An Inspired Chat with Bianca Hughes of Dunwoody

Bianca Hughes shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Bianca, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I love jigsaw puzzles. Anything over 100 pieces I am engaged. I am so into it that My Sister and I did our first speed puzzling event this year Anytime I am by water I experience Joy. Lastly, I love my current season of acceptance. Acceptance of myself, situations and others because it has brought me so my peace and freedom

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Bianca Hughes, LPC and I’m the owner of Authentically Be You Counseling and Wellness Studio in Dunwoody, Georgia. As a licensed therapist, I specialize in helping people break free from the captivity of perfectionism and guide them to connect with their authentic selves. My work focuses on helping clients develop a profound sense of confidence, self-trust, relief, and authenticity.

I consider myself a “soul aligner” – a natural healer who has chosen therapy as my modality to use this gift. The therapy I provide is what I call “soul-aligning therapy,” going beyond traditional approaches to help people truly connect with who they are meant to be. I’m also trained to integrate faith into therapy, and as a believer myself, I help clients explore their relationship with God or their spiritual beliefs as part of their healing journey.

Beyond my private practice, I’m also a mental health speaker for events, conferences, and organizations. Additionally, I mentor new therapists through my online community, the Soulful Clinician Collective, which fills the crucial gap between what graduate programs teach and the realities of being a therapist in the real world.

Born and raised in London to Caribbean parents from Jamaica and Antigua, I’ve been living in Atlanta for the past 19 years. Someone once coined me a “global citizen,” and I’ve gladly embraced that term – my love for travel and diverse cultural background deeply influences my approach to healing. You’ll still hear my English accent since I came here as an adult.

This is actually my second career, but it’s definitely where I’m aligned with my true purpose and calling. Whether through therapy, speaking, or mentoring, I’m passionate about educating, sharing wisdom, and helping people – especially new therapists – step into their authentic power.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed I was unlovable, and that belief drove me to perform constantly – which is actually why I deal with perfectionism myself and understand it so deeply in my work. I believed I wasn’t good enough, that there was something fundamentally wrong with me, and that I had to perform to get attention and care from my parents.**

Now, I want to be clear – my parents took care of me, but they weren’t equipped to handle my emotional and mental needs. I was often told I was “too sensitive,” and that was framed as a problem. While I am still sensitive, I don’t see it as a flaw anymore – I see it as one of my greatest gifts. My sensitivity is actually central to the work I do as a therapist, helping me see and connect with people in profound ways.

I also didn’t believe I was pretty or beautiful. I was always comparing myself to others, thinking they were better than me. My parents told me I did well in school, but no one spoke to my beauty or affirmed who I was as a person. Since words of affirmation are really important to me, this absence was significant. I only heard praise for performance – good grades, achievements – but nothing about my value, characteristics, or personality. So I learned that performing was the only way to be told I was “good enough.

I also believed I was tight with money or stingy, but the truth is I just didn’t understand money. It was a form of safety for me because I didn’t grasp that money is energy – that it flows, and that we can always earn it back or make more. I was operating from fear rather than understanding.**

When did you last change your mind about something important?
This one is easy for me. I changed my belief that if you sell a house, you *have* to buy another one immediately. In 2023, I realized I wanted change in my life – specifically, I wanted to move from my home but couldn’t find a new house that I loved. So I decided to go against all societal norms and sell my house to move into an apartment.

What actually happened was even more transformative than I expected. After putting my house on the market, just two weeks later, I decided to take a much-needed sabbatical. My house went on the market in October 2023, sold by the end of December, and I bought a one-way ticket to Bali. I spent three incredible months traveling through seven countries – breaking yet another societal norm that says you have to wait until retirement to take a real break and travel.

This experience taught me there’s more than one way to live. It was the best gift I’ve ever given myself – a gift that keeps on giving. When I came back, I moved around for a bit before settling into a beautiful apartment that I absolutely love. I don’t miss my home one bit, even though I had it for 16 years and was grateful for what it gave me.

Now I help my clients see that you don’t have to follow all the conventional rules. Want a home? Buy one. But you don’t have to do what everyone else expects. Breaking societal norms that no longer serve us – or our clients – is actually a big part of my work and my life philosophy.**

How does that capture the essence of your transformative experience?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I naively believed in following all the societal rules. I used to think there was one “right” way to live – how to be a woman, how to be in relationships, how to structure your life. But here’s what I’ve realized: the people who made these rules just made them up based on their own experiences, and they don’t necessarily serve me or anyone else.

My new motto is “nobody is following the rules, so do what you want.” Take my house example – the rule says if you sell, you must buy another home immediately. That rule didn’t serve me. There are so many societal expectations that we think will lead to this perfect life, but they don’t work for everybody.

Think about it: go to college, get a great job, work there forever. That’s not even realistic anymore! And as a therapist, I see behind closed doors – people put up a front, but privately, they’re not following half the rules they preach.

This was especially eye-opening for me as a believer. There are so many rules that come with religion and being a Christian – more so than spirituality itself. But I realized people were telling me to follow rules they weren’t even following themselves. That made me sit with myself and ask, “Why am I living this way?” Now I connect directly with God and let Him lead me, because I trust that God knows how I’m wired and what I need to be doing.

I’ve learned that the people making up all these rules might not have any real credibility. So now I literally dance to the beat of my own drum, and I’m quite happy doing so. I’m not talking about morality or hurting people – I’m talking about these arbitrary societal rules that don’t serve us.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I see people and understand them deeply in ways that most people don’t. This has always been both a gift and a struggle for me because I observe people and see things about them that others miss entirely. I’m constantly thinking, “Do you see that? Did you notice that about this person?

I can sense when people are hurting or going through things. I’m the person that strangers randomly approach and start talking to because they feel safe – I have this energy of trust that people pick up on immediately. I see what’s amazing about people and what they might be missing about themselves. I’m really tuned into who they are at their core – their identity, not just what they do.

What’s fascinating is that I’ve learned through Human Design that I’m a Mental Projector with a very penetrating aura. I used to hate getting angry because I knew everyone would sense it – my energy is that strong. Human Design confirmed so much of what I already knew about myself: that I absorb people’s energy, I can see them deeply, and I can break things down and make sense of complex patterns. That’s why I’m such a good educator.

I pick up on small, intricate details – what matters to people, words they need to hear, things that others miss or don’t understand about them. Even if someone’s speaking a language I don’t know, I can tell what they’re trying to communicate just through my sensing and energy.

While this gift is amazing for others and people absolutely love it, it can be incredibly draining for me. It takes up so much energy that I need significant time alone to recuperate. I’m still learning how to protect and honour this gift.

I’ve also learned that I have to wait for people to invite me in and ask for help. I used to get upset when I’d tell people things and they wouldn’t listen, but now I understand it actually saves me energy. As a Projector, we have to be invited in. When someone truly invites me to share what I see, we both get lit up and they get exactly what they need. Instead of being upset when they don’t invite me, I actually love it now because it preserves my energy for the people who are ready to receive it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.authenticallybeyou.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticallybeyou/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancahughes/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/authenticallybu