Brian Stengel, MA, NY | Psychotherapist

About Brian Stengel

Focus areas

Addiction / Substance Abuse

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Counseling

Adolescent / Teen Issues

Childhood Trauma

Relationship Counseling

Anger Management

Domestic Violence

Clientele seen

Young adults (18-24)

Individuals

Families

Teenagers (13-17)

Couples

Adults (25-64)

Groups

Treatment approaches

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

Eclectic

Dialectical (DBT)

Emotionally Focused

Attachment-based

Existential

Identity

Gender

Male

Sexuality

Straight

Faith

Buddhist

Ethnicity

White

Languages spoken

English

Getting to know Brian Stengel

Brian Stengel is a pre-licensed provider working under the supervision of a licensed practitioner. I don’t believe good therapy should feel like talking to someone with a clipboard who occasionally asks, “And how does that make you feel?” Therapy should be a real conversation, a meaningful relationship, and ultimately a place where something changes. I work with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, substance use and addiction, relationship difficulties, and major life transitions. I’m especially drawn to working with people whose lives are complicated—people who may not fit neatly into diagnostic boxes or who have felt judged, misunderstood, or unsuccessful in previous attempts at therapy. My approach is humanistic and client-centered, but also active, solution-focused, and goal-oriented. Carl Rogers wrote, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” That idea captures much of how I view therapy. Meaningful change begins with understanding where you are—not judging where you think you should be. I draw from CBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, strengths-based approaches, and other evidence-informed techniques, but I don’t believe people should have to conform to a particular therapy model. The approach should adapt to the person sitting in front of me. Most importantly, I bring my humanity into the room. I’ll listen, ask questions, teach, challenge you when appropriate, celebrate progress, and occasionally laugh with you. Therapy can address extraordinarily difficult things without every minute of it having to feel clinical or heavy. My goal is for our work to help you understand yourself better while creating changes that actually matter outside the therapy room.

What should a new client know about working with you?

You won’t be expected to tell me your entire life story during our first appointment, and I’m not interested in rushing through a checklist simply so we can say therapy has begun. The therapeutic relationship matters. Our first few sessions will focus heavily on getting to know one another and building the trust and rapport necessary to do meaningful work together. I want to understand not only what brought you to therapy, but who you are, what matters to you, what has shaped you, what has already helped, and what you hope might be different in your life. You can also expect me to be an active participant. I’m not a therapist who plans to sit silently and nod for 50 minutes. I’ll ask questions, offer observations, help identify patterns, introduce new ideas and skills, and respectfully challenge you when I think doing so could be useful. At the same time, you set the pace. Therapy should be collaborative rather than something a clinician “does” to a client. I’m naturally solution-focused and goal-oriented, but I’m not rigid. Sometimes we’ll arrive with one plan and life will hand us something completely different to discuss. That’s okay. Goals give our work direction; they shouldn’t prevent us from addressing what matters today. I also approach therapy with curiosity. I continually learn new methods and perspectives, and I’m comfortable acknowledging that I don’t have every answer. I want therapy to be a learning experience for both of us. You bring expertise about your own life; I bring clinical knowledge, perspective, and tools. We figure out how to put those things together.

What is your typical process for working with clients?

Meaningful therapy needs a strong foundation, and that foundation is connection—so before we tackle goals, strategies, and change, that’s where we’ll begin. We’ll explore what brought you to therapy, your history, current challenges, strengths, relationships, and the things that are most important to you. Just as importantly, we’ll begin developing the therapeutic alliance that will become the foundation for everything that follows. Once we have that foundation, we’ll collaborate on a treatment plan. Rather than me deciding what you need to “fix,” we’ll identify what you would genuinely like to be different and translate that into meaningful, realistic goals. Then the heavier work begins. A typical session usually starts with where you are right now. We may revisit something from our previous conversation, check progress toward a goal, unpack something that happened during the week, explore a longstanding pattern, practice a skill, challenge an assumption, or connect something happening today with experiences from your past. Depending on what you need, I may draw from CBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, person-centered therapy, psychoeducation, or other approaches. But there is no script. Life changes, priorities change, and sometimes therapy itself changes us enough that the original goal no longer makes sense. Our work will remain fluid enough to respond to those changes while still maintaining direction. Over time, my hope is that you need me less—not more. Successful therapy should leave you with greater insight, stronger skills, increased confidence in your own judgment, and a better ability to navigate challenges long after our sessions have ended.

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Popular visit reasons

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

New Patient Visit

Pain Management Consultation

Pediatric Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit

Sleep Problems

Young Adult Issues

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

New Patient Visit

Pain Management Consultation

Pediatric Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Education and background

Practice names

New Horizons Therapy NY

Education and training

New York University NYU Main Campus, Master's in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness

Professional memberships

American Psychological Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine

NPI number

1760180384

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Frequently asked questions

How soon can I make an appointment with Brian Stengel?

Generally, Brian Stengel has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Brian Stengel's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.

Is Brian Stengel accepting new patients?

Brian Stengel generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Brian Stengel's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.

Does Brian Stengel accept my insurance?

Choose your insurance plan to verify if Brian Stengel is in-network.

Can I make an appointment with Brian Stengel online?

Yes, you can make an appointment online with Brian Stengel using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.

What practice does Brian Stengel work with?

Brian Stengel works with New Horizons Therapy NY.

What are common reasons for patients to see Brian Stengel?

Brian Stengel frequently sees patients for New Patient Visit, Pain Management Consultation, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Sleep Problems. You can see other visit reasons for Brian Stengel on their profile.