Today we’d like to introduce you to Remy Uhler
Hi Remy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I’m Remy Uhler—a full-time therapist, mental health advocate, and the founder of Olivia’s Healing Paws and Bloom A New You. My journey into this work is deeply personal.
Much of my healing—and ultimately, my purpose—was inspired by one very special soul: Olivia, my miniature Dalmatian.
When Olivia passed away in December of 2023, just days before I graduated with my Master’s in Social Work, I was devastated—shattered on the inside. But through that grief, something extraordinary began to unfold. I’ve learned that while the pain of loss can be absolutely crippling, there is also profound beauty in what follows.
Olivia has continued to teach me lessons she couldn’t have while she was alive—lessons about presence, connection, and love that transcends form. I now know that life doesn’t end at death—it continues in new, quieter ways. We just have to be willing to notice the ways our loved ones keep reminding us they’re still here.
But to truly understand how we got here—to the legacy, the mission, and the heart behind it all—we have to go back to where our story began.
When I was just 16 years old, I navigated one of the darkest chapters of my life. On New Year’s Eve 2007-2008, I made a decision—I no longer wanted to live. That night, I whispered a quiet prayer, though I wasn’t religious at the time:
“God, if you have a purpose for my life, wake me up in the morning. If not, let me sleep forever.”
Morning came, and I woke up.
But nothing had changed. The unbearable weight of clinical depression, coupled with suicidal ideations, still pressed down on me. I didn’t tell anyone about that night—not until years later when I started therapy.
I had no way of knowing that exactly seven years later, on New Year’s Eve 2014-2015, my purpose would arrive in the form of a tiny, spotted soul named Olivia.
3 months later on March 31, 2015, I drove to Georgia, to pick up a miniature Dalmatian no bigger than my hands. I had no way of knowing then that she would become one of the reasons I survived. While she was alive she was the reason I kept fighting through my darkest days.
At the time, I had already spent years in therapy, cycling through endless treatments and medications.I experienced firsthand what it felt like to be another name on the conveyor belt of a psychiatrist’s office—spoken to for barely ten minutes before being handed a prescription for pages of medications. I tried almost every option available to treat depression, but the biggest battles weren’t just with the medications or the diagnoses—it was the nights when my brain lied to me, convincing me that I would be better off dead.
Olivia changed everything.
She was more than a pet—she was my lifeline. She attended therapy sessions with me, traveled alongside me for out-of-state treatments, and never left my side. She wasn’t just well-behaved; she was intuitively in sync with me. She didn’t need training—she was training me. The emotional pain of depression is inexplicable. But Olivia was there.
She was my anchor, my source of comfort on the nights when I felt like I was drowning. She grounded me when the darkness felt endless, offering a presence that no medication ever could. We formed an unbreakable bond.
Through years of struggle, something incredible happened—I started to heal. The crushing weight of depression began to lift. Suicidal thoughts became less frequent. Therapy, persistence, and time chipped away at the darkness. Olivia brought me so much joy, comfort, and excitement, especially in the simple act of reuniting at the end of each day. I knew how much those moments meant to me while she was here—but her absence has magnified it in ways I never could’ve anticipated.
I feel it most on the tough days—the normal stresses of life and work—when I find myself instinctively longing to rush through the front door and scoop her up. She’d get so excited—squealing, wiggling, and practically vibrating with joy. Her scent, her soft fur, and the unconditional love we shared created an instant sense of relief. It was like my own natural dose of dopamine, melting the day’s stress away the moment we were back together.
As the years passed, I started noticing synchronicities between Olivia’s life and mine—especially with the number seven. She had a 7 tattooed in her ear, and she was born exactly seven years after the night I lost hope and wanted to die. I later learned that, biblically, the number seven symbolizes completion and perfection.
Olivia was perfect, and she completed me.
On 7/7/23, I got a matching tattoo of the number 7, unaware that in just five months and seven days, she would be gone.
Just as I was stepping into a new season of healing, Olivia’s was beginning to fade.
One beautiful Florida afternoon, while holding Olivia outside, a thought landed in my mind like a weight—sudden, heavy, but not painful. It wasn’t my own thought. It was something greater.
“She came into your life for a reason, and that reason is no longer needed.”
I immediately argued back in my mind: “So I need to become depressed again?” But I knew that wasn’t the point of the message.
Tears streamed down my face. I took Olivia to my room, laid with her, and soaked in every moment. Anticipatory grief had been with me for months, but nothing could prepare me for what was coming.
On December 8, 2023, just seven days before my graduation, Olivia passed away in my arms.
I returned home with only her blanket in my arms.
That night, I stood in my room, staring at my empty bed. I didn’t know what to do next. I texted every person I had spoken to in the past few weeks, desperate for guidance. But the only response I received was:
“There’s no right way to grieve. Everyone grieves differently.”
I wasn’t looking for a “right” way to grieve. I just needed a way.
The next morning, I forced myself out of bed and went to Publix to buy a seven-day memorial candle—a tradition I had just learned about. During my years with depression, I always felt an unspoken expectation to hide my feelings—it’s the “invisible illness.” Hiding my pain had become second nature.
But the day after Olivia passed, I experienced an emotional dissonance I’ll never forget.
As I stood in Publix, still wearing the same clothes from the night before, I was stunned by how “normal” I appeared on the outside—how composed I must have looked to everyone around me. How could they not see that my world had completely shattered?
I was still grappling with the weight of unimaginable loss, and yet no one could see it. This time, it wasn’t just about my mental illness—it was the aftermath of a visible, external loss. A stark reminder that grief and emotional pain remain unseen.
That moment stayed with me, and it’s one of the many reasons why I continue to speak openly about grief, loss, and depression. Through conversation and shared experience, I hope to ensure that others don’t have to carry their invisible pain alone.
When I got home, I lit the candle. As night fell, I felt the first moment of comfort since Olivia’s passing—knowing the light would burn through the night, honoring Olivia’s memory.
This candle became the first piece of what would later become my grief comfort kits.
Three weeks later, I started my career as a full-time therapist. My very first four referrals were clients seeking support for grief.
I didn’t feel competent. How could I guide others through grief when I was still blindly walking through it myself?
I wore a rainbow grief bracelet, not for aesthetics, but as an anchor—a reminder that my grief was real and valid. Life was moving on, but I wasn’t choosing to move on like Olivia never existed.
Even a year later, on the hardest days, I still wear my Rainbow Bridge bracelet I created and feel the same comfort I received in those first weeks.
Another piece of my healing was writing. Journaling became my way to continue my communication with Olivia—to process my feelings, to speak to her when the silence felt too heavy. That’s why every grief comfort kit includes a journal—because sometimes, words are the only thing that can hold our pain.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent ten years as a performer at Disney. I had no knowledge of graphic design, no experience in professional printing, and no idea where to start. But somehow, within six weeks, I put together 40 grief comfort kits and delivered them to Olivia’s veterinary clinic.
That’s when fate and Olivia intervened again.
One evening, I redesigned my rainbow bracelet, crafting a more refined, meaningful grief bracelet—one that felt elegant yet comforting.
“What if I could sell this bracelet to fund more grief boxes?”
That simple thought turned into something far greater than I could have imagined.
On August 8th, 2024, the 8-month anniversary of Olivia’s passing, I announced my newest endeavor while visiting Lake Lure’s Rainbow Bridge. Surrounded by the collars left behind by pet owners in honor of their beloved companions, I placed my first bracelet engraved with Olivia’s name, leaving a piece of her legacy among those who had also known deep love and loss.
It felt like fate.
Shortly after, the Rainbow Bridge was lost in Hurricane Helene, making that moment even more profound—Olivia’s memory was now part of something that will always be cherished.
Now, when I’m a vendor at local events, I bring my own Rainbow Bridge—a space where pet owners can stop by, write their pet’s name and a cherished memory on a card, and hang it on the bridge. This has become an extension of my mission—offering comfort, fostering community, and creating healing spaces for those navigating grief.
In addition to the grief boxes we donate, this simple act has given people a tangible way to honor their beloved pets, just as I once honored Olivia.
On August 28, 2024—Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day—I officially launched my business.
What started as one grief bracelet became an entire movement.
Every bracelet from Bloom A New You features our signature company charm. On the back, you’ll find Olivia’s ‘7’ tattoo engraved—symbolizing the love, connection, and luck she brought into my life—paired with an infinity symbol above it, honoring her passing on the 8th. Together, they serve as a reminder that love, comfort, and connection never truly end.
Her legacy?
It’s just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Turning grief into purpose was never a straightforward path. In the aftermath of Olivia’s passing, I found myself not only navigating the depths of personal loss but also adjusting to my new role as a full-time therapist.
Some of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in life have shaped me into the person I am today. As a child, I viewed difficult circumstances as lessons—things I could use in the future to help others facing similar experiences. On December 8, 2023, when I walked into the vet’s office, I didn’t realize I was about to leave as a completely different person. Each day, I had to find the balance between helping my clients heal and allowing myself the space to grieve and continue to learn the lesson about loss that Olivia was just beginning to teach me. It wasn’t easy—there were moments when I felt the weight of the world, wondering if I was strong enough to hold space for others when my own heart was still so heavy.
Financially, launching this mission has been daunting. I had spent every resource I had trying to save Olivia, and now I was faced with the reality that giving back required funding—funding I didn’t have. I had no background in business, marketing, or product development, yet I was determined to find a way to make the grief comfort kits sustainable by taking it one step at a time. Another unexpected challenge was navigating the emotional weight of sharing my story. While I wanted to create something meaningful, talking about Olivia’s passing so frequently has been difficult. However, over time, I realized that sharing her story wasn’t just about me—it was about giving others permission to grieve openly, to honor their loss, and to find comfort in knowing they weren’t alone.
Through my challenges, I learned the fundamental skills that help me navigate life today. Olivia still finds ways to show me that she’s ever-present. The flowers she leaves me, and moments of small synchronicities that remind me life isn’t a string of coincidences, but something more profound.
I’m profoundly grateful that I never accepted the words of the mental health professionals who told me my life would never get better—because they were wrong.
With persistence, resilience, and determination—and Olivia by my side every step of the way—I built a life I truly love living.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m proud to say, I am a full-time therapist working with adolescents, guiding them through life’s challenges, emotions, and transitions. Drawing from both my personal experiences with mental health and my education, the quality of care I provide is rooted in empathy, integrity, and hope—because I know firsthand what it feels like to be written off.
Beyond therapy, I’m committed to mental health advocacy and education, working to bridge gaps in misdirected care by creating resources that help individuals find the right professionals for their needs.
I am also the founder of Olivia’s Healing Paws Inc. and Bloom A New You LLC, where I use jewelry as a therapeutic tool to help clients process grief, emotions, and self-worth. My nonprofit aims to expand mental health resources and grief support, with exciting plans ahead once I sit for my licensure next spring.
At the core of my work is a simple belief: everyone thrives when they have the right skills. When I see someone struggling, my focus is on the skills they need to succeed, not judgment.
Every day, I wake up to disprove the hopeless narratives I was once handed—to prove that despair doesn’t get the final word. I am creating a life that goes far beyond the labels I was given, and I’m here to remind others that they can too, while honoring Olivia’s continued presence in my life.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of my family’s love for Walt Disney World. It wasn’t just a vacation spot for us—it was a place we returned to often, making memories together that became a special part of our lives. Those experiences left such an impression on me that, years later, I found myself becoming a performer for Disney, bringing that same joy to others for ten years while I worked my way through school and pursued my dream of becoming a therapist.
Another constant in my childhood was our eight Standard Dalmatians. Being surrounded by them every day made spots and polka dots something I naturally loved. Looking back, both of these influences—the magic of Disney and the love of our Dalmatians—became an integral part of who I am.
Now, Olivia and each of our family’s Dalmatians hold a special place in my heart. Their love, loyalty, and companionship continue to inspire me, reminding me of the importance of connection, joy, and finding comfort in the things that shaped us.
Pricing:
- Greif Comfor Boxes on sale for $25
- Greif Bracelets Range from $16-18
- Jewlery accessories are priced between $8-30 on average
- Our signature Collection with 18k gold is Priced $12-18
Contact Info:
- Website: http://oliviashealingpaws.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviashealingpaws and https://www.instagram.com/bloomanewyou/profilecard/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/61563486513877
- Other: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=XABLR6X88U42Y
Image Credits
Shaina Ofstein-SMO Photography
