Center for Breakthroughs
Alex Belser, PhD, is a clinical scientist and psychologist at Yale University and in private practice. A co-founder of early psychedelic organizations, he explores the potential of psilocybin, DMT, ketamine, and MDMA therapies to improve human health and well-being. His latest book, EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression (Oxford University Press) offers a clinical guide to working with psychedelic medicines. Learn more about Alex's approach and credentials here.
Change is Integral
Most people who come to us are looking to make a real change in their lives. Many have been disappointed with previous therapy or coaching experiences. We offer something different.
Change is integral. The Center for Breakthroughs offers a transformative approach with evidence-based technical guidance for the whole person: body, mind and soul.
We will work together using thorough inquiry and comprehensive assessments tailored to your objectives and working style. There are no half-baked exercises, no corny coaching, and no gimmicks. You will make tangible gains toward your goals.
Our clients report enhanced vitality, more fulfilling relationships, and greater professional success. Real breakthroughs are possible.
Please note: Dr. Belser is not currently accepting new clients at this time.
In the News
What we find in talking with patients is that this ‘difficult struggle’ is not a bug in the experience, but actually a feature,” says Dr Alex Belser, who co-founded the psychedelic research team at NYU in 2006. “When they take these medicines, people go into difficult places – they deal with past grief, trauma and suffering, and feel those feelings intensely, for a time … Without a strong sense of safety and trust with a therapist, that may lead to what’s been called a ‘bad trip’. But if there’s enough intention put into supporting that experience, it’s the beginning of an arc of healing that can lead to something extraordinary.
…explained the study’s administrative director Alexander Belser. “It acts as a remarkable amplifier of things. It amplifies the good and the bad. We have done everything in the course of this study to create a context that brings out the good. We spent a lot of time choosing who the therapists would be. We spent a lot of time thinking about how to develop rapport and trust.
Alexander Belser, a doctoral fellow in the Department of Applied Psychology...stressed that the results hadn’t yet been fully analyzed. But it appeared that psilocybin led many of the study participants, who were all in various stages of life-threatening cancer, to have “mystical experiences” that gave them great insights, improved their anxiety and generally made them more positive and loving, they and their loved ones reported.
Published Thursday, the results from that study, and a similar small, controlled trial, were striking. About 80 percent of cancer patients showed clinically significant reductions in both psychological disorders, a response sustained some seven months after the single dose. Side effects were minimal.
…and Alexander Belser, who are pioneers in the field of psychedelic (i.e. ecstasy-assisted) medicine
In Michael Pollan's #1 New York Times Bestseller:
In a follow-up study…Alexander Belser, a member of the NYU team, interviewed volunteers to better understand the psychological mechanism underlying the transformations they experienced...All of the patients interviewed described powerful feelings of connection to loved ones...and, more generally, a shift “from feelings of separateness to interconnectedness.” In most cases, this shift was accompanied by a repertoire of powerful emotions, including “exalted feelings of joy, bliss, and love.
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Please note that Dr. Belser is not currently accepting new clients, except by direct referral. Please feel free to join our mailing list below. You can learn about new videos, trainings, and conferences on psychedelic medicine. We keep emails sparse and useful.