Dr. Nick Santo, DSW, LCSW, SIFI

Nick Santo founded Santo Psychotherapy with a straightforward belief: that good therapy should feel like a real conversation. His approach is exploratory and unhurried, focused on understanding how early experiences shape the way people move through the world today and what it takes to shift that. He works with a lot of curiosity, some humor, and genuine investment in the people he sits with.

Nick specializes in complex PTSD, religious harm, and conversion therapy recovery, with a deep commitment to affirming care for LGBTQIA+ adults. Much of his work sits at the intersection of identity, shame, and relational trauma — exploring not just what happened to someone, but how it shaped the way they see themselves and connect with others. That work, done carefully and over time, is where he has seen the most meaningful and lasting change.

Beyond his clinical practice, Nick is an adjunct professor at NYU's Silver School of Social Work, where he brings the same curiosity and directness to training the next generation of clinicians. He is a published author whose work spans complex trauma, religious harm, and what affirmative practice actually means in a clinical setting. He also provides supervision and consultation to therapists navigating these areas in their own work.

Nick holds a doctorate in social work and is licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

Kent McDonald, LMSW

I am a Licensed Master Social Worker specializing in individual therapy for adults and adolescents. I believe in a collaborative approach to support clients on their path toward discovering a life of meaning and purpose. My approach draws from several different modalities, like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy(AEDP), Psychodynamic, and Relational Psychotherapy, to personalize treatment for each client and their unique experiences. I earned my master's degree at New York University and completed clinical training at Fifth Avenue Counseling Center in Manhattan.

My work with the LGBTQIA community is very personal and important to me. As a self-identified queer person, I can understand the challenges of what it is like to grow up knowing you are different. I offer my clients a lived and trained perspective, providing LGBTQIA-affirming care to empower clients to explore how early experiences of feeling alone or different can inform their present. Through this work, I aim to help clients discover new ways to cope and change old behaviors into ones that better serve them today. It's my belief that creating a trusting therapeutic relationship establishes the foundation for change, and I look forward to building those bonds with you.

Adam Wilson, LMSW

I received my Master of Social Work degree from NYU, having previously earned my B.A. and J.D. from Columbia University. In therapeutic practice, I aim to personalize the therapy process for each of my clients, utilizing a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and psychodynamic approaches. Focusing on the interplay between thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and experiences, my goal is to create an empathetic, affirming, and non-judgmental environment where together we can help you express your full self. I encourage a collaborative approach to therapy and look forward to assisting and empowering individuals to achieve their goals. I have experience working with individuals across the life span and a passion for working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I strive to be disability-affirming, sex-positive, and kink-affirming.

Karla Aguilar, LMSW

I’m Karla (they/she/elle), a bilingual (English/Español) social worker specializing in grief, end-of-life transitions, migration, and LGBTQ+ identity. I work with people navigating anxiety, depression, identity shifts, family rupture, and the emotional weight of surviving systems that were never built for us.

My approach is relational, trauma-informed, and grounded in liberation. I draw from grief theory, narrative therapy, DBT, and decolonial frameworks. I center the lived experiences of queer, trans, neurodivergent, first-generation, and Latine communities. Whether you’re grieving a loved one, a place, a version of yourself, or simply trying to survive and feel more like you, I offer a space to be held with care and dignity.

Healing doesn’t have to look like “getting over it.” Sometimes it means making room for complexity, honoring what you carry, and reclaiming your story on your own terms. I show up with warmth, curiosity, and realness. You don’t have to code-switch here. You don’t need to explain everything to be understood.

Estoy aquí para acompañarte.

Specialties: Grief, loss, end-of-life, palliative support, migration & identity, LGBTQIA+ mental health, anxiety, depression, estrangement & family conflict, first-generation experiences, chronic illness, medical trauma.

Don't Walk Alone.

Joyline "Jo" Maenzanise

I’m Joyline "Jo" Maenzanise (she/her) I'm quite passionate about health and wellness and equality for marginalized communities. I love working with brands or professionals like Dr. Nick Santo whose values align with mine. I appreciate the opportunity to create online content that helps them build their brands while educating and inspiring audiences to make informed choices about their well-being.

Jónel Jones

I'm the virtual assistant for Santo Psychotherapy currently based in Virginia, but soon relocating to Chicago, IL. I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in the Fall of 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance and a minor in Psychology. While I am a professional actor with a dedication to the arts, I will be returning to graduate school in the near future to become a licensed psychotherapist as well. I highly admire Dr. Nick for his continued work of providing LGBTQ+ affirming care.