Dr. Bianca Mack, PhD
Hey there! I’m Dr. B, and I’m so glad you’re here. I’m excited for the opportunity to get to know you and support you along your journey. My career in healthcare began in 2014, and in 2017, I found my way to mental healthcare—so you could say I’ve been doing this for a little while! I take a culturally responsive, integrative approach to therapy, blending evidence-based practices with a psychodynamic perspective to help you better understand yourself, your relationships, and the experiences that have shaped you. I lead with compassion, curiosity, and empathy, creating a space where you can feel safe exploring your concerns, gaining insight, and connecting with what matters most to you. Together, we’ll work toward building a stronger, more grounded sense of self while exploring new ways of relating to yourself, others, and the world around you. My hope is that therapy becomes not only a place to heal, but also a space to practice new ways of being—so you can carry those experiences with you beyond our sessions.
First session
Our first session will consist of a full intake. It will look different from our other sessions; I’ll ask direct questions about your life, mental health symptoms, and areas of concern like suicide or trauma. This session may feel like a relaxed interview. I will ask additional questions about your current mental health symptoms, assess for certain areas of concern such as suicide and trauma, and we will discuss past therapy experiences if applicable. I will also ask about contextual factors related to your lived experiences (e.g., how your view your role within your family and friendships, childhood and adolescent experiences that shaped you, therapy and life goals, etc). Our first session will give us a chance to see how we fit. If at any point during or after our first session you change your mind about therapy (or therapy with me), that's ok! I am happy to assist you with finding a better therapist to fit your needs. The goal is for you to get the care you deserve.
Strengths
My approach to therapy is conversational, collaborative, and inclusive. As an African American woman, I’m mindful of psychology’s complicated history and the ways it has not always been a welcoming or affirming space for everyone. I understand that therapy can come with skepticism, uncertainty, or even a little hesitation; and, I respect that. While I bring professional expertise and clinical experience to our work, I believe you are the expert on your own life. That means we’ll work together rather than me simply telling you what to do. I’ll listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, offer observations and perspectives, and create space for you to make meaning of your experiences in your own way. Our sessions will feel like a genuine conversation—one where you can be honest, curious, vulnerable, and fully yourself. There may be moments when I’m quiet and simply hold space for you, but you can also expect me to be engaged and present with you. Therapy asks you to look inward, and that isn’t always easy. I will challenge you when I think it could help you grow, but never without compassion or respect. My goal is to create a space that feels safe enough to be honest and supportive enough to try something new.
Ideal clients
I work with adults who are navigating life transitions and the questions that often come with them. This might look like starting a new career, moving to a new city, navigating changes within your family, caring for aging parents, self-discovery post separation or divorce, becoming an empty nester, or figuring out what you want from your romantic and platonic relationships. I also enjoy working with people who are exploring shifts in their beliefs, identity, and sense of purpose, as well as college and graduate students navigating the transitions that come with school, career, and adulthood. I work especially well with clients who are curious about themselves and willing to do the uncomfortable work of looking inward.
Treatment methods
Psychodynamic
I use psychodynamic therapy (interpersonal and self-psychology) to better understand how your past experiences may be influencing how you see yourself, your relationships, and the world around you today. Together, we may explore experiences from childhood, important life events, patterns in your relationships and behaviors, and the ways you’ve learned to make sense of yourself and others.
Relational
People are communal, and many therapy discussions focus on how we relate to ourselves and others. Through Relational Cultural Therapy, I support clients in cultivating vitality, developing a sense of value and worth within their relationships, gaining clarity and insight into their relational patterns within their unique contexts, and fostering deeper connections.
Strength-Based
I use Strength-Based therapy to support clients by highlighting the qualities they already have, and I encourage them to take on a new perspective of competence, resilience, and self-efficacy.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use ACT to support clients' understanding of why they do what they do. In sessions, ACT is used to help clients gain insight on their values and how they can live in alignment with those values.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
My style of clinical practice does not view Culturally Sensitive Therapy as a stand alone method. Every thought, question, interpretation, perspective, reflection, and gentle challenge is rooted in a culturally responsive, culturally sensitive way of being. Every treatment method I use is modified to be culturally sensitive.
Location
Virtual sessions