Today we’d like to introduce you to Venus Johnson.

Hi Venus, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born crack addicted. By the time I was five years old, I experienced both sexual and physical abuse. When I was about nine years old, my biological mother was deemed to be a fit parent by the courts after she had addressed her substance abuse. After a year of living with my biological mother, her boyfriend molested me. My biological mother showed up to the school questioning where I was one night, and I confessed to both her and the school counselor who child-lined the incident. This series of events led my biological mother to ship me off to Philadelphia to live with my sister. I was on the run from the Department of Human Services for about a year, until my sister fought the system for legal guardianship over me and won. When I was thirteen I asked her if I could get a tattoo, to which she declined. About a month later, I was taken to my primary care physician, and my sister informed that if I didn’t get on birth control I would be punished until I was eighteen, so I obliged. One day, my sister asked me to do her a favor, she wanted me to have sex with her child’s father and I declined. She expressed to me that I would be safe and she would join me later in the activities. I was scared, hurt and angry that she would ask me to do that. About a week later, she left me alone with her child’s father to which an incident transpired, yet he allowed me grace and told me to tell my sister I did everything she asked. My sister returned home and was pleased by this news, she tried to follow through on her end of the deal, yet no one would tattoo a minor. I would receive that tattoo three years later. By sixteen, I was homeless, and using my high school bathroom to brush my teeth and wash-up. I was on this path for about ten years, until I realized that I wasn’t contributing to society in an impactful way. Another realization I had, was although I didn’t have parents, I had God who has always been a constant entity in my life. I began to trust myself, love myself and understand my self-worth. I then went back to high school to obtain diploma, then transferred Community College of Philadelphia. Once I had my associates degree in Liberal Arts (Honors), I headed to Temple University and worked to get my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My life has never been smooth. It’s funny because I used to believe that life was always giving me “the short end of the stick”, which in reality I may have been manifesting some things due to my past trauma. At a young age I was diagnosed with PTSD and ADHD, it wasn’t until adulthood I realized I was actually in the Autism spectrum. Navigating life being homeless and on the spectrum has been very difficult, I have social anxieties, yet I had to be social to survive. I used to rock back and forth as a child, and make a loud humming noise. What I’ve come to deduce is that the noise I’ve been making my whole life is called stemming and is actually a self-soothing mechanism to help me stay calm when I’m over stimulated. Working in the mental health field is very challenging, I have to constantly compartmentalize my ticks so I don’t trigger my clients. I work with a specific community, which is the unhoused population. My clients rely on me daily to provide food, clothes, and basic necessities. I love working with this population, and making sure they feel seen, heard and loved. Although my clients have a multitude of barrier’s, I have to actively listen, while maintaining my boundaries, as to not be triggered. Having appropriate coping mechanisms within repertoire ensures that I am effectively supporting my clients.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am author. My debut book is called, “Summer’s Secret Keeper”, this book discusses grooming, the importance of children having a voice, and trust. The reason I wrote this book was because I wanted children to have a tool to use in real-time to gain a better understanding of “good touch, bad touch”. I also wrote this book to help heal the child in many adults, I want to address the residual trauma that individuals may experience from past traumas. I’m most known for my need to prioritize others, giving hope to the hopeless and inspiring the youth. I am proud of myself for overcoming suicidal ideation, and believing that I had a purpose in life. What sets me apart from others is my ability to deconstruct ideals others have of me, the way I face adversity head-on, and my ability to leave a lasting impression on everyone I encounter.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
God; my father. Melany Nelson; she’s the first person to believe in my dream. She worked to help me get my book published. Pen Legacy; my publishing company who put up with all of my silly nuisances, made sure my message was clear, and supported all of my creative ideas. Shayla Scalford; my partner who is the first individual in life to love me without conditions. Douglas Hicks; my mentor, he’s always pushed me to be the best version of myself. Nicole Heary; this woman has constantly poured unto me, while I’ve sustained my clients, she also nominated to be on the Executive CoC board and I won! Beverly Harrington; she keeps me grounded, focused and makes sure I’m always engaging in self-care.

Pricing:

• Hardback copy $24.99
• Soft back copy $19.99
• Kindle $14.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summers-secret-keeper-venus-johnson/1145444533?ean=9798989477890
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healed_summer?igsh=MTNydDBmbGszb29pZw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D2FSP879/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sMBwEfHFqT9OgZMQMPgKFA.9VFeU790GbbYqF2vLOYiEDdisV955mS6thFJTDw_aOc&qid=1721870384&sr=8-1