Ronald A. Alexander

Ronald A. Alexander, Ph.D. (born 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts) developed the OpenMind Training ® to bridge western psychology and the science of meditation. Dr. Alexander conducts OpenMind Trainings® and workshops in the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and Asia, and has taught in the graduate Psychology departments at Pepperdine University, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Ryokan College and Immaculate Heart College. He has been an adjunct clinical faculty member for over thirty years at U.C.L.A. Extension. Along with the OpenMind Training, he teaches workshops worldwide in mindfulness meditation, the art of leadership, somatic mind body healing therapies, transforming the self, and creativity. Dr. Alexander is also a noted Leadership and Communication Coach and a Creativity Consultant to the entertainment and music industries, as well as to more traditional businesses.

Alexander received his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, studied for his master’s in Humanistic Existential Psychology at Sonoma State University and at the Saybrook Institute in San Francisco, then received his doctorate from Ryokan College. His advanced training and clinical supervision in the fields of family therapy, brief therapy, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, somatic psychotherapy and Gestalt therapy were performed at the Gestalt Training Center of La Jolla, California with the celebrated Erving and Miriam Polster, Ph.D. He was certified in 1979 through the Gestalt Therapy Institute in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Alexander spent twelve years in post doctoral training and education, studying and receiving supervision in the fields of Self Psychology, Intersubjectivity and Contemporary Relational Psychoanalysis. He has been in private practice in Santa Monica, California since 1976 and also provides clinical training and supervision of Mental Health Professionals.

An accomplished therapist in Mind-Body and Integral Psychology, Alexander was also a pioneer in the field of holistic health. He was a principal founder of the Center for Health and Healing (1978-1983), one of the first clinics for Integrated Medicine, Holistic Dentistry and Mind Body Psychology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Alexander also co-founded the Kundalini Research Institute, Pomona, California in 1974 where he was involved in original research studying yoga, meditation and altered states of consciousness. He was a consultant to both the Menninger Foundation and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Topeka, Kansas on the science and art of meditation.

Ordained as a lay Zen Buddhist, Alexander integrates eastern wisdom teachings from the ancient sciences of meditation and yoga learned during extensive travels to Asia and India. Alexander has studied Theravada Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Vedic (Non Dual) approaches. He is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and studies Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa flow yoga.

His book "Wise Mind Open Heart: Mindfulness and the Art of Change" will be published fall 2009 by New Harbinger Press.

Dr. Alexander holds the following memberships:
* Clinical Member- California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
* Associate Member-American Psychological Association-Clinical Member Division 32
* Clinical Member- American Association of Gestalt Therapists
* Clinical Member- Diplomate in professional psychotherapy the International Academy of Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy.
* Clinical Member- Diplomate in professional psychotherapy the American Psychotherapy Association
* Clinical Member- United States Association of Body Psychotherapists

References

* Training Journal, May 2006 “Meditation helps Productivity, Creativity, and The Bottom Line”.
* TV interview: Awareness Television and Awareness Radio, 2006, “Meditation, Mind Body Healing and Integrative Medicine”
* Journal of Organizational Transformation, March 1985, Vol 17 no 1
* interview of Ronald Alexander Ph.D. and Regina B. Jensen Ph.D.

Publications

* "Living in a Spiritual Community," Ronald Alexander and Allan Comeau; "Communities—A Journal of Cooperative Living", November 14, 1975
* "The Psychiatric and Psychological Applications of Kirlian Photography", Ronald Alexander and Allan Comeau; Master's Thesis, 1974
* "Relaxation, Meditation and Holistic Health - A Guide to Stress Management," Ronald Alexander and Allan Comeau
* "Drugs and Altered States of Consciousness," Ronald Alexander and Stanley Krippner in Stanley Einstein, (ed.) "Drugs in Relation to the Drug User". New York: Pergamon Press, 1974.
* "Consulting to the Media - The Issue of Values," "OD Practitioner", 1985 Ronald Alexander and Regina B. Jensen
* "Self Psychology and The Experience of Selflessness: A Clinical Case," Ronald Alexander and Jeffrey Trop, "The Psychotherapy Patient"; Haworth Press, New York, 1986
* "Microanalysis: A Full Spectrum Treatment Modality Integrating Object Relations Therapy, Transpersonal Psychology and the Work of Milton H. Erickson," Mc Vay, Gregory and Alexander.
* "The Concept of Promiscuity: A Self Psychology Perspective," Jeffrey L. Trop and Ronald Alexander, "The Psychotherapy Patient", Haworth Press, New York, 1992
* "Transference Meets Dialogue," Alexander, et. al, "The Gestalt Journal", Volume XV fall 1992, The Gestalt Journal Press.
* "Rage and Aggression in Couples Therapy an Intersubjective Approach," Ronald Alexander and Nancy Van Der Heide, "Counter transference in Couples Therapy", edited by Marion Solomon and Judith Siegel, W.W. Norton 1997.
* "Treating Shame in Adolescence: Integrating Intersubjectivity, Object Relations and Mind/Body Healing," Nancy Van Der Heide and Ronald Alexander, "The Handbook of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy", VOL II, Bonnie Mark and James Incorvaia, Jason Aronson, 1997.

External links

* [http://www.ronaldalexander.com/index.html OpenMind Training]
* [http://www.ZenLeadership.com ZenLeadership.com]