We recently connected with Kylee Bissette and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kylee, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I get my work ethic from a blend of family influence, lived experience, and my own internal drive. Growing up, both of my parents modeled what it looked like to work hard, stay committed, and keep going even when things got difficult. I watched my mom push through the demands of nursing school, balancing coursework, clinicals, and family life, and then continue to grow and evolve in her profession. Seeing her resilience taught me early on that success requires consistency, sacrifice, and a willingness to show up even when you’re exhausted.
My dad offered a different but equally powerful example. I observed him navigate the ups and downs of starting and running his own business, the long hours, the setbacks, the problem-solving, and the pride he took in building something from the ground up. Watching him handle both the chaos and the victories of entrepreneurship showed me what grit and perseverance truly look like.
Beyond my family, a lot of my work ethic comes from within. I have always been motivated to create something bigger for myself. In school, that meant pushing for good grades, not for recognition, but because I knew education was my path out of my tiny hometown and into a life where I could spread my wings. Leaving everything familiar to pursue new opportunities wasn’t easy, and I knew no one was going to hand me the life I wanted. I had to build my own path, create my own opportunities, and form my own network, often from scratch.
That combination of parental modeling, personal ambition, and the courage to step into the unknown continues to shape how I show up today.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Tampa, FL, and I currently contract with a private practice called Align and Revive Therapeutic Services. In my work, I provide individual therapy to people navigating addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, and the many transitions that come with being human. I’ve never been drawn to the idea of “treating a diagnosis.” I’m much more focused on treating the person sitting right in front of me. Everyone’s story is different, and it’s an honor to be trusted with the parts of people they often don’t share with anyone else. Being someone’s safe space and witnessing their growth, breakthroughs, and healing is incredibly powerful. It’s work I don’t take lightly, and it’s one of the things I love most about this field.
Something I’m especially proud of is the work our practice has done to build community outside the therapy room. This past year, we hosted our very first Women’s Empowerment Conference in Tampa. From the theme to the speakers to the event flow, we created the entire conference from scratch. We weren’t sure what to expect, but more than 75 women from our community showed up, connected, learned, and poured into themselves. The day was packed with professionals from across the Tampa Bay area discussing women’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The energy in the room was electric, and you could truly feel the impact.
The feedback we received was incredible, and the experience reinforced how important it is to create spaces where women can gather, feel seen, and feel supported. We’re already dreaming up the next one, and I’m excited for how it will continue to evolve. If anyone is interested, definitely stay tuned as new dates and announcements will be dropping soon!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the three qualities that have had the biggest impact on my journey are my lived experiences, my ambition, and my willingness to act even when I’m afraid. My life experiences have shaped the way I see people, navigate challenges, and show up in my work. The lessons I’ve learned, through family, education, and stepping out of my comfort zone, have given me perspective, resilience, and a deeper sense of empathy. Those experiences became the foundation that I pull from both personally and professionally.
The second quality is my ambition and my natural desire to dream big. I’ve always believed there is more waiting for me, even when I didn’t know exactly what “more” looked like. That mindset has pushed me to take risks, move away from everything I knew, create new opportunities for myself, and pursue goals that once felt impossible. Ambition has been my compass, especially during seasons when nothing felt certain.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, is choosing not to let fear stop me. I tell myself often, “Do it scared,” and that mantra has carried me into rooms, roles, and opportunities I might have otherwise talked myself out of. Fear doesn’t disappear; you just learn to walk with it. That’s the advice I give anyone early in their journey. Also, don’t let the doubts of others become your narrative. Most people won’t understand your vision because it wasn’t given to them, but it was given to you. And that’s okay.
Remember that everyone’s journey unfolds differently, so avoid comparing your timeline to someone else’s. Comparison will rob you of joy, clarity, and confidence. And finally, cultivate internal motivation. External validation is temporary, but self-belief is what keeps you going.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client can take a few different forms, but what they all have in common is a desire, whether active or emerging, to move toward healing and self-understanding. When we think about the stages of change, many of my clients come to me somewhere in pre-contemplation or contemplation. They know something in their life isn’t working, or the people around them have encouraged them to seek support, but they may not yet feel fully ready to begin the process. I actually love working with individuals in this stage because part of my role is helping them discover their own readiness, guiding them toward internal motivation rather than change driven by external pressure. This often shows up with clients navigating addiction. One of my favorite quotes from Gabor Maté is, “It’s not why the addiction, but why the pain.” My work focuses on helping clients uncover the pain beneath the behaviors, because that’s where real healing begins.
Another ideal client for me is someone seeking a safe, grounded space to process trauma and rewrite the core beliefs that formed as a result of those experiences. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard some version of, “You’re the first person I’ve ever felt comfortable saying this out loud to.” Creating that kind of safety is something I take deep pride in. It’s where people finally let themselves exhale. In those spaces, we can explore the layers of anxiety, depression, shame, or emotional numbness that often grow out of traumatic experiences. My approach is to help clients untangle the messiness of life without judgment, at their own pace, and with full compassion.
I also work closely with grief, which is its own unique journey. It’s nonlinear, unpredictable, and deeply personal. Grief comes in waves, and my role is to sit with clients through those waves, help them understand what they’re feeling, and walk with them toward meaning-making and healing. Whether someone is navigating addiction, trauma, anxiety, depression, or loss, my ideal client is anyone who is willing to show up as they are. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to start, and I will meet you exactly where you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Alignandrevive.net
- Instagram: @Kylee.bissettelmhc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylee-bissette-lmhc-crc-37b531140?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
Image Credits
Tori Antley (@Photosby_tea)
Right On Target Media (@rot_media)
Tyson (@tysonth3creator)
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