Dr. Andy Santanello

Dr. Andy Santanello is a Clinical Psychologist located in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Santanello specializes in evidence-based psychotherapies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for many common problems. He especially enjoys working with people who have an interest in mindfulness, who might be a bit more on the introverted side, and who struggle with Adult ADHD. He also has a "soft spot" for trauma survivors due to his extensive experience working with them. Many of Dr. Santanello’s clients struggle with anxiety, attention, doubts, procrastination, uncertainty about the future, feeling unmotivated, grief, and trauma as they move through challenging times. He thrives on helping these clients to transcend suffering and move toward flourishing.

Dr. Santanello loves training other therapists and is the Co-Owner and Director of Learning and Professional Development at the ACT Academy. He is an internationally recognized Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer.. He practices Zen Buddhism and is a teacher (sensei) in the White Plum Asanga. His style is compassionate and directive, and he believes that healing can include silliness and laughter when appropriate.

Dr. Santanello offers Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with a "side of Zen." He collaborates with his clients to set mental health goals and always keeps those goals in mind throughout sessions. He helps clients to accept their thoughts and feelings, choose what matters most, and more actively engage in creating a life of meaning and purpose. The goal of each session is to identify an "action plan" so that his clients can start making important changes in their lives using the new skills and perspectives developed during therapy. Over time, these new skills and perspectives become healthy habits. Ultimately, clients "graduate" from therapy when they have made significant progress toward their goals.

Hi! I'm Andy, and it's really nice to meet you. Looking for a therapist can be really tough. I know that it took me a while to find a therapist who really "got" me and who challenged me to grow while also making sure that I felt supported. These days, there are so many therapists out there that the choice can be overwhelming. Here are some things that I would like you to know about me and the work that I do. I LOVE being a therapist. I consider it a deep honor to be a part of my clients' lives. There is something very special about having the opportunity to speak with another human being in the context of an open, accepting, and "deep" conversation about what matters most in life. I cherish those opportunities, and I would love to have the chance to chat with you about what matters most. My job is to help you to figure out how to get unstuck so that you can start the process of flourishing. You are in good company, though. We all struggle (me too!) in one form or another. I would love to help you figure out some ways to make that struggle about building a life of meaning and purpose. As Arthur Ashe famously said, "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can do."