Meet Atiq.

Atiq Shomar (they/them), LCSW

My Anti-Oppression Journey

Coming to teach about anti-oppression therapy has been a long time in the making for me. I am the granddaughter of Muslim Syrian immigrants and raised in a (very) small (very) white town in Michigan. FIY: Michigan was FAR too cold for my desert dweller self. My parents did their best to teach us about Islam, even though we were isolated from the Muslim community. We celebrated Ramadan and Christmas. We got baskets of chocolate at Easter and donned headscarves to attend the Toledo Mosque for Islamic Eids (holidays).

In middle school, I was fortunate to have a social studies teacher who recognized the absence of “difference” in our community. He taught me that the concept of “melting pot” was one that erased the beauty of individuals, but that the concept of a “tapestry” could bring out the best in each of our cultures. My teacher asked my family to help educate other students about Islam. So, at a time when all I wanted was to “fit in,” I began teaching my peers and their parents about a faith that seemed alien and dangerous to my classmates. Those presentations continued through my high school years as we saw our country rocked by the First Gulf War. 

I went to college in the mid-nineties, when sexual assault on campus was rampant, women were earning pennies to men’s dollars, and the numbers of women in leadership were abysmal. I found myself organizing Take Back the Night marches, Pride Parades, weekly Women’s Council meetings, Arab Cultural Socials, and Coming Out Day dances. I spent far too much time coordinating and protesting and not enough time studying. I struggled with aligning my faith with my new identities as a feminist and lesbian. Somehow, I managed to graduate with a BA in Women’s Studies and a fire for changing the world. 

My professional work was always in the social services and non-profit organizations such as Girl Scouts of the USA (I'm still a Lifetime Member!), Human Services for the State of Michigan, and other small non-profit start-ups. But it didn't feel like I was doing enough or integrating all the parts of me in my work. When Social Work found me, I was ready for new education, new opportunities and new communities. And what a journey it's been!

I'm so excited that I can now bring together all of my hard work, life experiences and education to make changes in my therapy community. For all you fellow therapists, if you're ready to start down your own anti-oppression journey I can help. Click here for more information.

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