Therapy for
Phobia therapy to help you face what you have been avoiding
CBT-based therapy for adults with intense, specific fears that lead to avoidance.
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
Most therapy for Phobias has no structure. Ours has four stages and a scoreboard.
Most practices deliver therapy for Phobias however the therapist you happened to get was trained. We run one format for every client, and we measure it.
- 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
A phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to the real risk, strong enough that you rearrange your life to avoid it. Cognitive behavioral therapy with gradual, planned exposure is the treatment of choice, and you set the pace at every step.
Does this sound like you?
- I know the fear does not make sense and that changes nothing when I am in it.
- I have turned down trips because I will not get on a plane.
- I take the long way around, every time, so I do not have to go near it.
- I put off medical appointments because of the needle.
- I start dreading it days before it is even going to happen.
- My family has quietly built the schedule around my fear.
- I feel embarrassed that something this small runs my life.
You do not have to be in crisis to start. If several of these sound familiar, therapy can help.
If several of these sound familiar, that is worth talking about.
Choose a time and send your request. It takes about 30 seconds and one short form.
What is a phobia?
A phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to the actual risk. Common ones include flying, heights, driving, needles, dogs, vomiting, and enclosed spaces.
It is not the same as a dislike. A phobia produces a genuine physical alarm response, sometimes a full panic attack, and it usually starts well before you reach the thing itself. The dread arrives days early.
Phobias are also common. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 9.1% of U.S. adults had a specific phobia in the past year, which makes it one of the most widespread anxiety conditions there is.
Why does knowing the fear is irrational not help?
Because insight and fear run on different systems. You can know a plane is statistically safe and still have a body that treats the cabin door closing as a death sentence.
That gap is not stupidity. It is how fear learning works. Reasoning with a phobia has almost no effect on it, which is why years of people telling you to relax have changed nothing.
What does change it is new experience. The fear was learned through experience, and it is unlearned the same way.
Why does avoidance make it worse?
Every time you avoid the feared thing, you feel immediate relief. That relief is the trap.
Relief rewards the avoidance and confirms the belief that the situation was dangerous and that escape saved you. The fear gets a little stronger. The list of things you avoid gets a little longer.
This is why phobias tend to grow rather than fade with time. The fear of driving on the highway becomes a fear of driving at all. The fear of needles becomes avoidance of doctors entirely, which is a real health risk.
Other people often help the avoidance along without meaning to. Families quietly reorganize around the fear, taking the long route, handling the dog, making the appointment for you. It is kind, and it keeps the phobia intact.
How does exposure therapy work?
MindView uses cognitive behavioral therapy with gradual exposure, the approach with the strongest evidence for phobias. The early work is an intake and a careful map of your history, and out of it comes a treatment plan you build with your therapist. The ladder comes out of that plan.
You and your therapist build a ladder, from the mildest version of the fear to the hardest. Someone with a needle phobia might start by looking at a photograph. Someone afraid of flying might start at the airport parking lot.
You start at a step you agree you can handle. You stay with it until the fear comes down on its own, which it does. That is the mechanism: your nervous system learns from what actually happens, not from what you were told.
Then you take the next step. Nothing is a surprise, nothing is forced, and you can stop. The pace belongs to you.
The order matters. Exposure is not about enduring the worst thing on day one and proving how tough you are. That is a good way to make the fear stronger. The steps are chosen to be difficult enough to teach your nervous system something and manageable enough that you stay in the room.
Your therapist also works on the safety behaviors that ride along with the fear. Gripping the armrest, closing your eyes, looking away from the needle, keeping a drink in hand. These feel like coping and they block the learning, because they let you conclude that you only got through it because of the trick.
Repetition is what makes it stick. A single exposure rarely holds. Practice between sessions is the part that turns a good session into a lasting change. Once a month you and your therapist review standardized measures together to see whether the fear and the avoidance are shifting.
Can this be done by telehealth?
Yes. Exposure is planned in session and practiced in your real life, so video sessions work well. Some exposures are even easier to do at home with your therapist on screen.
MindView serves adults in Jamaica, Queens, and Buffalo, with telehealth at all locations. We are in-network with most major plans.
What comes next?
Phobia treatment is often one of the shortest courses of therapy there is. Many people spend years arranging their lives around a fear that could be worked on directly.
You can book a session online, or call (646) 493-4007 with questions first. We are accepting new clients and respond within one business day.
What does it look like?
- •Intense fear of a specific object or situation
- •Going out of your way to avoid the feared thing
- •A rush of anxiety, sometimes panic, on contact or anticipation
- •Knowing the fear is out of proportion but feeling unable to control it
- •The fear limiting where you go or what you do
Who is this for?
- •Adults with a strong, specific fear that interferes with life
- •People who avoid situations because of a phobia
- •Anyone ready to face a fear with structured support
9.1%
of U.S. adults had specific phobia in the past year
What does therapy here actually look like?
The first three sessions follow a clear structure, so you always know what is coming next.
- First meeting
Your first session is an intake. You describe what brought you in, what you fear, what you avoid, and your history. You rate the intensity of the fear from 0 to 10, and that rating becomes your baseline. No exposure happens in this session. You set a recurring weekly time before you leave.
- Mapping what is behind it
Your therapist walks through your life across stages, looking for the patterns and strengths behind the fear, including when it started and how your life has been arranged around it. You can decline any question.
- Writing the plan together
You and your therapist build the plan together. Goals are tied to the fear and the avoidance, including a ladder of steps from the easiest version to the hardest, each with concrete objectives. You also set one personal goal that matters to you and is not tied to a diagnosis.
- Ongoing
Weekly sessions work the plan. You move up the ladder at a pace you set, practice between sessions, and agree to each step before you take it. Once a month you and your therapist review standardized measures together to see whether the fear and the avoidance are shifting, and the plan is adjusted from what they show.
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
Do you take insurance, and what will this cost me?
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. We confirm your benefits before your first session.
What happens in the first session?
Your therapist asks what you fear, what you avoid, and what it has cost you. Nothing is exposed and nothing is pushed. You leave with a plain explanation of how phobia treatment works.
How long does phobia treatment take, and does it work?
Exposure-based CBT for a specific phobia is often one of the shorter courses of therapy, sometimes measured in a handful of sessions. Progress depends on practice. Your therapist tracks it with you and does not promise a guaranteed result.
Do I need a diagnosis to start?
No. You do not need a diagnosis or a referral. If a fear is shaping where you go and what you do, that is enough reason to book.
Can I do this by telehealth, and how soon can I be seen?
Yes. Much of exposure work is planned in session and practiced in your own life, so video works well. We are accepting new clients and typically respond within one business day.
Will my therapist force me to face the thing I fear?
No. Every step of exposure is planned with you and agreed to in advance. You choose the pace, you can stop, and nothing gets sprung on you. Treatment that ambushes you does not work anyway.
How many phobias are there?
There is no fixed number, because a phobia can form around almost any object or situation, and hundreds have been named. Clinicians group them into broad categories such as specific phobias (like heights or spiders), social phobia, and agoraphobia. The exact count matters less than the fact that phobias, whatever they attach to, are among the most treatable anxiety problems.
What are common phobias?
Some of the most common include fear of heights, flying, spiders and insects, needles or blood, enclosed spaces, and social situations. They share the same mechanism: intense fear of a specific trigger and avoidance of it. That avoidance keeps the phobia alive, which is why the main treatment, gradual exposure, works by reversing it in planned steps.
What is the most common phobia?
Fears of specific things like heights, spiders, and flying are among the most common, and social phobia is very widespread as well. What they have in common matters more than the ranking: an intense fear of a particular trigger plus avoidance. All of them respond well to exposure-based therapy, which helps you face the fear gradually rather than around it.
What is the rarest phobia?
Because a phobia can form around almost anything, there are many unusual and rare ones, from fears of specific colors to fears of particular textures or words. Rarity does not make a phobia less real or less treatable. Whatever the trigger, the same approach, gradual, planned exposure, tends to help, because every phobia runs on the same fear-and-avoidance cycle.
What are the different types of phobias?
Phobias are usually grouped into three types: specific phobias (a particular object or situation, like animals, heights, or needles), social phobia (fear of being judged in social situations), and agoraphobia (fear of situations where escape feels hard). They differ in focus but share fear and avoidance, and all respond to exposure-based treatment.
How do you get over a phobia?
The most effective approach is gradual exposure: with a therapist, you build a step-by-step ladder from the least to the most frightening version of the trigger and work up it at a pace you set, so the fear falls on its own. Avoiding the phobia keeps it strong; approaching it in planned steps shrinks it. Specific phobias often respond quickly.
Are phobias treatable?
Yes, and they are among the most treatable anxiety problems. Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy helps most people substantially reduce or overcome a phobia, sometimes in a fairly short course. No therapist promises a timeline, but the outlook is genuinely good. Treatment works by helping you face the feared trigger gradually rather than continuing to avoid it.
What causes phobias?
Phobias can develop from a frightening experience, from learning (seeing someone else react with fear), or sometimes with no clear trigger, and genetics and temperament play a part. Once formed, avoidance keeps them going, because you never get to learn the situation is survivable. That is why treatment focuses on reversing the avoidance rather than on finding the original cause.
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 services
Our locations
Take the first step
You do not have to figure this out alone. Booking takes about 30 seconds.