Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Sommer Howser.
Dr. Howser, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a teenage girl, things were hard for me. I was fortunate enough to have a lot of protective factors, like a strong desire for education and a safe neighborhood to exist in as a young woman. However, my home life was a bit chaotic and after my parents split when I was 12 years old, I floundered without a lot of nurturing and direction. At the tender age of 13 years old, I was sexually assaulted by three older boys, all seniors in a high school in my neighborhood. To this day, the details are still a little fuzzy, even after all the support I have had in therapy over the years. This experience lay dormant in me from about 13 years old to 22 years old when I finally recalled it at routine medical check up. I say it lay dormant, but it really presented in headaches, fainting spells, disassociation, perfectionism, eating “issues,” and experimentation with substances to numb the feelings. At 22, I started the unpacking of it all in therapy. It was not linear, it was hard and mentally exhausting, and I still struggled with the manifestation of my trauma exposure until I went back to school at 26 to become a social worker. This is where the shift came, becoming a social worker empowered my capacity to work with other females who had similar stories to mine, never the same but similar. I felt my trauma had purpose and my voice was elevated to my current role in advocacy and Yoga teaching. I am still 100 percent a social worker but I am blessed to have completed my doctorate in social work and my objective is to spend the remainder of my life elevating the voice of women who have experienced sexual trauma so they may access to their own unique voice. Now, I see how my experiences as a young woman have truly shaped my life, my career, and my purpose in this life. I feel grateful that all of it has led me to the present moment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a trauma survivor, I can truly say it hasn’t always been easy. In my work as a social worker, my biggest struggle has been constantly re-engaging around the stories of sexual assault(s). I am beyond blessed to work with survivors of sexual assault and yet, it’s hard to constantly re-engage with similar stories to that of my own. No sexual assault survivor has the same story, however, we all know what the feeling of violation is for your heart, mind, and body. To continue to sit with other brave souls in their experience of sexual assault can be re-triggering for me. I require a lot of self-care, self-reflection, and comfortable/safe people in my life.
Another challenge has been financially, I put myself through three degrees (thank God for student loans) and have spent time as a single mother, and I can say that social work is still under valued and underpaid in our society. I would never do anything other than social work and Yoga teaching, it is my calling, and yet, there are financial challenges I have faced. Additionally, I had to give up the false belief that I could “save” anyone. I know that every person has their own journey and I am just one piece of their recovery. I don’t want to save anyone anymore. I want to walk alongside survivors. I want survivors to be empowered to “save” their own selves.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It’s hard to quantify what I do as it’s truly innovative. I am a social worker by profession and I hold a license with the state of Texas in that regard… I currently call my job “healthcare advocate” for persons experiencing human trafficking. Many of the people I work with have experiences of sex trafficking or are at high risk for experiencing sex trafficking because of their past experience of poly-victimization over their lifespan. I never see the clients I work with as less than and I often see clients for their essence which is pure, unique, and empowered. I think because I am also a Trauma-Informed Yoga teacher and believe in somatic experience as more vital in trauma recovery than the mind, I can sit with hard things. I have been working as a social worker for over a decade now and I think what sets me apart is that I still have so much love for the profession and care deeply from a foundation of compassion. Maybe it is because I am also a survivor of “hard things” or maybe it’s because I have had amazing support in my career over the years, but I truly feel deeply and care so much for the clients I am fortunate to work with. Again, it’s tricky to quantify my role but I feel confident to say I can walk alongside persons experiencing human trafficking with an open heart and a strong voice for justice.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I could say SO much about mentorship. It has been my saving grace. I have had many wonderful mentors along the way. The three most amazing women I have mentored with, however, are Angela Nguyen (clinical social worker), Angie Knight (Yoga teacher and all the things), and Dr. Katherine Chism Selber. (professor and amazing human). I believe that mentors find you. It happens organically and can’t be forced. I think the best way to find a mentor is to be a mentor yourself to others and to remain with an open heart that the support you need will find you because you are living your dharma/ your passion. I know this seems like vague advice for finding mentorship but it has been true for me. I needed a lot of clinical guidance in my early social work career and I worked with an amazing clinical supervisor, Angela Nguyen, during that time. It organically came to its end when she moved onto a new career path for herself, then I was able to shift to somatic experience and Yoga with my second Angie mentor, Angie Knight. Dr. Selber has always been available to me as a maternal and social work presence throughout undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees. Dr. Selber helped me believe that I could be a Dr. Sommer Howser, and for this, I am eternally grateful.
Contact Info:
- Email: sommersunshine@gmail.com
- Instagram: yall.yoga
Image Credits
Those pictures in purple and yellow Yoga outfits were taken by Flinpintex Fotos.
