Alex Belser – författare

EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression: A New Approach for the Whole Person represents a critical step forward in the field of psychedelic therapy. The book is a comprehensive guide for clinicians, offering a groundbreaking therapeutic framework for administering psychedelic medicines in treating depression.The approach is gaining traction with 4,000 people registered for the EMBARK foundational training. Developed in response to identified gaps in existing models of psychedelic therapy, the EMBARK model addresses the need for an ethical and inclusive approach. It bridges gaps from previous psychedelic therapies, such as lack of attentiveness to the body and rigorous ethical practice. The EMBARK approach has a growing evidence-base: in a recent psychedelic clinical trial, 79% of participants schieved full remission from depression three weeks after treatment. Benefit persisted with 75% of participants in remission at the four-month follow upEMBARK offers a transdiagnostic and trans-drug approach adaptable to various indications and psychedelic medicines. It's built on four Cornerstones of Care: Trauma-Informed Care, Culturally Competent Care, Ethically Rigorous Care, and Collective Care, reflecting the belief that efficacious treatment is ethical treatment. The EMBARK acronym represents six Clinical Domains that commonly emerge for people in psychedelic experiences: Existential-Spiritual, Mindfulness, Body Aware, Affective-Cognitive, Relational, and Keeping Momentum.The book provides practical instructions and suggested agendas for therapists, and offers a flexible, participant-centric approach to integration, focusing on the clinical domains that emerged for the participant. It also links theory to practice for the treatment of depression, drawing from twelve proposed psychological mechanisms of therapeutic change in psychedelic therapy, and provides a comprehensive guide to treatment factors. EMBARK psychedelic therapy is open-sourced to the clinical community for development and adaptation to other psychedelic medicines, diverse populations, and to inform the development of psychedelic practitioner trainings, making it an essential resource for those interested in the field of psychedelic therapy.

As psychedelic-assisted therapy gains traction in popular culture and through policy reforms, Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation in Psychedelic Medicine aims to foster accessibility and diversity in psychedelic science, practice, and discourse. By addressing and dismantling sexist, heteronormative, transphobic, and homophobic forms of oppression in the psychedelic community, this collection lays groundwork for an inclusive future. Edited by researchers and authors Alexander B. Belser, PhD, Clancy Cavnar, PsyD, and, Beatriz C. Labate, PhD, Queering Psychedelics features a broad range of perspectives from queer academic researchers, LGBTQIA+ clinicians, and indigenous and transgender advocates.Each of the 38 essays — from some of the contemporary movement’s most influential leaders including Terrence Ching, PhD, Kile Ortigo, PhD, and Diana Quinn, ND — presents insights into cultural heritages and historical contexts, implications for research and clinical work, and discussions of the healing potential of psychedelic medicine.Covering topics of consent, privilege, intersectionality and identity, Queering Psychedelics grapples with how modern psychedelic research might address the unique needs and traumas of sexual and gender minorities—populations that can suffer from challenging mental health conditions brought on by social exclusion, pathologization, criminalization, and stigmatization. This book delves into the dark history of psychedelic conversion therapy while illuminating promising research showing substances including MDMA and psilocybin can offer life-changing experiences for marginalized communities.Queering Psychedelics integrates indigenous outlooks on psychedelics, gender roles, and identity while aligning them with those of other marginalized groups: women, people of color, the disabled, the impoverished. This book interrogates the continuing radical potential of queer psychedelia in today’s era of assimilation, paving the way for an inclusive and intersectional world.