FAQ
Pragmatic
We are located in Chelsea, NY at 80 8th Ave at the corner of 14th St. Need to grab a coffee or tea before or after the session, try one of the 400 spots within a 1-block radius – or the one in the elevator bank.
We are currently open Monday through Friday with varying hours.
Sessions with individuals are a minimum of 45 minutes, up to 55 minutes.
Sessions with couples are 60 minutes.
Group sessions vary between 60-75 minutes.
Our fees range from $200-$275/session depending on the therapist's experience and your financial need.
Group therapy rates vary by therapist as well. A group session can range from $50-$70/session on average. We are not holding groups at the moment but please inquire or look out for updates on this website, Instagram, and TikTok as new groups form.
The current rate for Dr. Santo is $300/session. All sliding scale spots are full at the moment. If you have a non-urgent matter you may still request a consult call and be added to his waitlist for sliding scale spots. Dr. Santo is licensed in NY (in-person and virtual sessions) and NJ (virtual sessions only).
We offer superbills that confirm your sessions and payments so you can be reimbursed from your out-of-network benefits (OON). You can use our benefits calculator here. The rates listed by provider are current and do not include sliding scale or any other adjusted rate. The benefit information provided via the Nirvana (not the band) calculator are estimates. You may also call your insurance provider and ask to verify your OON benefits for mental health (CPT codes: 90791, 90834, and 90837).
Working out of network allows our therapists to work with fewer people to provide individualized and specialized care to each person or couple. An overworked therapist leads to burnout. Our philosophy and work with the community involve self-care, awareness, and relationship building - this includes the therapists at this practice that working in-network puts limitations on.
We also offer courtesy billing - we will submit your OON claims on your behalf or provide you with the app to do so on your own.
Use our contact form here, or schedule a consult call through our scheduling system here. Let’s get started! This is the first step toward taking charge of your life. We’d love to hear from you.
We have a 24-hour cancellation policy. You will be responsible for the full fee for the session if 24-hours is not given. Our therapists are compensated per kept session; late cancelations also prevent us from offering the time slot to an individual who would otherwise be in need of a different appointment for that week.
A Good Faith Estimate (GFE) provides an estimation of costs you are reasonably expected for the services provided. GFE’s are provided approximately 3 months before the new year for the upcoming calendar year. See below for more detailed information:
Disclaimer
This Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for your health care needs for an item or service. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created and does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment.
If you are billed for more than this Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill.
Throughout your treatment, the provider may recommend additional items or services as part of your treatment that are not reflected in this estimate. These would need to be scheduled separately with your consent and the understanding that any additional service costs are in addition to the Good Faith Estimate.
If your needs change during treatment, your provider should supply a new, updated Good Faith Estimate to reflect the changes to treatment, and the accompanying cost changes.
You may contact the health care provider or facility listed to let them know the billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can ask them to update the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available.
The Good Faith Estimate is not a contract between provider and client and does not obligate or require the client to obtain any of the listed services from the provider.
You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill.
There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on this Good Faith Estimate. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount.
To learn more and get a form to start the process, go to www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call HHS at (800) 985-3059.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.
Keep a copy of this Good Faith Estimate in a safe place or take pictures of it. You may need it if you are billed a higher amount.
Treatment
We work with adults 18 and up only. Although we primarily see folks who are in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, we also see several people who are 50 and up. No age discrimination here.
All genders and relationship styles are welcome at our practice!
The most effective therapy is built on trust and a strong relationship. There will be a good amount of time getting to know each other, who you are, what you’re currently struggling with, and how/if those struggles stem back throughout your life.
This depends on the individual. Since our sessions are tailored to each person’s specific needs assignments may certainly be part of the process together. Assignments are a great way to keep the progress and therapy going outside the therapy hour.
You’ve probably heard the word psychodynamic thrown around A LOT. The term itself could mean different things to different therapists.
We lean into relational models like self-psychology, intersubjectivity, attachment, and internal family systems. Additionally, we apply some neuropsychological concepts from polyvagal theory. What this means is that we’re dedicated to getting to know you better, so you can get to know you better. These models allow for the expansiveness of thought and experience in our discussions together.
Dr. Santo - I completed my master’s in clinical social work, and subsequently spent years post-masters exploring classical models of practice while finding my way to more contemporary practices. I’ve attended numerous conferences, workshops, and other training, including a one-year-long psychoanalytic training program. I completed my doctorate in clinical social work in 2021 where I studied, researched, and wrote about healing relational trauma experienced by gay men. I have quite a thirst for learning, so I continue to work with supervisors and take courses at the Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of the Subjectivities.
You’ll always be met with compassion and understanding. You may be afraid to share something about yourself, but it is likely that very thing that makes you feel stuck. We believe in embracing all parts of ourselves including those that we feel afraid and ashamed of.
Fun
Well…I’m (Nick) allergic to cats. They’re adorable but they make me sneeze. I am a dog owner of the lovely and sweet, Theo. I’ll never pass on the opportunity to share pictures of him. I hope you’ll share pictures of your pets with us! An unexpected perk of going virtual is we get to see people and their pets together.
The softest. Your eyes and nose deserve it.
Console since I was a kid. PS5 and Switch now. I hope this doesn’t start a console/PC war. All gamers welcome!
YES! We have gold stars to celebrate you! If we run out for some reason, we’ll still celebrate you!
