01 · Who Bernice works with

Bernice works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Bernice lists 13 specialisms and 5 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Bernice chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Bernice's own words

What Bernice says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with an extensive and diverse experience working with adults, children, couples, and families. I earned my master’s degree from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1997. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University in Illinois with a major in psychology. I enjoy the work I do and have worked in both the public and private sectors in the fields of social services and mental health.

Having worked with children and families and the many challenges they face for more than 20 years, I know that the decision to seek professional help can often be a very difficult one. If you are trying to make that decision right now, it may help you to know that I am someone who is not here to judge you, and who really believes that there is a way out for you that together we can find. You have already taken the most important step by acknowledging that, for now, this is something you cannot handle alone.

I have been in private practice for the past 12 years and currently specialize in marriage, couples and family therapy. I also have a background in child and adolescent mental health and have worked with families extensively around these issues. Other areas of expertise include Grief and Loss, Depression, Stress, and Anxiety,

My approach to therapy is that it should be used as a tool to provide the knowledge, help, and support needed to understand problems and develop skills to cope with them. I use Cognitive Behavioral techniques to help clients develop insight and new skills..

Most importantly, I want to empower my clients so that they are able to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences, make informed choices about what actions they need to take, and develop skills that will help them handle difficult situations in the future. Working together, I believe we can accomplish those goals.

Bernice Banks, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Bernice works

The 2 approaches Bernice lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Bernice lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Bernice's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Bernice runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Bernice practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Bernice's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Bernice at this point.

2. Naming Bernice specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Bernice is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Bernice.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Bernice

Built from what Bernice actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Bernice's - Bernice has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 18 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Illinois

Licence

IL LCSW 149009745

Licence number

149009745

Licence expires

30 Nov 2027

NPI

1710160932

Years in practice

18

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Bernice's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Bernice. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.