Meet Claire Howard | LMFT-Associate, Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Flutist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Howard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, what matters most to you?
This might be a hot take, but as I’ve continued my work as a therapist, I’ve begun to value gentleness above all else. Our culture celebrates intensity and challenge, and I think there is so much benefit to being outside of your comfort zone! But because gentleness might not feel “productive,” it is a value that is frequently missing from our daily experiences. Healing, deep connection, honest reflection, authentic communication, and kindness all require gentleness. It is something that takes intentional time to cultivate – it doesn’t happen by accident – and that makes it all the more important and beautiful to me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I took a strange road to becoming a therapist!

I studied music education at the undergraduate level, studied yoga in depth through my undergraduate years, and completed a master’s degree in flute performance before I decided to change career paths completely and pursue a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

I know that those choices might seem random, but when I look back, I notice that all along, I was seeking some kind of healing for myself and others. While I always felt secure in how much I loved making music and teaching music, I found myself frequently having panic attacks at the end of my first master’s degree. I was at a bit of a crossroads in my life. I noticed that there were aspects of my queerness that I wanted to explore, things about myself that I’d never reflected on. As the political environment shifted, I found myself being drawn to making more tangible shift in the world, easing some emotional burden, or serving in a direct support role for those who were hurting. I felt like I was being pulled in a direction that I’d never walked before, and it was terrifying! But as I reflect, I see that this moment that felt so scary was actually the beginning of a journey home to myself. Today, I use my skills as a classroom teacher to manage couples’ therapy sessions. I draw from my disciplined pursuit of the creative arts to manage a yoga studio which I co-own. My lived experiences of panic attacks and self discovery inform my work with therapy clients, most of whom are members of the queer community. I listen attentively each day in the ways that music & therapy have taught me to.

Nothing from my life has been wasted. Every experience – even the terrifying ones – have been my momentum forward, have made me brave, have made me myself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What a great question! If my best friend were visiting, I’d want to make sure they had an opportunity to check out our beautiful skyline. The best place to do that is absolutely the rooftop of the CANVAS hotel! We’d start the night lounging by their infinity pool, having a cocktail and watching the sunset over the skyline. For dinner, we’d head to Oaklawn (the gayborhood – my favorite place!) for dinner at Thai Lotus and end the evening with a quick walk to Sue Ellen’s or S4 to dance! In the morning, I’d love to take my friend to Yogazama for a class with Kristi – her flows are always so fun and absolutely inspired. Brunch & coffee on the patio at Halcyon is my favorite – their vegan options are unreal. And then we’d spend the afternoon at the Dallas Art Museum!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Each one of us is covered in the fingerprints of the ones who have loved us, and I am absolutely no exception! But when I was in middle school, I was kind of a mess (aren’t we all?). I remember feeling like a ball of anxiety – How do I act “normal?” Who do I want to be? Where am I?! My safe haven was the middle school band hall. My middle school band director, Don Colquitt, created an environment of safety and community that I’d never experienced before, and that safe place to land completely changed the trajectory of my life. Mr. Colquitt had a skill for helping kids feel excited to play their instruments, creating personal relationships with each of his students, and reminding us that we were working together to create something bigger than ourselves. When I was in his band hall, I felt the most like myself. I felt like I was home. Because of Mr. Colquitt, I studied music at the undergraduate and graduate level. And all of these years later, I still find myself thinking of the fun and peace he created for me as I hold space for my therapy clients.

Website: https://therapy-with-claire.com

Instagram: getclaritywithclaire

Image Credits
Taylor Rossi