A surreal moment and my journey to Internal Family Systems

This post was originally published in November 2025, after publishing Otis the Brave, journey for connection.

Mindy and Otis

All your parts are welcome here. Thank you for visiting. Writing this book has been a journey—one with ups and downs, highs and lows, fun and failures. But we're here, and the print version is officially available. I am still working on the ebook version, and my goal is to have a fully accessible ebook for anyone who uses assistive technology to access content. I've loved creating this book, as Otis changed my life.

More backstory on Otis- in North Georgia, there was a massive hoarding case many years ago, and he was one of more than 100 dogs rescued by various local animal shelters. Otis was the last remaining dog at the shelter in my town! I don't think anyone wanted him. He looked so sad and scruffy, but I knew there was no way I could let a 13-year-old dog live out the rest of his days in a shelter. He had already been through so much, and honestly, everything in my being told me he was supposed to be with me. Note- we had three cats and another dog at the time!

If you've read the story, you know what happened. Spoiler alert- this amazing senior pup had his final day with us only seven months after we brought him home. He had the BEST seven months, though. This little man dog learned his new surroundings, bumped into things, and kept on going, played with the other pets, and found his voice. He didn't bark or make any noise for weeks, and one day, he got super excited, and the barking started, and that was it. He was on a roll. He was jumping, bouncing, ecstatic to have his voice. He would feel the vibration of my car pulling into the driveway, and he would start howling. You could hear him from outside. He found love and gave it in all the best ways.

After losing him, we were heartbroken. And our other dog, Howard, seemed confused. So, of course, we brought home not one, but two more dogs over the coming months. What can I say? I worked at a shelter for a while, and it was an occupational hazard.

Anyway! A few years ago, I found out I had cataracts and glaucoma. After eight laser surgeries, one with a "whoopsie", leaving me with permanent floaters in my "good eye," I had to start navigating life differently, like Otis. He was my inspiration, honestly.

I've struggled with anxiety for years- I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, have had many, many surgeries in my lifetime, leading to medical trauma, and I manage anxiety. I say this not to hear "aw," but rather to highlight the importance of discussing mental health—something that is often overlooked. I have always been an advocate working in the nonprofit space, managing marketing, fundraising, or programs for survivors, blood banks, animal shelters, and people with disabilities. I completed my master's in counseling in 2000, but I never used it. I felt like I had too much baggage to help anyone with their struggles.

A few years ago, everything changed. I found IFS (Internal Family Systems) a therapeutic modality that just made sense. I learned about my parts — my scared parts, angry parts, fearful parts, ashamed parts — but I also found my curiosity, compassion, clarity, courage, confidence, creativity, connectedness, and calm — the eight C's of Self. The space we all possess, where we are perfectly human and in control. The place where I can turn to help my other parts heal. A space that I can call home, and feel love.

Between my experiences with Otis, my lived experience with vision loss and anxiety, and finding my Self, I was ready to make a change. I'm in a Trauma Care Practitioner training program and an IFS Level I training program. Even the parts that seem to cause chaos for us had the best of intentions at some point, and we can help those parts heal and turn their jobs over to Self to lead the way.

This book is one of more to come! Ha, I have many more pets and parts to share!

I found passion, love, joy, and clarity. You can, too.

With love and courage.

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