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A Key to Something
Where therapy meets writing.
Essays and reflections on mindfulness, identity, and the practice of paying attention — from Lex E. Santí, LCSW, and the A Key Therapy team.
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Literature Review: Acceptance and Motivation Inquiry
Lex E. Santí, LCSW, MFA 1. Introduction Client engagement in psychotherapy is a dynamic process shaped by numerous interacting variables: motivation, readiness, emotional openness, external pressures, and the acceptance of a potential diagnosis. While extensive research has examined the mechanisms of change and the therapeutic relationship (Norcross & Lambert, 2019; Wampold, 2015), a notable gap remains: few assessment tools measure both a client's motivation and acceptance o
Lex Santí
Sep 19, 202534 min read
Remembering Greg Eells, Six Years On
Reflection on Mourning in the Shadow of a Giant at Cornell By Lex Enrico Santí, LCSW, MFA On September 9, 2019, the Cornell community lost Dr. Greg Eells, the former director of Counseling and Psychological Services. Though his passing by suicide came at a moment of transition—just as he was beginning a new chapter at the University of Pennsylvania—it sent quiet shockwaves through our campus and across higher education. Six years later, his absence is still deeply felt. Greg’
Lex Santí
Sep 8, 20253 min read
Query Letters, Rejection, and the Midnight Rider
A Field Guide to Agents, Queries, and Other Creative Punishments Lex E. Santi, LCSW, MFA At one point in its life, Song of the Midnight...
Lex Santí
Sep 3, 20254 min read
So You Want to Start a Private Practice? Here’s the Roadmap (2 of 2)
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...
Lex Santí
Aug 29, 20253 min read
Why I Love Having a Private Practice (And Why You Might Too) (1 of 2)
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 Santí
Aug 26, 20252 min read
Gatekeeping and Deportation
On Latinidad, fear, and who gets to belong I saw this meme recently — a hand-drawn fortress surrounded by moat after moat, each layer...
Lex Santí
Aug 21, 20254 min read
Gaza, Grief, and the Ghosts of Our Wars
Lex E Santi, LCSW, MFA In the days after 9/11, there was a feeling in the United States that something irreversible had cracked open, not just buildings, not just lives, but the idea that war could ever be clean, swift, or justified by pain alone. We have been collectively fighting that system of fear and terror ever since. What followed: Afghanistan, Iraq, drone strikes, proxy wars, black sites, enhanced interrogations, the blank check of homeland security — taught us that v
Lex Santí
Aug 15, 20254 min read
The Meditation That Got Derailed by a Trip to Wegmans
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
Lex Santí
Aug 6, 20254 min read
How a Simple Worksheet Helped Me Find My Life’s Purpose
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,
Lex Santí
Jul 23, 20253 min read
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