Story & Lesson Highlights with Dr. Venessa Abram of Atlanta

We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Venessa Abram and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Venessa, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Many people are carrying quiet battles that don’t show up on the outside. Here are some of the most common ones I see—especially among helpers, leaders, parents, and “strong” people:

1. Feeling replaceable or unseen
Smiling, performing, serving—yet secretly wondering “If I disappeared, would anyone really notice?”

2. Exhaustion masked as purpose
They say they’re “called” or “busy,” but underneath they’re depleted and afraid to rest because rest feels like failure.

3. Financial stress wrapped in pride
Keeping up appearances while silently choosing which bills to delay, which needs to ignore, which dreams to postpone.

4. Shame over mental health struggles
Anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts—hidden because they’re supposed to be the strong one or the faith-filled one.

5. Grief without permission
Loss of a person, a marriage, a dream, a former version of themselves—unmourned because “others have it worse.”

6. Fear of being a burden
They don’t ask for help because they’ve been taught their needs are “too much.”

7. Loneliness in crowded rooms
Surrounded by people, yet deeply disconnected—no one really knows them.

8. Identity confusion after survival
They survived abuse, addiction, divorce, incarceration, illness—but now quietly ask, “Who am I without the crisis?”

9. Spiritual disillusionment
Still believing, still serving—but secretly disappointed, confused, or angry with God and afraid to admit it.

10. Suicidal thoughts that don’t look dramatic
Not always “I want to die,” but “I’m tired of waking up,” or “If I didn’t exist, it would be easier.”

What’s powerful—and painful—is that many of these struggles exist in the same people who pour into others. The caregivers. The leaders. The advocates.

Sometimes the bravest thing someone can hear is:
“You don’t have to be strong here.”

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Venessa D. Abram, PhD, WH, WRAP, NHFA, QPR

Affectionately known as “Dr. Vee”
Founder & Executive Director, Self-Discovery: Pain, Positioning & Purpose, Inc. (SDp3)

Venessa D. Abram, affectionately known as Lady Venessa and Dr. Vee, is the Founder and Executive Director of Self-Discovery: Pain, Positioning & Purpose, Inc. (SDp3)—a global nonprofit organization dedicated to mental health awareness, suicide prevention, substance misuse recovery, and community healing.

Dr. Venessa’s work is deeply rooted in lived experience. In 2016, she endured the devastating loss of her brother, Sergeant First Class Randolph Davison, to suicide. Shortly thereafter, she faced her own battle with suicidal ideation. These life-altering experiences became the catalyst for SDp3’s founding, transforming her pain into purpose and igniting a mission to ensure others do not suffer in silence.
Guided by her unwavering faith and love for God and the Kingdom of God, Venessa accepted an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology and Community Service, recognizing her global impact and commitment to service. Her faith remains central to her work, informing a trauma-informed, compassionate approach that bridges mental health care with spiritual understanding.

After much prayerful deliberation, Dr. Venessa made the courageous decision to leave the corporate sector and fully pursue the vision God placed in her heart. Though uncertain at first, her conviction and lived experiences propelled her forward with one clear mission: to eradicate suicide and raise awareness about the critical importance of mental health. Since that decision, she has never looked back.

Since 2016, Dr. Venessa has equipped herself with extensive education, training, and certifications to become an effective leader, compassionate caregiver, and trusted mentor. Fully certified and licensed, she has developed a mastery of suicide-related issues, mental illnesses, and co-occurring disorders. Under her leadership, SDp3 has cultivated an environment of safety, dignity, support, and camaraderie for individuals, families, and partner organizations alike.
SDp3 has grown into a globally recognized organization, partnering with respected entities such as NAMI, AmeriCorps, the University of Georgia, Fulton County, Covenant House, Mary Hall Freedom House, Choose Life International, Douglass Count CSB, Cobb Collaborative, and numerous community and corporate partners. Through these collaborations, SDp3 has hosted and contributed to impactful trainings, events, and initiatives advancing mental health education and suicide prevention worldwide.

Dr. Venessa is also an award-winning author, contributor to anthologies, and a sought-after speaker. Her story and expertise have been featured in books, articles, journals, talk shows, documentaries, and public forums, where she continues to inspire audiences with transparency, hope, and resilience.
Today, Dr. Venessa remains steadfast in her mission to serve individuals affected by mental illness, co-occurring disorders, substance misuse and recovery, bullying, love after divorce, emotional scamming and suicide. Through strengthening partnerships, expanding outreach, and boldly sharing her testimony, she continues to preserve her brother’s legacy and champion healing for communities across the globe.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
SDp3 Framework: Breaking and Restoring Bonds
1. Understanding What Breaks Bonds

We help participants identify common relationship pitfalls that create distance or harm:

Betrayal or dishonesty – even small lies weaken trust.

Neglect or lack of attention – when someone feels unseen, bonds fade.

Manipulation or emotional scamming – taking advantage of feelings erodes connection.

Unhealed trauma – projecting past pain onto others damages relationships.

Activity Idea: Journaling or group discussion: “Where have I unintentionally hurt someone, or been hurt without speaking up?”

2. Tools to Restore Bonds

We teach practical, actionable steps to repair relationships safely:

Honest Communication – express feelings openly, listen actively.

Accountability & Apologies – own actions, seek amends.

Empathy & Understanding – try to see the situation from the other person’s perspective.

Consistent Positive Actions – rebuilding trust takes time and follow-through.

Forgiveness & Release – freeing resentment to reclaim your emotional health.

Activity Idea: Roleplay or reflective exercises:

Practice giving/receiving a sincere apology.

Identify small, daily actions to restore trust.

3. Integrating SDp3’s Focus Areas

Post-Divorce Healing: Learn how to rebuild family and co-parent bonds.

Mental Health Awareness: Recognize how stress and emotional pain impact relationships.

Emotional Scamming Awareness: Identify manipulation and learn boundaries to protect yourself and rebuild healthy connections.

💡 Core Message for Participants:

“Relationships can be fragile, but repair is possible. Awareness, empathy, accountability, and consistent care restore what once seemed broken.”

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. There was a season in my life when the pain became heavier than my ability to carry it. I reached a breaking point and made a choice that could have ended my life.

That decision placed me in the ICU, on a ventilator, for four days. Doctors told my daughter to prepare herself—that I might not survive, or that if I did, my quality of life could be severely limited. Medicine had done all it could do.

But God was not finished with me.

By His grace and His mercy, I am still here today. I stand before you not as the outcome the doctors feared, but as a living testimony of God’s power to preserve, restore, and redeem. I am not a statistic. I am not broken beyond repair. I am a child of God, alive because He breathed life into me when I could not breathe on my own.

If my story tells you anything, let it be this: no matter how dark the moment, God’s mercy reaches deeper. And if you are still breathing, God is not done with you yet.

If God could meet me in an ICU room, He can meet you right where you are.

Sometimes survival is the miracle—and choosing to stay is the bravest act of faith.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They’d say people matter to me—especially those who are hurting in silence.

They’d say I care deeply about:

Life — not just surviving it, but protecting it, honoring it, and speaking up for it when others can’t

Faith — not as a slogan, but as lived trust in God’s grace, especially when outcomes were uncertain

Healing — emotional, spiritual, and mental, particularly for those who’ve been broken by loss, divorce, trauma, or despair

Purpose — making sure your pain wasn’t wasted and your survival wasn’t accidental

Truth — telling hard stories so others don’t feel alone or ashamed

Legacy — leaving something behind that says, “I was here, and I helped someone live.”

My closest friends would probably also say this:

You don’t just talk about hope—you’ve earned the right to speak it.

And quietly, they might add:
You matter to others more than you realize.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I am resting in God’s presence and not striving to prove anything. When I remember that my life was spared by grace, not chance. I am at peace when my faith anchors me, when my purpose is clear, and when my story is helping someone else hold on.

I feel most at peace when I am serving from love instead of pain, when I am present in the moment, and when I allow myself to simply be—a living testimony of God’s mercy, not a survivor defined by the struggle, but a child of God walking in purpose.

I also feel at peace in my sacred space of my home as well being connected to the few friends I have that bring love, light and positive energy.

Since getting my divorce of 27 years, I have finally found my peace, that I will not relinquish for nothing and nobody.

MY PEACE IS PRICELESS.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sdp3.org
• Instagram: selfdiscoveryppp
• Linkedin: venessa abram
• Facebook: selfdiscoveryppp
• Youtube: @self-discoverypainposition5955
• Other: TikTok
  selfdiscoverypppinc

Image Credits
Image Credits to Naylor Media and WiseIron Productions