Valerie S. Johns is a psychotherapist practicing in Hermosa Beach, California. She started writing at the age of seven, when her teacher Mrs. Best set her poetry to music for the class to sing.
A spoken word artist, her work appeared in Poetry/LA, onthebus and other journals. She was the Poet-in-Residence at Pacific Palisades Elementary School while attending graduate school and working in her clinical internship. Valerie has spent the past 25 years helping children and adults to find their honest, inner voices - creatively and therapeutically.

Valerie’s first book, “What I Heard & What You Said,” introduced readers to Chibi (“little one” in Japanese). Since Chibi’s inception, Valerie has designed a line of jewelry featuring both Chibi and Jizo, a revered Buddhist teacher known as the protector of women, children and travelers. They can be found, along with art, statues and other stuff at www.jizoandchibi.com.

Valerie lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two dogs and her horse.