Therapy

A Key Therapy, our new mindfulness-based group practice, was featured in The Trumansburg Free Press on September 9, 2026.

Beginning your private practice, step-by-step... It's been 6 years since I started my private practice and I love it. If the first part...

A therapist’s joy in small rooms with big conversations Lex E. Santi, LCSW, MFA One of the wonderful things about becoming a therapist —...

Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW MFA I tell this story a lot, purposefully, as beginning a meditation project is brutal and stories and while stories failed meditation are plentiful, little talk comes as to why the meditation practice fails. When I first started meditating, about ten years ago, I wanted to do it “right.” I thought it meant sitting still, breathing slowly, keeping my mind focused on the breath or the body. I thought it meant reaching some version of quiet. With my dog P

There was a moment in my life when everything on paper looked right. I had built a career I was proud of—one that had taken me around the world and given me incredible experiences. I was the Coordinator of Travel Safety, a role I had poured myself into. I was the sole architect of a travel safety registry, collaborated with private organizations, helped guide new technology in the field, and became a sought-after speaker at conferences. It was exciting work—urgent, impactful,

Some thoughts about being a supervisor of others By Lex E. Santí, LCSW, MFA I didn’t become a therapist in the traditional way. In fact,...

Lex Enrico Santí, A Key Therapy LCSW, PLLC (With gratitude to Matt Kahn) In my practice, one of the teachings I return to most often—particularly with clients struggling with self-doubt, anxious thinking, or intrusive thoughts—is a talk by Matt Kahn titled The Will of the Heart. In this deeply compassionate lecture, Matt unpacks what he calls the most self-defeating phrase in the human language: “I hope this doesn’t happen.” The first time I heard this I was taking a drive to

Lex Enrico Santi, LCSW MFA Walking in my woods in Trumansburg, NY. Photo credit: Jesse Winter I did not always want to be a...

Lex Enrico Santí, A Key Therapy LCSW, PLLC The intricate relationship between gut health and mental well-being has garnered significant attention in recent years. Emerging research suggests that the state of our digestive system can profoundly influence our psychological health, particularly concerning anxiety. This connection is often referred to as the gut-brain axis, a complex communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. While I am a licensed the

Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW, MFA As a therapist working on a college campus, I see daily the battle between the heart and the mind play out in students, faculty, and staff. Academia is a space that deeply values intellect—the ability to analyze, critique, and rationalize. In many ways, this environment conditions people to depend on their minds above all else, often at the expense of their hearts. I work with students and professors who are deeply entrenched in this way of being,

By Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW, MSW – A Key Therapy LCSW PLLC In an age dominated by technology, the challenges of mental health have shifted, particularly with respect to phone addiction, gaming addiction, and the rapid rise of anxiety and depression in the digital age. Understanding these mental health issues requires a comprehensive approach that examines both modern and ancient perspectives on the mind. This article seeks to connect two seemingly disparate frameworks: the He

How to Write a Letter to Someone Who Hurt You: A Guide to Letting Go Writing a letter to someone who has hurt you can be one of the most powerful tools for healing and closure. It allows you to express your emotions, take control of your narrative, and begin the process of letting go. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps of writing that letter—whether you choose to send it or keep it as a personal reflection. This exercise can help you find peace, regain your self-r

As children, across various cultures, races, and genders, many of us found ourselves competing in one simple game—holding our breath underwater. Whether in lakes, swimming pools, or oceans, the goal was always the same: to outlast the other kids in this self-imposed contest. Based on my informal tally of childhood experiences shared through anecdotes, interviews, and personal memories, this game is nearly universal. It crosses borders, transcending age, ethnicity, and gender—

As the creator of the AMi (Acceptance/Motivation) Scale, I, Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW, MFA, am excited to introduce a groundbreaking tool...

Author: Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW, MFA Introduction Anxiety and depression, two of the most prevalent mental health conditions, are often perceived negatively due to their debilitating effects. However, a growing body of research suggests that these conditions may have evolutionary underpinnings that conferred survival advantages to our ancestors. This paper explores the interconnection between anxiety, depression, and their potential genetic utility, proposing that these mental

Lex E Santí, LCSW, MFA Last summer I fell into 5 Days at Memorial on Apple TV—one of those late-night binges that sneaks up on you—but what the series opened in me was not casual entertainment. It was a revelation about a question I haven’t stopped turning over: what can an organization ask of a human being, and what should forever be beyond its reach? The show never frames itself as a meditation on work, on duty, on the slow erosion of the private self by institutional expe

Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW, MFA Abstract This research-based article underscores the critical role of motivation and acceptance in managing...

What would it mean to combine these two worlds? I have published 6 books of creative writing as an editor. Published fiction and poetry. Taught hundreds of hours of creative writing. I have an MFA in creative writing. And yet. I'm a therapist. With an MSW from a school that calls itself the best school in the country, and has two licenses in NY. A private practice and has done thousands of hours of therapy. I have decided to combine these two parts of my life into one. I have

Lex Enrico Santi, LCSW, MFA I didn’t always know I’d be a therapist. In fact, my path here started with words—stories, poems, voices that...

When I work with men the question arises. How do I get over her? It's been a while since I thought about this but let me put some things down in writing. It has been mostly the case with my work that I have seen more men who have come to me struggling to get over relationships than I have found women who have struggled to do the same over a man. In fact, it has been overwhelmingly men who come to me and discuss their past relationships. They come in all forms of relationship