Treatment approach
Motivational Interviewing at MindView
Motivational interviewing is a collaborative style of talk therapy for people who feel two ways about a change. Instead of pushing or advising, your therapist helps you put your own reasons and values into words. Motivation that comes from you tends to hold better than pressure applied from outside.
Booking takes about two minutes. It is a short form, mostly checkboxes. Opens our secure client portal.
- Queens (Jamaica), NY
- UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, Oscar Health, Meritain Health, Oxford Health Plans, Cigna, Optum, MagnaCare
- Buffalo, NY
- UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, Oscar Health, Meritain Health, Oxford Health Plans, Cigna, Optum, Highmark BCBS, Highmark BCBS WNY, Univera Healthcare
- Carmel, IN
- Aetna, Cigna, Anthem
- Now accepting new clients
- We respond within one business day
- Telehealth in NY and IN
Might this approach fit you?
- I know what I should change and I still have not done it.
- Part of me wants this and part of me does not, and I am tired of the argument.
- I shut down when someone tells me what to do.
- I want to make my own decision, out loud, with someone who will not judge it.
- I keep starting and stopping and I want to understand why.
- I want help getting unstuck, not a lecture about my choices.
- I need to make a hard decision and I want to think it through clearly.
You do not have to be in crisis to start. If several of these sound familiar, therapy can help.
If this sounds like the support you want, we can help.
Booking takes about two minutes. It is a short form, mostly checkboxes. Opens our secure client portal.
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered style of talk therapy. It was built for a very common experience: feeling two ways about a change at once. That mixed feeling is called ambivalence, and it is normal. It is not weakness, denial, or a lack of willpower.
What is ambivalence, and why does it stall people?
Ambivalence is wanting the change and not wanting it, both at full strength. You want to drink less and you want the drink. You want to leave the job and you want the paycheck and the identity that came with it.
Most advice attacks one side of that. Someone lists the reasons to change, and something in you immediately argues the other side. That is not stubbornness. When one voice pushes, the internal counter-voice gets louder, and you end up defending the very thing you wanted to give up.
MI works with the whole conflict instead of half of it. Both sides get heard, including the reasons not to change, which almost nobody in your life is willing to listen to without arguing.
That matters because the reasons not to change are usually real. The drink does something. The job does pay. Until those are named honestly, any plan built on top of them is built on nothing.
What does a session actually look like?
It looks like a real conversation, not an interrogation and not a lecture. Sessions run about 50 minutes.
Your therapist asks open questions, listens carefully, and reflects back what you said so you can hear it yourself. They ask about your values, what kind of life you want, and how the current situation squares with that. They notice when you start voicing your own reasons for change, and they help you say more.
What your therapist does not do is argue, warn, or prescribe. That restraint is the technique. When nobody is pushing, you stop bracing, and you can finally look at the whole picture honestly.
The conversation sits inside a set structure. Session one is an intake. Session two is a psychosocial assessment across your life stages, which is where your values and both sides of the ambivalence get heard. Session three is the treatment plan, and you set the direction it takes. From there, sessions are weekly, and once a month you complete standardized measures so you and your therapist can see whether anything is actually moving and change the plan if it is not.
Sessions are available at our Queens, Buffalo, and Carmel offices and by secure telehealth across New York and Indiana. MI is entirely conversational, so nothing is lost over video.
Does motivation that comes from you really hold better?
That is the core bet of the method, and it is the reason it is built the way it is. Change you argue yourself into tends to outlast change someone else pressured you into, because there is no external voice to rebel against once the pressure lifts.
MI has a substantial research base, especially in habits, substance use, and health behavior change. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration treats it as a core counseling approach, and MINT, the international network of MI trainers, maintains resources on how it is practiced and taught. Research support is not a promise about any one person, and we will not tell you otherwise.
Who is MI a good fit for?
It fits adults who are stuck between two options and want to think it through with someone who will not take a side for them. It suits people who bristle at being told what to do, and people who have started and stopped the same change several times.
It is used for habits, substance use, health and lifestyle goals, low motivation that comes with depression, and hard decisions about work or relationships. It also pairs well with other therapy. Many MindView clinicians open with MI to sort out direction, then move into CBT skills once you know what you want.
MI is a weaker fit if you already know exactly what you want and just need tools to do it. In that case, your therapist will move straight to the tools rather than spend sessions helping you decide something you have already decided.
It is also honest to say that MI does not force an outcome. If you weigh a change carefully and decide against it, that is a real result of the work, and your therapist will respect it. Autonomy is not a technique here. It is the ground the whole method stands on, and it stops being real the moment it comes with conditions.
How do I get started?
MindView is in-network with most major insurance plans, and we verify your benefits before your first session so cost is not a surprise.
You do not need a diagnosis or a referral, and you do not need to have decided anything yet. Book online at our scheduling portal or call (646) 493-4007. We are accepting new clients and respond within one business day.
At a glance
| Best suited for | Adults who feel stuck or torn about a change and want to work it through themselves rather than be told what to do. |
|---|---|
| What sessions look like | A 50-minute conversation where your therapist asks open questions, reflects what you say back to you, and resists the urge to tell you what to do. |
| Typical length | Motivational interviewing is often brief and focused, sometimes just a few sessions, though it depends on what you are weighing and it is common to fold it into longer work. |
What can it help with?
- •Feeling stuck or ambivalent about change
- •Habits and substance use
- •Health and lifestyle goals
- •Low motivation with depression
- •Making difficult decisions
Who might it suit?
- •People who feel torn about whether to change
- •Anyone who resists being told what to do
- •Those getting ready to take a first step
What we use it to treat
What does therapy here actually look like?
The first three sessions follow a clear structure, so you always know what is coming next.
- Session 1: Intake
Your therapist asks what brought you in, takes your history, and listens to the change you are weighing without pressure. You rate the intensity of what you are feeling on a 0 to 10 scale, which becomes the baseline. You set a recurring weekly time before you leave.
- Session 2: Psychosocial
Your therapist walks through your life across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In this approach they listen for your values and for both sides of the ambivalence, including the real reasons not to change. Nobody argues with either side. You can decline any question.
- Session 3: Treatment plan
You and your therapist build the plan together, and you decide the direction. The methods are named plainly: open questions, reflecting your own reasons back to you, and looking at the gap between where you are and the life you say you want. You also set one personal goal that matters to you.
- Ongoing
Weekly sessions work the decision and then the follow-through, building a concrete plan and troubleshooting what gets in the way. Once a month you complete standardized measures, your therapist reviews the trend with you, and the plan is adjusted based on what the data shows. Your autonomy is not negotiable at any point.
Therapy here is measured, not guessed
Once a month you have a Psycho-Measurement-Based Care Review (PMBCR). You complete standardized measures, such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, and your therapist reviews the trend with you. If something is not working, the plan changes. Regular therapy is the work. The review is the navigation system that keeps it pointed at the right target.
Sessions are weekly for the first two months to build a foundation, then frequency is reassessed with you. You set the pace, and you share only what you are comfortable sharing.
You do not have to figure this out alone.
Booking takes about two minutes. It is a short form, mostly checkboxes. Opens our secure client portal.
Common questions
Is motivational interviewing covered by insurance?
We are in-network with most major plans. In Queens: UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, Oscar Health, Meritain Health, Oxford Health Plans, Cigna, Optum, and MagnaCare. In Buffalo: UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, Oscar Health, Meritain Health, Oxford Health Plans, Cigna, Optum, Highmark BCBS, Highmark BCBS WNY, and Univera Healthcare. In Carmel, IN: Aetna, Cigna, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. We confirm your benefits before your first session.
What happens in the first session?
Your therapist asks about the change you are weighing and listens. You get to say both sides out loud, including the reasons you do not want to change, without being corrected. Most people find that unusual and a relief.
How long does it take, and does it work?
MI is often brief and focused, and it is frequently combined with other approaches rather than used alone. It has a substantial research base, particularly around habits, health behavior, and substance use. We describe that evidence honestly and never guarantee an outcome for any individual.
Do I need a diagnosis to start?
No. Feeling stuck is not a diagnosis, and many people come in exactly for that. If your insurance requires a diagnosis for billing, your therapist will explain it plainly.
Can I do this by telehealth, and how soon can I start?
Yes. MI is entirely conversational, so it works well over secure video. Telehealth is available across New York and Indiana. We are accepting new clients and respond to booking requests within one business day.
Will the therapist push me to change?
No. Respecting your autonomy is the core of the method, not a courtesy layered on top. Your therapist helps you weigh your own reasons, and if you decide not to change something, that decision is respected.
How do I get started?
- 1
Check your insurance
Confirm your plan is in-network. Most major plans are accepted, and it takes about two minutes.
- 2
Book online
Pick a time in our secure client portal. It is a short form, mostly checkboxes, and takes about two minutes.
- 3
Meet your therapist
Your first session is an intake. Your therapist asks what brought you in, and you set a weekly time together.
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You do not have to figure this out alone. Book a session or check your insurance in under two minutes.