Mali Austriyak Mikhli, LCSW-R

New York | Online sessions in New York | English, Spanish, Yiddish | Book with Mali »

Empathic LCSW-R blending narrative listening with practical tools

Details

Name	Mali Austriyak Mikhli
Credentials	LCSW-R
Based in	New York
Licensed in	New York
Session format	Online
Languages	English, Spanish, Yiddish
Years in practice	40

About Mali

Mali Austriyak Mikhli is a licensed clinical social worker with forty years of practice in New York. She chose social work early in life after seeing how a thoughtful therapist can change someone’s day-to-day. Mali aims to bring empathy, respect, and practical support to each meeting.

Her way of working is warm and interactive. Sessions focus on understanding the stories people tell about themselves and how those stories shape feeling and behavior.

Background and approach

She blends narrative ideas with client-centered listening and concrete techniques to help people change patterns that hold them back. Mali has long experience with trauma, bereavement, and disruption that begins in early childhood. She also works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, anger, self-esteem, career questions, and coping with life changes.

Additional areas she addresses include abandonment, adoption and foster care, caregiver stress, codependency, and family of origin problems. Therapy sessions are practical and steady. Mali listens, reflects what she hears, and helps set small goals to try between sessions.

She uses mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral tools when they fit, alongside emotionally-focused conversation to repair and strengthen close bonds. Mali speaks English, Spanish, and Yiddish, and she works with people from many cultural and religious backgrounds. Her practice emphasizes respect for each person’s story and supporting steps toward a more satisfying life.

What this therapist works with

Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Family conflicts among the things Mali works with, alongside the areas below.

Approaches listed

Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Mali among the ways she works.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Mali among the ways she works.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Mali among the ways she works.
Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Mali among the ways she works.
Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mali among the ways she works.
Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mali among the ways she works.
Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Mali directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.

Narrative Therapy in this listing

Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.

If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Mali directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.

Online session options

How narrative and practical approaches work online

Narrative Therapy helps people notice the stories they repeat about themselves and try alternative ways of telling those stories. It can be useful for issues like trauma, family of origin problems, and feelings of emptiness by separating the person from the problem.

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening without judgment and following the client’s pace. This approach supports people dealing with grief, anxiety, relationship struggles, and life changes by making the session a space to be heard and understood.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers concrete techniques for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with mood swings by teaching practical skills to test and shift patterns.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Mali will work with each person to decide which ideas and techniques fit their goals, needs, and personal preferences. That may mean blending narrative listening with CBT exercises or adding emotionally focused conversation when relationships are central.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is good for fuller conversation and nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging let clients check in between appointments or use shorter sessions during a work break. These options make scheduling more flexible and help therapy fit into everyday life.

Common questions about this listing

What concerns does Mali commonly help with?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem, career issues, bipolar management, and coping with life changes.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her style is warm and interactive. She listens closely, uses narrative listening to reframe problems, and adds practical strategies from cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness approaches.

What is her clinical background?

Mali has forty years of social work experience, with a long history of working with trauma, bereavement, and early childhood disruption.

Where is she based and what credential does she hold?

She practices in New York and holds the NY LCSW-R credential as a licensed clinical social worker.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English, Spanish, and Yiddish, and she accepts international clients.

What session formats are available?

She provides therapy via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.

How are costs and billing handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on therapist availability.

Contacting this therapist

Sessions with Mali are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Mali where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.

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