Some of life’s most profound journeys begin with the simple desire to make a difference. For Kyle Kittleson that journey started in childhood with a club dedicated to saving the world and evolved into a mission to heal hearts and minds through education and empathy. His story, shared on the SelfWork podcast with Dr. Margaret Rutherford, is a testament to how our deepest struggles can become our greatest strengths, and how unexpected paths can lead to our most meaningful purpose.
The Save the World Club: Early Seeds of Purpose
As a child, Kyle Kittleson possessed an unwavering belief that he could change the world. This conviction led him to establish what he called the “Save the World Club,” a grassroots environmental initiative consisting of himself and three reluctant members. Their mission was ambitious yet simple: to save the world from pollution through the power of awareness and community action.
The club’s strategy involved creating paper signs and posting them throughout their neighborhood, urging citizens to pick up their trash and join the cause. Kyle was certain this approach would work, that their small but passionate effort would create ripples of change throughout their community and beyond. However, when his mother gently explained that trees had to be cut down to make their paper signs, young Kyle quickly halted their efforts, momentarily defeated by the realization that even well-intentioned actions can have unintended consequences.
While the feeling of defeat dissipated within days, the underlying drive to make a positive impact on the world only grew stronger. This early experience planted seeds that would eventually bloom into a lifelong commitment to helping others, though Kyle couldn’t have imagined at the time that his path would lead through the depths of personal struggle and into the realm of mental health advocacy.
Confronting Depression at Nine Years Old
Kyle’s journey with mental health challenges began remarkably early. At just nine years old, he was diagnosed with depression and immediately entered into treatment. This early diagnosis marked the beginning of a lifelong relationship with mental health care that would span decades and profoundly shape his understanding of human psychology and resilience.
The experience of being a child in therapy provided Kyle with unique insights into the mental health system from a patient’s perspective. He learned firsthand about the challenges of finding the right therapeutic relationship, experiencing both helpful and less effective treatments. In one particularly striking example, Kyle worked with a therapist who fell asleep during sessions “no less than 10 times” over a two-to-three-year period, an experience that later informed his passionate advocacy for patients to be active participants in their healthcare.
Despite being in therapy since age nine, Kyle credits his later education at MedCircle with providing more practical tools and insights than decades of traditional therapy. “I learned more in my first six months at MedCircle than I did in all my years in therapy,” he reveals, highlighting how psychoeducation—learning about mental health concepts and tools—can be as transformative as therapy itself.
Navigating Identity: The Challenge of Being Gay
Alongside his battle with depression, Kyle faced another significant challenge: coming to terms with his sexual identity. As he grew up, Kyle became increasingly aware that he was gay, and like many young people in similar situations, he wished he could be anything else. The internal conflict between his authentic self and societal expectations created an additional layer of complexity to his mental health journey.
The struggle with accepting his sexual orientation while managing depression illustrates the intersectional nature of mental health challenges. Kyle’s experience highlights how multiple aspects of identity can compound stress and make the journey toward self-acceptance more difficult. His eventual ability to embrace his authentic self became an integral part of his healing process and his capacity to help others facing similar struggles.
This personal experience with identity acceptance and the accompanying emotional turmoil would later inform Kyle’s empathetic approach to mental health advocacy. Having walked the difficult path of self-acceptance, he developed a deep understanding of the courage required to live authentically and the mental health challenges that can arise when one’s true self conflicts with external expectations.
Finding Solace and Purpose Through Animals
Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Kyle found refuge and purpose in his relationships with animals. He describes animals as “the most honest beings on the planet” because “they don’t lie. They can’t. They don’t know how. Animals don’t bend the truth. They act instinctually and without a second thought.” This honesty and authenticity provided a stark contrast to the complex social dynamics and internal conflicts Kyle was navigating in his human relationships.
During high school and college, Kyle volunteered with animals every chance he got—working at bird rehabilitation centers, participating in beach cleanups, and giving tours at the zoo. He never thought of these activities as volunteering but rather as privileges. “I felt lucky to be given the chance to remove trash from giraffes’ exhibit, or assist a keeper in giving the gift of flight back to an injured owl,” he reflects.
This early connection with animal care taught Kyle valuable lessons about giving and receiving. “Volunteering was all about giving yet it was then I learned that giving was, in fact, receiving,” he explains. By caring for these animals, even in passive ways, Kyle discovered the magic of compassion and the responsibility that comes with caring for other living beings.
Willie the Humboldt Penguin: A Transformative Relationship
Kyle’s first profound animal relationship occurred during his internship in Hawaii, where he worked with a Humboldt penguin he called Willie, or more affectionately, Willard. This relationship became one of the most significant of Kyle’s life, teaching him lessons that would influence his approach to human relationships for years to come.
“Willard loved me. I don’t know why. I loved him. I loved him because he loved me, sure. But I also loved him because he had adventure inside him. He wanted to be over there and right here all at the same time.”
Willie embodied a spirit of curiosity and independence that resonated deeply with Kyle. The penguin wanted to play with Kyle but also maintain his relationships with other penguins like his father, Wingnut. He demonstrated determination by insisting on climbing stairs independently, yet also showed vulnerability by seeking comfort and belly scratches from Kyle.
Through his relationship with Willie, Kyle learned a crucial lesson about individuality: “It is foolish to attribute general characteristics to one species of animals. Animals are individuals. They have individual likes, dislikes, preferences, and habits. And while animals and people are different we do share that trait—we are all also unique.”
Professional Growth and Unexpected Loss
Kyle’s career in marine mammal training took him from Hawaii to Florida, where he worked with an impressive array of species including dolphins, false killer whales, pilot whales, and orcas. His role evolved from basic animal care to senior trainer, and he found himself involved in critical rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
One particularly impactful experience involved caring for pilot whales rescued from a mass stranding off the Florida coast. Kyle spent countless hours monitoring a pilot whale with a bent peduncle (tail) and fluke, helping the animal learn to swim again while veterinarians worked to straighten his curved tail with splints and flotation devices.
Despite world-class care and more than a year of rehabilitation efforts, the pilot whale eventually died. This loss forced Kyle to confront a fundamental question about his chosen career: “When that animal died I questioned whether the heartbreak of losing an animal was worth the joy of working with them in the first place.”
The experience taught Kyle an important lesson about the reality of caring professions—that loss and heartbreak are inherent parts of work that involves helping others, whether animal or human. “Animals die in the wild and animals die even when they are receiving the best possible care,” he reflects, acknowledging that this reality is part of what makes the work both meaningful and challenging.
Personal Tragedy and Resilience
Kyle’s journey took another difficult turn when he lost his mother at the age of sixteen. This devastating event occurred during what was already a challenging period of his life, as he continued to navigate his mental health challenges and personal identity. The loss of a parent during adolescence represents one of life’s most profound challenges, particularly for someone already dealing with depression.
However, rather than derailing his life, this tragedy seemed to strengthen Kyle’s resolve to make a meaningful difference in the world. The relationships he had formed with animals, particularly Willie and Maxine, had taught him valuable lessons about empathy and resilience that would prove crucial during this difficult period.
The experience of losing his mother also deepened Kyle’s understanding of grief and loss, emotions he would later help others navigate through his work in mental health education. His ability to transform personal tragedy into a source of strength and empathy for others demonstrates the remarkable human capacity for post-traumatic growth.
The Unexpected Path to Mental Health Advocacy
Kyle’s transition from animal training to mental health advocacy began with an unexpected opportunity. While pursuing his dream of becoming the next Jeff Corwin or Steve Irwin in Los Angeles, Kyle was struggling to establish himself in the entertainment industry. It was during this uncertain period that Doug Colbeth, CEO of MedCircle, offered him a chance to interview doctors about mental health topics.
Kyle’s initial response reflected his uncertainty: “I’m not a doctor and I don’t know if I’m really that qualified to do this.” However, his willingness to embrace the unknown led to a transformation that would impact millions of lives. His first interview with Dr. Ramani, a clinical psychologist specializing in narcissism, was conducted in her apartment with no particular expectations.
That single video exploded to over 15 million views, launching not only Kyle’s career in mental health education but also Dr. Ramani’s journey to becoming a mental health influencer with nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers. This success demonstrated the power of authentic, accessible mental health education and Kyle’s natural ability to translate complex psychological concepts into understandable, actionable information.
Advocacy and Empowerment in Healthcare
One of Kyle’s most passionate messages concerns the importance of being an active participant in one’s healthcare journey. Drawing from his own experiences with ineffective therapy relationships and witnessing others accept substandard care, Kyle advocates for patients to take an empowered approach to their mental health treatment.
He shares the story of a woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder whose psychiatrist prescribed lifelong medication after only a four-to-six-week trial study. When she asked about long-term side effects, the doctor simply responded, “I don’t know.” This interaction exemplifies Kyle’s concern that patients often accept inadequate care simply because someone has professional credentials.
Kyle’s message is clear and empowering: “We’re the freaking customer, okay? They don’t leave us reviews. We leave them reviews.” He challenges people to apply the same research energy they would use when buying a television to finding the right mental health professional. This means asking questions, seeking second opinions, and being willing to change providers if the therapeutic relationship isn’t working.
Conclusion: From Struggle to Strength
Kyle’s journey from a nine-year-old child with depression to a leading mental health advocate illustrates the profound truth that our greatest struggles can become our most significant strengths. His path through early mental health challenges, the difficulty of accepting his sexual identity, the heartbreak of losing animals he cared for, and the devastation of losing his mother at sixteen—all of these experiences contributed to his capacity to help others navigate their own difficult journeys.
The child who once started a “Save the World Club” with paper signs has indeed found a way to change the world, not through eliminating pollution, but through reducing the stigma around mental health and providing practical tools for emotional well-being. His work at MedCircle has reached millions of people, creating ripple effects of healing and understanding that extend far beyond what he could have imagined as a young animal trainer.
Kyle’s story reminds us that healing is not a destination but a journey, and that we don’t have to be perfect to help others. Sometimes the most powerful way to make a difference is to share our authentic struggles and the wisdom we’ve gained from working through them. In doing so, we create connection, reduce isolation, and provide hope to others who may be walking similar paths.
