Nicholas Samstag, Ph.D. · Psychoanalyst · Financial District, NYC

The Psychoanalytic Checkup

Four sessions on love, work, family, and the future. For people who are doing well and want to understand how they're actually doing.

Currently Limited to 10 Openings
Book an Introduction
Book an Introduction
A 30-minute conversation by video. No cost. No obligation.

Have you been so focused on climbing the mountain you haven't noticed the view?

The Romans put it this way:
Mens sana in corpore sano.

A sound mind in a sound body.

Most of us have our bodies looked at once a year. We check the numbers, compare them to last year, and adjust. The mind rarely gets the same attention, especially when things are going well enough that there's no obvious reason to look.

The Checkup is a structured look at four areas of your life with a psychoanalyst. Not because something is wrong, but because doing well and knowing how you're doing are not the same thing.

Week 1 of 4

Love

01

Are you having the same argument you had five years ago, with the same person or a new one?

02

Is there real closeness, or a partnership that simply runs well?

03

Do you keep choosing the same kind of person, and do you know why?

Week 2 of 4

Work

01

Are you still engaged by your work, or just good at it?

02

Is the next step something you want, or the next rung because it's there?

03

Does your success feel like yours?

Week 3 of 4

Family

01

When you go home, who do you become?

02

Which of your parents' habits have you kept without ever deciding to?

03

Are you still playing a role you were given early: the responsible one, the peacemaker, the one who doesn't need anything?

Week 4 of 4

Future

01

When you picture the next ten years, is it a plan or a continuation?

02

What have you been postponing, and what is the postponing protecting?

→

The last session also brings the four together: what showed up more than once, and what it might mean.

The last session

All four, together.

What showed up more than once, and what it might mean.

Who it's for
The Checkup tends to suit people who:
Doing well, still wondering
Are doing well by most outside measures, and still feel something is unresolved
Successful, but stuck
Want a serious, honest conversation rather than reassurance
Ready to go deeper
Are curious about why they do what they do
Curious about your own mind
Have thought about therapy but don't want to start something open-ended
It isn't the right fit if you're in crisis and need immediate support, or if you're mainly looking for someone to confirm how you already see things.
How it works
Begin with a free conversation. If it’s a fit, explore four areas of your life over four weeks.
Book an Introduction
Book an Introduction
30 minutes. No cost. No obligation.
1
Start with a conversation
Book a free 30-minute consultation, in person or on Zoom. Discuss what brings you here, ask questions, and explore whether the Checkup is a good fit. Dr. Samstag confirms suitability before you begin.
2
Four sessions, four weeks
If it’s a fit, you’ll receive payment details and schedule four one-hour sessions—one each week, exploring love, work, family, and your future.
3
Decide what comes next
The Checkup stands on its own. You can discuss ongoing work or take what you’ve learned and carry on. There’s no expectation to continue.
M.S.
New York City
“Dr. Nicholas Samstag is an extraordinarily gifted psychoanalyst. I’ve worked with him for many years and my life is inexorably improved for it. He is effortlessly empathetic, incisive, and passionate about his work. 5 stars doesn’t seem adequate, somehow"
R
Chicago
"His therapeutic approach is both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding. I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Samstag to anyone seeking a professional to foster personal growth."
C.R. Langston, Senior Partner
New York City
"Working with Dr. Samstag has changed my life. He is smart, funny, compassionate, and insightful. I am much better able to understand and communicate how I feel after working with him. Together, I learned how to pay attention to my feelings, draw boundaries, advocate for myself, and value my own subjectivity in a way that has vastly improved my life."
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Four hours, four sessions.
For goodness sake, let's get it going.
How are you doing? How's your love life? What's happening with work? With your family? How about the future?
Not ready to pick a time?
Send a brief message and Dr. Samstag will reply within one business day.
Please don't include sensitive clinical details here. This form is for practical questions.
Thanks. Dr. Samstag will reply within one business day.
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What you’ll leave with

The aim is greater clarity about how you’re living, what matters to you, and what you may want to examine further.

A clearer sense of where things stand in love, work, family, and your future.

An opportunity to notice patterns that may connect these areas of your life.

A closer look at the relationship between what you say you want and what you actually want.

A sense of whether further conversations would be useful—and what they might focus on.

What is the Psychoanalytic Checkup?
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A focused series of four one-hour conversations with Dr. Samstag over four weeks. Each session explores one area of your life: love, work, family, and the future. The aim is greater clarity about how you’re living, what matters to you, and what you may want to examine further.
Who is it for?
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The Checkup is for people who may be doing well outwardly but want time to reflect on their lives. You don’t need a clearly defined problem or previous experience with psychoanalysis.

The free consultation is where you and Dr. Samstag discuss whether this focused format suits what you’re looking for.
What happens during the sessions?
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You and Dr. Samstag talk about your experiences, questions, and concerns, using love, work, family, and the future as starting points. He listens for connections and recurring patterns and shares what he notices. There is room for the conversation to go where it needs to.
How much does it cost?
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The four-session Checkup costs $1,600 in total. Each session lasts one hour. The initial 30-minute consultation is free, with no obligation to proceed. Payment and scheduling details are provided if you both decide to begin.
Can we meet in person or on Zoom?
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Sessions are available in person at Dr. Samstag’s Financial District office in New York City or on Zoom. Discuss your location and preferred format during the consultation so he can confirm availability and suitability.
What happens during the free consultation?
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You’ll have 30 minutes to discuss what brings you here, ask about the format, and get a sense of working together. Dr. Samstag will consider whether the Checkup is appropriate for you before offering a place. Booking a consultation does not commit you to the four sessions.
Do I have to continue afterward?
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No. The Checkup is designed to stand on its own. At the end, you can discuss whether further conversations would be useful or take what you’ve learned and carry on. There is no expectation to begin ongoing therapy.
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