My name is Irene Blum Vergara. My pronouns are they/them/theirs and I am the founder of the Plural Minds Collaborative. I am the host of my dissociative system and we call ourselves The Solar System. We have lived experience navigating the realities of dissociation, system communication, recovery, and daily life. My path has included years of learning, personal growth, self-reflection, and collaboration within my own system to build a more stable, functional, and meaningful life. I wanted to thrive, not just survive, and I want that for you too.

I do not believe that healing requires perfection, nor is it linear. It is cyclical and ever growing.  Like everyone else, I continue to face challenges, make mistakes, and encounter areas where growth is needed. I pride myself on not being performative and showing my raw, true self. Rather than hiding those realities, I view them as opportunities for learning and development. The same principles I apply in my own life—curiosity, accountability, flexibility, and ongoing self-improvement—are the principles that guide my coaching work.

 

I believe that healing is a lifelong process, especially for those of us with extensive trauma. One word that was repeatedly used to describe me as I grew up was, “resilient.” I can “crash out,” have a good cry, then get back to focusing on trying to be the best person I can be. I went from being a system that was plagued with so much self-hatred, self-destruction, self-sabotage, and was a total mess; to being a system that is filled with alters who are cooperative and love one another. Yes, even my persecutor alters! In my own system we re-named persecutors as PWUMs, or “protectors with unorthodox methods.” Persecutor alters are frequently villainized and extremely misunderstood, so we wanted to destigmatize their job title in our system. But this is just my system, and every dissociative system is one of a kind.

Through Plural Minds Collaborative, I provide peer-informed coaching and support for systems seeking greater communication, cooperation, organization, self-advocacy, and progress toward personal goals. My role is not to act as a therapist or to provide mental health treatment. Instead, I offer guidance, practical strategies, accountability, education, and lived-experience-informed perspectives that can help systems navigate everyday challenges and build lives that align with their values. Plural Minds Collaborative also provides drug and alcohol recovery coaching. Understanding that one of the main causes of Substance Use Disorder is trauma, we believe it is important to also provide recovery coaching to anyone in need. Recovery looks different for everyone. We are supporters of harm reduction as well.

I believe that every system is unique and there is no single “right” way to be a system, pursue recovery, or define success. Our approach is collaborative, respectful, and grounded in the understanding that meaningful change happens through small, consistent steps over time.

 

Am I a coach who admitted to "crashing out" in their own bio?! Yes, I am. So how is it possible to be a system coach if things fall apart every now and then? That’s what I am here to teach you. I have a mental illness and I am also realistic. I don’t engage in toxic positivity. I have been at rock bottom multiple times, but I get back up again despite adversity, disability, and mental illness. Many people with dissociative disorders have comorbid conditions, myself included. While I cannot treat symptoms, please know I will never judge you for having mental illnesses and being symptomatic. My goal is to help systems develop the tools, confidence, and self-understanding needed to move forward while recognizing that growth is an ongoing process for all of us—including me. I have always said that I want to turn my pain into power, and I want that for you as well.

 

This is a collaborative effort with many community contributors who also have the same goal of lived experience being taken seriously by university students, clinicians, and researchers. I always say that we may have the same psychiatric label but have majorly different experiences as dissociative systems. One system is so different from the next. This all started with a collaborative Instagram library and grew into a mission to one day be involved in university curricula to ensure they’re not just learning from books, but learning from dissociative systems. Understanding that lived experience needs to be a primary source for understanding dissociative disorders will one day lead to better, trauma-informed care. Welcome to the Plural Minds Collaborative.