We were lucky to catch up with Marisol Colette, LCSW recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marisol , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I was raised by artists, as an artist. Creativity and self-expression were my first language. I’ve also always been a helper at heart. I see beauty in people and have always wanted them to see it in themselves.
In school, I followed that instinct and earned my Master’s in Social Work. I couldn’t believe I was being paid to help people remember their worth and to feel loved and cared for.
At the same time, I expressed myself through what I wore. My confidence was both innate and nurtured by my family. I began styling friends for fun, often in exchange for dinner. What started as play quickly became something deeper. They described the experience as transformative, not because of the clothes themselves, but because they felt more like themselves.
Simultaneously, in my work as a Social Worker in a government position, I was told that my freedom of expression was a failure.
Meanwhile, at my government Social Work job, I was told my self-expression was a problem. I was great at my job, but I was asked to conform, being told, “You’re a star, and we don’t have stars here.”
I felt stuck in a job that was failing the creative part of my brain, but I knew staying would require suppression.
Fifteen years ago, while driving down the highway with a friend, I understood that my purpose was not in choosing one path over the other, but in integrating both. I went on to build a practice where psychological insight and personal style intersect, so identity becomes something we practice, not just something we talk about.
Because what we wear is not superficial. It shapes how we stand, how we are seen, and how we experience ourselves.
I found my purpose in guiding people to use style as a tool for presence, so they can move through the world feeling grounded, powerful, and fully themselves.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a licensed psychotherapist and transformational personal stylist, and my work marries identity and physical expression.
I help clients align their internal identity with how they show up externally. That alignment influences everything from how someone walks into a boardroom to how they experience a major life transition. My background as a social worker allows me to understand the emotional patterns around visibility, confidence, and self-perception. My expertise in fit, color, and silhouette translates that insight into an aligned wardrobe that not only looks good, but feels good too.
I especially love styling clients for branding and marketing photoshoots. It’s an opportunity to bring their personal story, professional work, and passion into a single visual experience. When the outfits align with their messaging, the camera captures something deeper. You can see the confidence and clarity in their body language. The images reflect not only who they are today, but who they are growing into in their work and leadership.
In addition to private styling, I host immersive experiences, including our upcoming Made in Italy retreat taking place April 18–25. The retreat is an eight-day journey through Milan, Florence, and the Tuscan countryside, blending curated shopping with Italian artisans, cultural immersion, and reflective work around style and self-expression. It is both a luxury travel experience and a deeply personal one. Participants leave not only with thoughtfully selected pieces, but with greater clarity about how they want to show up in the world. https://lifebeyondtheroom.com/retreat/made-in-italy-a-style-immersion-retreat-with-marisol-colette/
What feels most meaningful about my work is that it broadens the definition of beauty and style across genders, ages, races, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It shifts the focus away from trends and toward authenticity. Whether I am styling a public-facing entrepreneur, preparing someone for a milestone event, or supporting a reinvention, the intention is the same: to help each client feel fully at home in who they are.
Through Sol Reflection, I work with clients worldwide so they can move through the world with confidence in what they wear and strength and presence in how they show up.
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, these are the qualities that have shaped my journey in a meaningful way.
1. The ability to see beyond the surface.
What sets my work apart is that I focus on the person first and the clothing second. Clothing is never just about aesthetics. It reflects confidence, identity, and how someone wants to move through their life. Learning to look more deeply and understand the person before the presentation has been foundational in both my therapy and styling work. I also lead with joy and beauty. Style can be an easy and inviting entry point into deeper self-understanding. Technical skill matters, but deep listening and insight are what have led to my greatest impact and my clients’ most meaningful transformations.
2. Learning to recognize when growth is calling.
One of the most important skills I’ve developed is recognizing when I’m at the edge of significant growth. It has rarely arrived with external certainty, but instead, shows up as a clear internal knowing that something needs to shift. I try to move with both courage and patience, but even when I’ve leapt too early or waited too long, neither ruined my path. I adjusted and recalibrated. Moving forward has always brought me closer to my dreams than staying small ever could.
3. Playing to My Strengths, Even When They’re Different
I have always been drawn to creating things outside the norm. Choosing that path has not always been easy. Sometimes being different has felt lonely or harder to explain. But it is also the most honest expression of who I am, and in that way, it’s simpler to just be myself.
I intentionally combined psychology and style because it felt true to me, not because it fit neatly into an existing industry model. My natural strengths are the very things that resonate most deeply with my clients. Building something aligned with my instincts has required steadiness, but it has allowed me to serve in a way that feels deeply authentic.
The more I honor what I naturally do well and let experience refine it, the more grounded and confident my work becomes.
Growth is continuous, but depth, courage, self-trust, and a deep appreciation for beauty and joy have been the anchors shaping both my career and my life.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Sol Reflection’s services are designed for people of all genders needing and wanting a refined look through a complete, custom wardrobe styled and delivered down to the details.
Whether you’re a busy professional dressing for the office, want help packing the perfect looks for a vacation or honeymoon, need stand-out pieces for a photo shoot or special event, or are ready for a complete wardrobe transformation, this service is created for your evolving needs at every stage of your life.
I love helping my clients embrace their self worth and reclaim their outer beauty through aligning their personal style to their soul.
Sol Reflection’s services are designed for anyone who wants a refined, personalized wardrobe styled down to the smallest details. At the end of the day, everyone gets dressed. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their body, confident in their clothing, and excited about how they show up in the world.
My clients come to me for many different reasons. Some want a trusted expert to help them build a wardrobe that fits well, looks polished, and works effortlessly for their lifestyle. Others are stepping into a new season personally or professionally and want their outward presence to reflect who they are becoming. I work with people across backgrounds, cultures, ages, gender expressions, and life experiences, from entrepreneurs and executives preparing for public-facing roles to artists, travelers, and individuals navigating meaningful transitions. What connects them is a desire to feel authentic and aligned with how they show up in the world.
Whether you’re refining your wardrobe for everyday life, preparing for travel, styling a photoshoot or special event, or ready for a more complete transformation, the process is always tailored to meet you where you are and support where you’re going.
What I love most about this work is bringing greater ease and enjoyment to the experience of getting dressed. When your clothing truly reflects you, it changes how you carry yourself and how you engage with and experience the world around you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://solreflection.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solreflection/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SolReflection1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-colette-fashion-therapist-personal-stylist/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsrAy97SZ047ypsRzllSPcg
Image Credits
Melissa Schollaert – photographer, https://www.webmarketingtherapy.com/team/melissa-schollaert/
Raney O’Keefe, MUAH, https://raneyokeefe.com/
Lorrie Ross – Creative Director https://www.webmarketingtherapy.com/team/lorrie-thomas/
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