Grief counselors and therapists in Lafayette, IN

I am so happy you are here!

Let me share a little bit about myself. I am a licensed counselor in both Illinois and Indiana, with seven years of experience providing talk therapy. I have had the privilege to work with clients across the lifespan in various settings, including community mental health, child welfare, education and integrated care environments. I am passionate about helping individuals navigate challenges such as depression, anxiety, women’s issues, grief and loss, and relationship issues. In addition, I have experience addressing concerns surrounding life transitions, spirituality and intergenerational and complex trauma.

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.

As a therapist, I prioritize transparency by sharing my own experiences with mental health to help normalize its importance in our lives, recognizing that we are all human. I employ metaphors and humor as tools to gently navigate past defense mechanisms and identify the underlying causes of challenges. My approach focuses on addressing root issues rather than solely managing symptoms. While symptom management is an important component of effective therapy, my ultimate goal is to facilitate lasting healing and empower clients toward long-term well-being.

I’m an Indiana and Michigan Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience helping young adults, adults, and older adults (65+) manage life transitions, emotional stress, and everyday overwhelm. As a fully virtual provider, I offer flexible, confidential online therapy to clients across Michigan.

I am passionate about helping people heal and find true joy in their lives. Focus is on the "whole person" - emotional, spiritual, and physical. Together we walk a gentle path toward wholeness and peace.

My calling as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker allows me to partner with clients in their places of greatest need, with a focus on complex post-traumatic stress. I employ a combination of talk, somatic and non-verbal eye movement based therapies. We will do deep trauma work while still making room for safety, warmth, and even a little playfulness. Because healing doesn’t have to happen in cold, serious rooms. Sometimes it happens barefoot, holding a fidget, with a sloth nearby and someone beside you who truly sees you.

Hello! I am a Master's Level Clinical Therapist with over 4 years of experience counseling. I have a wide variety of clinical experiences from a clinic for teenagers with dangerous behaviors, to private practice in a wealthy suburb. My training and research has focused on trauma, complex family dynamics, anxiety, and neurodivergence (ADHD and autism).

With more than thirty-one years in the mental health field, I bring both deep experience and a genuinely warm, unconditional presence to every session. I've had the privilege of working with people at every stage of life — from children as young as three to adults in their late nineties — across settings as varied as military bases, schools, residential programs, nursing facilities, and outpatient clinics. I earned both my bachelor's and master's degrees from the Indiana School of Social Work at IUPUI.

I believe every person has inherent value in this world, and I show up fully in your corner. My approach is collaborative — I work alongside you. Outside of the therapy room, I'm a proud mom of three and grandmother of five (my greatest joys), a dog and cat owner, and someone who recharges through travel, gardening, live music, and time in the outdoors. That human life informs how I connect with the people I work with.