Bianca Gist

I did not stumble into this work — I chose it, and I choose it every day. I am Bianca Gist, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois and Indiana.

I am also a former collegiate athlete, and that background shapes how I show up — I know what it feels like to carry a lot and still need someone genuinely in your corner. My experience is rooted in the spaces where people need the most and are often given the least — Chicago Public Schools, foster care, home-based services, and community mental health. Through my private practice, Her Sole Purpose LLC, I work with children, adolescents, student-athletes, and families using CBT, ACT, and trauma-informed care. I use what works for the person in front of me, not a one-size-fits-all approach. I work well with people navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and the weight of environments that were not built for them. Therapy with me is honest, grounded, and focused on what actually helps you move forward — not just cope.

If any of this resonates, I would love to connect.

My approach is clinical — and it's also real.

I know my stuff. I come in with the training, the tools, and the ability to actually assess what's going on and build a plan around it. That part matters to me. But I'm also just a person, and I think good therapy requires both.

I'm honest. Not harsh, but direct. If I notice something worth saying, I'll say it. I'd rather have a real conversation with you than a comfortable one that keeps you stuck.

Humor has a place in my sessions — so do tears. Neither one means things are going off track. Sometimes laughing is exactly what the moment needs, and sometimes falling apart a little is the most productive thing you can do. I don't pathologize either one. I follow your lead.

I'm solution-focused, which means I care about where you're going more than I care about staying parked in what happened. We'll address the hard stuff — but we'll move through it with intention, not just process it in circles.

And I'm affirming, full stop. Whatever you've been told about yourself, whatever spaces have made you feel like you were too much or not quite enough — this isn't that. I want you to leave our work together with a clearer sense of who you are and a lot more trust in yourself.

You can expect a free-flowing conversation, primarily focusing on your immediate needs, who you are, and where you come from.