'I'm Meeting Them Where They're At':

Fannie Johnson seeks to improve Colorado mental health stigmas with her ‘judgment-free’ addiction recovery services.

My Healing Space is a substance abuse clinic built on empathy. Founder and Colorado native Fannie Johnson created the rehabilitation center in 2023, aiming to provide a patient, listening space for those who need it most — an act that Johnson believes is ‘her purpose.’ 

Reaching Aspirations

“My mother knew first that I was going to be a different, bright girl. And when I asked her, ‘What does that mean?’ she said, ‘You just have that gift to help people, and I really hope that you find your purpose.’ So I believe this is my purpose.” 

Fannie Johnson grew up “understanding what [she] wanted to do” and was “free to do it.” Despite several setbacks throughout her childhood — mental health issues existed within her family but her community wasn’t “exposed to that a lot,” Johnson says — she never strayed from her self-proclaimed purpose.

After attending Emily Griffith Technical College, Johnson decided to pursue nursing, a path that aligned with her childhood interests. “Growing up, I was always tailored to medicine,” she says. “I was fascinated by science and I was always fascinated by researching.” 

By the time COVID-19 hit in 2020, Johnson says she was experiencing burnout. “Being a nurse, I was trying to find other avenues to create my vision of helping people,” she says. “I didn't open [My Healing Space] right away … because my mother became sick. I had to pause that to take care of her full time. So while I was doing that, I was brainstorming what I want my vision to be when I [went] back to the workforce.”

With the opening of My Healing Space in 2023, Johnson became the first black Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to have her own substance abuse clinic. “I've been through a lot to get here,” she says. “You know, I've seen a lot, done a lot, been through a lot — but I'm here.”

"We're really out here trying to help the stigmas that we have across the city."-Fannie Johnson

Giving and Receiving Support

Having worked in the mental health industry for over 18 years, Johnson started My Healing Space with a clear vision. “We want to do things [the patient’s] way of how they want to heal from illnesses and mental illnesses,” she says. “I'm meeting them where they're at and trying to understand their language — not just using the professional language in recovery.” 

The clinic offers a variety of confidential services for and related to substance abuse, including anger management services, daily living skills, health and wellness services, self-esteem and self-care coaching, and multiple forms of therapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and more.

“Whether you want to do things holistically or pharmaceutically, we are here to help guide your steps of recovery,” Johnson says. “Not our steps, but your steps to recovery.”

Beyond offering support for her clients, Johnson has received support for her efforts. “At first, it may have been swept under the rug in my community and my support system, but now they see the vision,” she says. “They're like, ‘This is awesome that you're broadcasting [how] not only is mental health for a certain population, but it's for all walks of life.’”

Competing for support as a small-business owner, however, has been a much harder process, Johnson says. “'I’m out here alone. And I'm not a top-dog, meaning that I'm not a multi-millionaire business … The support in what I'm trying to do is very minimal, so that can be very disheartening for me.”

Despite this, the appreciation from Johnson’s clients has been resounding. “I had a patient who became clean for a year, starting with me, and they were really amazed of how I took the time to listen to them and their story and not be judgmental of the things that they have done,” she says. “I have a non-judgmental tone to my therapy, and to my help. They're able to just tell me what's going on. They can be free. They can be healed with no judgment.”

Breaking the Stigma

When asked what she’d like Rooted Change followers to know, Johnson emphasized how help is out there for everyone. “It's not just me, but [clinics are] out here trying,” she says. “We're out here trying to reverse the stigmas, the parenting of the youth — we're out here. We're really out here trying to help the stigmas that we have across the city.”

The first step in breaking those stigmas starts as a community effort, Johnson says. “And if we really want to see a change, we have to have that support, especially with small business owners who are trying to work out here. They're really working towards getting folks in recovery, because it starts at home. It starts at home.”

Find Fannie Johnson and My Healing Space on Instagram at @myhealing.space and on Facebook at My Healing Space PLLC.

Fannie Johnson is a part of Rooted Change's Community Spotlight Series. This initiative reflects the strength, complexity, and beauty of the people we serve, centering voices often spoken about—but rarely spoken to. If you’re eager to share your story, contact emma@rootedchange.co.