Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapists & psychiatrists in Chicago, IL

I am a board-certified clinical health psychologist with extensive experience helping individuals navigate stress, anxiety, depression, health concerns, and life transitions. I take a collaborative and supportive approach, focusing on understanding your unique experiences and what matters most to you. My goal is to create a comfortable, nonjudgemental space where you feel heard and respected. Together, we'll work on practical strategies to help you copy more effectively, feel more balanced, and move toward meaningful, lasting change

I believe therapy should be a safe, supportive space where clients can show up as they are. My approach is warm, holistic, and grounded in building genuine connection while helping clients explore their challenges, strengths, and goals. My background includes case management, program leadership, vocational rehabilitation, and supporting individuals through trauma, life transitions, recovery, and housing or employment-related stress. I work collaboratively with clients to help them feel seen, supported, and empowered toward healing, growth, and lasting change.

I am compassionate, approachable, and committed to providing a safe, nonjudgmental space. I value open communication, transparency, and collaboration, and I believe treatment works best when we make decisions together. My care is evidence-based and trauma-informed, focused on understanding the whole person and supporting meaningful, sustainable mental health improvement.

I offer a kind, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where you can show up exactly as you are. Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, emotionally drained, or unsure how to move forward. You may be dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, relationship issues, or simply the weight of trying to hold everything together on your own. My goal is to help you feel safe, heard, and supported as we work through what is weighing on you. Therapy with me is about creating a space where you do not have to have all the answers right away - just a willingness to begin.

I approach therapy in a collaborative and compassionate way, creating a safe space where clients can feel supported as they explore their inner world. I believe that each client is the expert of their own life, and my role is to guide, support, and provide tools to help you connect with your strengths and insights. My work is trauma-informed and integrates a variety of techniques, including internal family systems, somatic methods, inner child work, strengths-based narratives, CBT, experiential approaches, and clinical hypnosis.

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.

I am a clinically licensed therapist who works with teens and adults. I support clients who are dealing with anxiety, ADHD, depression, emotional regulation, relationship stress, life transitions, and self esteem concerns. I aim to create a space that feels warm, genuine, and safe. I believe therapy does not have to feel intimidating to be effective, and I often use appropriate humor to help clients feel more comfortable while doing meaningful work.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read about my professional background.

I graduated with my bachelor's in social work in 2013 from MacMurray College in Jacksonville IL.

I furthered my education at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign School of Social Work and graduated with my Masters in SW in 2017.

I have gained 13 years of experience with the majority of those years spent in psychiatric facilities for children and adults.

I specialize in motivational interviewing, DBT, CBT, and a multitude of other treatment styles.

My path to becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner wasn't just a career choice; it was a personal mission. After watching a loved one navigate the complexities of mental health, I realized how much the right support—or the lack of it—can change the trajectory of a life. Because of this, I’m not just focused on symptoms; I’m focused on you.

I specialize in anxiety, depression, and neurocognitive disorders, providing telehealth care throughout Illinois. I take great pride in my ability to break down complex clinical terms into understandable language, ensuring you never feel left in the dark about your own brain. When I'm not in the "office," I’m usually staying active, cooking, or listening to an educational podcast to stay sharp on the latest in wellness.