Treatment approach
Narrative Therapy
You are not the problem. The problem is the problem, and you can change the story you have been living inside.
Or call (646) 493-4007
Choose a time and send your request. It takes about 30 seconds and one short form.
4.95from 113 reviews
In-network with
- UnitedHealthcare
- Aetna
- Medicare
- Oscar Health
- Meritain Health
- Oxford Health Plans
- Cigna
- Optum
- Highmark BCBS WNY
- Univera Healthcare
- MagnaCare
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Industry-leading, structured care
Progress measured monthly, not guessed at
We respond within one business day
Every clinician state-licensed
Why MindView
The method is only as good as the decision to use it.
Most practices use the one approach they trained in, on everyone. Narrative Therapy is one of many ours are trained in, and which one you get is decided by what is actually driving the problem, then reviewed against monthly measures.
- 01
Intake
What is actually going on, rated 0 to 10 as your baseline.
- 02
Your history
Why it is happening. History, relationships, work, health.
- 03
Treatment plan
Written and collaborative, built against those causes.
- 04
Monthly review
Standardized measures, reviewed with you. You see the trend.
A license is where our training starts, not where it ends.
Every clinician is state-licensed before they see a single client. Then they train with us across every modality, and how to match one to the problem in front of them.
What clients say
4.95 averagefrom 113 reviews
- 5 out of 5 stars
MindView Therapy has great customer service and is very flexible, with good therapist availability and clear communication of any changes. Genuinely a great place for therapy with zero judgement.
Kailani M.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
The support staff was very helpful in assisting me to find the right provider. And the provider they found me is personable, a good listener, has good advice, and appears to be quite knowledgeable. I'm very happy with my decision to go with MindView.
Kevin R.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I truly felt seen, heard and understood by my therapist. Goals and next step expectations were clearly explained for processing.
Diane S.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I had a great onboarding experience with MindView. My therapist took the time to do a really thorough intake, which I appreciated, and the staff keeps communication clear and consistent. Plus, they handled my insurance verification hassle free.
Jennifer P.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I'm new to this therapy place, however the couples therapist we are seeing is amazing so far. She's a great listener and I can't wait to see how much further we can get with her guidance.
Maritza M.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
Great therapists, excellent customer service.
Meta
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
My therapist has been incredibly supportive and compassionate. She creates a safe, welcoming space, and I truly feel heard and understood. I'm very grateful for her guidance. Highly recommend.
Laura S.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
The clinician is helpful. I would recommend this to my friends. I can communicate better with my family members. Thanks for your cooperation.
Sharmin S.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
The process to find a therapist was very smooth and quick. The intake did take some time, but it was a very thorough process. Overall a great service and very helpful.
Jorge Z.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
Helpful, and they let you know everything in advance.
Naphtali S.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
MindView Therapy has been wonderful to work with. The team is kind, responsive, and made the entire process feel easy from the start. I always felt heard and supported, and I really appreciate the compassionate care I've received. Highly recommend.
Angela D.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I've had a great experience with MindView. They are easy to communicate with and handle my needs quickly. I've had some great sessions with my therapist and would highly recommend checking them out.
Kylah B.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
My therapist has done a great job of teaching me how to translate my thoughts into personal feelings, as well as helpful techniques to deal with my anxiety.
Ladale N.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I cannot say enough good things about my counselor. From the very start she made me feel heard, respected, and supported without judgement. She is a great listener and challenges me to grow in healthy ways.
Barbara D.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
She is such a great therapist. She really listens to what you are saying and helps you figure out situations.
Leah D.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
The process from start to finish is made so easy. You get assigned to someone quickly and can choose from various time slots to work around your schedule. No sitting on a phone waiting, just quick and to the point with every step.
Shannon G.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I've had such a positive experience with MindView Therapy. The sessions have given me so much clarity and practical tools to handle life's ups and downs. I feel more equipped and confident moving forward. If you are looking for a supportive and insightful therapy experience, I highly recommend them.
Lucie L.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
She is an amazing therapist. She understands me and where I am coming from without hesitation. It is a complete judgement-free zone.
Barbie Z.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
I've had a really wonderful experience at MindView. My therapist is a great listener and always made me feel heard and understood. I've seen meaningful progress. Would recommend.
Manana D.
Verified review
- 5 out of 5 stars
Kind, helpful, and good at what they do! My therapist is truly one-of-a-kind, and has helped me so much.
Nick B.
Verified review
Narrative therapy starts from one idea: you are not the problem, the problem is the problem. Your therapist helps you talk about a difficulty as something separate from you, then notice the parts of your life the problem story leaves out. From there you build a fuller account of who you are.
Might this approach fit you?
- I feel like the problem has become my whole identity.
- I want to stop treating my worst story about myself as the only true one.
- I am carrying shame that does not seem to belong to me.
- I want a therapist who does not treat me as broken.
- I want to be the one who decides what my life means.
- I know there is more to me than this, and I want help seeing it.
- I would rather talk about meaning than fill out worksheets.
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.
Choose a time and send your request. It takes about 30 seconds and one short form.
Narrative therapy is a collaborative, respectful approach that treats you as the expert on your own life. Developed by Michael White and David Epston, it rests on one clear idea: you are not the problem, the problem is the problem.
What does externalizing actually mean?
It means talking about a difficulty as something separate from you, with a name and a set of habits.
Not “I am anxious.” Instead: anxiety showed up before the meeting, told you that you would humiliate yourself, and tried to keep you home. Your therapist will ask what anxiety says, when it grows loud, what it needs to work, and what it costs you.
That sounds like a small shift in wording. It is not. “I am anxious” is an identity. “Anxiety is doing this to me” is a problem you can look at, argue with, and get some distance from. You cannot examine something you believe you are.
Externalizing does not mean the problem is fake. It means the problem is not the whole of you.
It also changes who you are working against. Once anxiety is a separate thing with its own tactics, you and your therapist are on the same side of the table, looking at it together. Nobody in the room is treating you as the thing that needs correcting.
What is a problem story, and what does re-authoring do?
Over time we compress our lives into a story, and difficulty tends to edit that story down. Depression tells you that you have always failed and always will. It quietly deletes every piece of evidence that does not fit, and what is left starts to feel like the objective record.
Narrative therapy goes looking for what the problem story left out. Your therapist asks about the times the problem did not get its way: the day you spoke up anyway, the year you held things together, the person who saw something in you.
Those moments are not consolation prizes. They are evidence of values and abilities the story has been hiding, and re-authoring means weaving them back in until the account of your life is fuller and truer.
Re-authoring is not positive thinking, and the difference matters. Nobody asks you to pretend the hard parts did not happen. The work simply refuses to let the hard parts be the only entry in the record.
What does a session look like?
Sessions run about 50 minutes and are conversational. There are no worksheets and no scripts. Your therapist asks careful questions and follows your lead, because in this model you hold the knowledge about your life and they hold the questions.
The stance is deliberately non-blaming. Nothing here treats you as broken. The Dulwich Centre, the Australian institute where narrative therapy was developed, remains the field’s central hub for its practice and teaching.
The conversation sits inside a set structure. Your first session is an intake. The early work runs across your life stages, which is where the dominant story becomes visible, and produces a treatment plan written in your words. From there, sessions are weekly, and once a month you complete standardized measures so you and your therapist can see whether the work is moving and adjust the plan if it is not.
Sessions are available at our Queens, Buffalo, and Carmel, IN offices and by secure telehealth across New York and Indiana.
Who is narrative therapy a good fit for?
It fits adults who feel defined or shrunk by a problem, who are carrying shame that never quite fit, or who want a therapy that talks about meaning and identity rather than filling in thought records.
It is used for anxiety, low mood, low self-worth, shame, life transitions, and the effects of hard experiences. It combines well with other approaches, and the American Psychological Association notes that the working relationship is central across every form of psychotherapy. Its research base is smaller and less standardized than the CBT literature, and we describe it on those terms rather than inflating it.
If you want structured skills and measurable homework, CBT is a more direct route, and your therapist will say so plainly. Many MindView clinicians blend the two, using narrative work to loosen a shame story while using CBT tools to handle the symptom in front of you. Care is for adults 18 and over.
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 clear rather than a surprise on the invoice.
No diagnosis or referral is needed, and you do not need to arrive with your story already sorted out. 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 defined or shrunk by a problem and want a non-blaming, meaning-centered approach rather than a worksheet-driven one. |
|---|---|
| What sessions look like | A 50-minute conversation where you and your therapist talk about the problem as a separate character, examine what it does, and look for the moments it did not win. |
| Typical length | Length depends on your goals, and while narrative work can be relatively focused it is not tied to a fixed session count, so you decide the pace with your therapist. |
What can it help with?
- •Low self-worth and identity concerns
- •Anxiety and depression
- •Shame and self-blame
- •Life transitions
- •Effects of difficult experiences
Who might it suit?
- •People who feel defined by a problem
- •Those who value meaning and self-reflection
- •Anyone wanting a respectful, non-blaming approach
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.
- Starting out
Your therapist asks what brought you in and takes your history, listening without treating you as the problem. You rate the intensity of what you are feeling on a 0 to 10 scale, which becomes the baseline. From there, your therapist walks through your life across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In this approach they listen for the dominant story: how the problem came to describe you, where that description came from, and what it leaves out. You and your therapist build the plan together. Goals are written in your language, with methods named plainly: externalizing the problem and giving it a name, mapping its tactics and its costs, and tracing the moments it did not get its way. You also set one personal goal that matters to you.
- Ongoing
Weekly sessions talk about the problem as something separate from you and weave the exceptions into a fuller account of your values and history. 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.
Therapy here is measured, not guessed
Once a month you have a measurement-based care review. You complete standardized measures, 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.
Choose a time and send your request. It takes about 30 seconds and one short form.
Common questions
Is narrative therapy covered by insurance?
We are in-network with most major plans. In New York: UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, Oscar Health, Meritain Health, Oxford Health Plans, Cigna, Optum, Highmark BCBS WNY, Univera Healthcare and MagnaCare. In Indiana: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cigna and Aetna. We confirm your benefits before your first session.
What happens in the first session?
You tell your story in your own words, and your therapist listens without treating you as the problem. They will ask how the difficulty has come to describe you and where that description came from. There is nothing to prepare.
How long does it take, and does it work?
Length depends on your goals rather than a set protocol. Narrative therapy has a smaller and less standardized research base than CBT, and we say that plainly rather than overstating it. It is widely practiced and many people find the non-blaming stance itself changes how they carry a problem. No therapy can guarantee a result.
Do I need a diagnosis to start?
No. Narrative therapy is deliberately cautious about letting a diagnosis become an identity. If your insurance requires a diagnosis for billing, your therapist will explain that clearly and it does not have to define the work.
Can I do this by telehealth, and how soon can I start?
Yes. Narrative work is entirely conversational, so it translates well to secure video. Sessions are conducted by telehealth across New York and Indiana. We are accepting new clients and respond to booking requests within one business day.
Does narrative therapy deny that my problem is real?
No. Externalizing does not mean the problem is imaginary or that nothing is wrong. It means the problem is not the whole of who you are, which makes it easier to look at directly and reduce its influence.
How do I get started?
- 1
Check your insurance
Most major plans are accepted, and checking takes under a minute.
See if we take your insurance - 2
- 3
Meet your therapist
Your first session is an intake. Your therapist asks what brought you in, and you set a weekly time together.
Related approaches
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Take the first step
You do not have to figure this out alone. Booking takes about 30 seconds.