lanita simmons
Founder, Compass Forward | Author & Domestic Violence Educator
Lanita Simmons is an author, domestic violence survivor, educator, and the founder of Compass Forward, an initiative dedicated to domestic violence education, survivor empowerment, professional training, and organizational consulting.
Drawing from her lived experiences with domestic violence, childhood trauma, and the challenges of rebuilding life after abuse, Lanita brings a deeply personal and practical perspective to conversations about coercive control, trauma, healing, and survivor autonomy.
She is the author of *The Life Nobody Prepared Me For: The Unspoken Realities of Life After Domestic Violence*, a candid exploration of the emotional, psychological, and practical realities survivors face long after leaving an abusive relationship.
Through Compass Forward, her books, educational resources, and advocacy work, Lanita challenges harmful misconceptions about domestic violence and encourages a shift from simply asking why survivors don't leave to understanding what they experience, what they need, and what happens afterward.
Her mission is to help survivors reclaim their voices while equipping families, communities, and professionals with the knowledge and compassion needed to create meaningful change.