Alexander B. Belser

Alexander B. “Alex” Belser is an American clinical psychologist whose research focuses on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Belser earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and Government with honors from Georgetown University (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude) and an MPhil in criminology from the University of Cambridge.^[3][4] He pursued graduate coursework in psychology at Columbia University's Teachers College before enrolling in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at New York University, where he received his Ph.D.^[5] His clinical training included internships at Bellevue Hospital, the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Mount Sinai Beth Israel, as well as a research fellowship at the Yale School of Public Health.^[3][6]

Career

In 2006, Belser co-founded the NYU Psychedelic Research Group, where he served as the Administrative Director of clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer-related anxiety and depression and contributed to studies of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder.^[7] He was also an investigator on a clinical trial exploring the effects of psilocybin in clergy from various major world religions.^[8]

After completing his Ph.D., Belser joined Yale University as a Clinical Research Fellow and co-investigator on psilocybin trials for obsessive–compulsive disorder, and acted as a trial therapist in MAPS-sponsored MDMA-assisted psychotherapy studies for PTSD.^[9][10]

In 2020, Belser co-founded Nautilus Sanctuary, a nonprofit psychedelic medicine center in New York, and served as its Founding President.^[11] In the same year, he was appointed Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) at Adelia Therapeutics. Following Adelia’s acquisition, he served as CCO of Cybin until 2023, overseeing its first FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation.^[12][13]

Belser has taught at institutions including Harvard Medical School, the Karolinska Institute, UCLA, the University of Washington, Yale University, NYU, CUNY, and the New York Academy of Medicine.

Research

Belser's research examines the clinical application of psychedelic compounds combined with psychotherapy.^[14] Over two decades, he has taken part in trials of psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and DMT for conditions including cancer-related anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD and substance use disorders.^[12] At NYU, he served as coordinating therapist on studies showing that a single, well-supervised dose of psilocybin could yield rapid and sustained reductions in anxiety and depression among cancer patients.^[1]

Belser has also contributed to the development of treatment protocols and theoretical frameworks for psychedelic-assisted therapy. With William Brennan, he co-authored EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression: A New Approach for the Whole Person (Oxford University Press, 2024).^[15] The EMBARK model is a six-domain, transdiagnostic approach emphasizing safety, rapport and ethical practice; this model, first described in 2022, has been used in multiple clinical trials. Belser’s work on diversity in psychedelic medicine includes co-editing Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation in Psychedelic Medicine (2022) and participating in working groups on Gender and Sexual diversity.^[16]

Selected publications

• Ross, Stephen; Bossis, Anthony; Guss, Jeffrey; Agin-Liebes, Gabrielle; Malone, Tara; Cohen, Barry (2016). "Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial". Journal of Psychopharmacology. 30 (12): 1165–1180. doi:10.1177/0269881116675512. PMC 5367551. PMID 27909164.
• Belser, Alexander B.; Agin-Liebes, Gabrielle; Swift, T. Cody; Terrana, Sara; Devenot, Neşe; Friedman, Harris L. (2017). "Patient experiences of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: an interpretative phenomenological analysis". Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 57 (4): 354–388. doi:10.1177/0022167817706884.
• Verdeli, Helen; Baily, Catherine; Vousoura, Eleni; Belser, Alexander; Singla, Daisy; Manos, George (2011). "The case for treating depression in military spouses". Journal of Family Psychology. 25 (4): 488–496. doi:10.1037/a0024525. PMC 3164322. PMID 21842994.
• Swift, Thomas C.; Belser, Alexander B.; Agin-Liebes, Gabrielle; Devenot, Neşe; Terrana, Sara; Friedman, Harris L. (2017). "Cancer at the dinner table: experiences of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of cancer-related distress". Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 57 (5): 488–519. doi:10.1177/0022167817715966.
• Yaden, David B.; Le Nguyen, Khoa D.; Kern, Margaret L.; Belser, Alexander B.; Eichstaedt, Johannes C.; Iwry, Jonathan (2017). "Of roots and fruits: A comparison of psychedelic and nonpsychedelic mystical experiences". Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 57 (4): 338–353. doi:10.1177/0022167816674625.