Jessie Tylre Williams
Peer-to-Peer Support Specialist
You do not have to know what to say before you reach out.
Jessie Tylre Williams knows what it is like to be in the middle of a struggle and wonder whether anyone could understand. Her lived experience with addiction, loss, and trauma now informs the way she supports others: she listens first, respects their choices, and stays with the conversation even when it is hard.
For more than 15 years, Jessie has mentored people through difficult seasons. She is the author of Rising Above Hell: In Your Darkest Moments Is When You Will Find The Light, also available in Spanish as Surgiendo del Infierno, and the host of the Rising Above Hell podcast. She has toured nationally speaking about PTSD and supporting veterans and first responders. Her work has been recognized with a Commendation Medal from the Minister of Veterans Affairs and an Evergreen Award for Best Recovery Author.
How Jessie Can Support You
Jessie may be a good fit if you are navigating addiction recovery, trauma, loss, or the challenge of finding your footing after life has changed. She also brings experience speaking with veterans and first responders about PTSD. Jessie is bilingual in English and Spanish.
What a Conversation With Jessie Feels Like
You can begin wherever you are. Jessie will not ask you to turn your experience into a polished story or tell you what your life should look like. She listens, asks thoughtful questions, and helps you consider your options at your own pace. Her goal is to offer the steady, judgment-free presence she once wished she had.
Peer support offers connection and lived-experience understanding. It does not replace therapy, medical care, legal advice, or emergency services.
Role in the Peer-to-Peer Network
Jessie offers non-clinical, lived-experience support through the A Contagious Smile peer network. She listens without judgment and helps people consider their own next steps. Her experience includes addiction recovery, trauma, loss, and conversations with veterans and first responders about PTSD.
What Peer Support Looks Like
Peer support is not therapy or clinical intervention. It is a structured space where individuals can be heard, understood, and supported by someone with lived experience who understands the complexity of recovery and emotional overwhelm.
Important Information
Peer-to-peer support is not therapy, medical advice, or clinical treatment. It is lived-experience based support intended to provide understanding, presence, and emotional grounding. If you are in crisis or require clinical care, please seek appropriate professional or emergency services in your area.
Follow Us:
You have survived 100% of your worst days. You don't have to face the next one alone.
Whether you're rebuilding after abuse, navigating trauma, caring for someone you love, or simply trying to find your way again, you're welcome here.
Every resource, session, and conversation is created with one purpose: helping you move forward with hope, healing, and support.
The information provided on this website is intended for educational and peer support purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, or legal advice.
© Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved.