have experienced severe trauma. I am most proud of the fact that I am able to offer free (pro bono) counseling to survivors of sex trafficking, specifically Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) survivors in the Central Austin area. As a trauma professional, I have also had the opportunity to speak at various conferences, workshops, and seminars in the USA and abroad on the topics of trafficking, trauma-informed care, and building trust-based relationships with survivors. I am currently counseling about 20 clients from all walks of life, and I have four survivors that I am counseling pro bono – three that are American and one that is from East Africa.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
When looking for a mentor, find someone who embodies the same passions, work ethic, and value system that you do! Also, finding someone who “walks the talk” is key. I believe that networking is one of the best ways to meet people who share the same vision. Making the time to attend conferences, workshops, and seminars that are centered around the work that you want to get involved in is a great way to meet those particular individuals. I have attended various events that were focused on providing trauma-informed care to survivors of trafficking, and I introduced myself to some of the speakers who had the same goals that I did. Now, those individuals have become friends, colleagues, and mentors. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Speak up, ask questions, and put yourself out there. The risk will pay off and it could change your life!
Contact Info:
- Email: sammi.stokesberry@gmail.com
- Instagram: @samstokesberry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammistokes14
- Other: TikTok: @samstokesberry
