Meet the Team
Learn more about our incredible team here at The Center.
Founder and Medical Director
Maysa Alavi, MD
Dr. Alavi is a board-certified physician and researcher in the field of psychedelic medicine. She has done MDMA research for MAPS/Lykos Therapeutics, Psilocybin research for COMPASS Pathways, and is the Medical Director of Psychedelics at Usona Institute, directing clinical trials in Psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT to bring new therapeutic drugs to the market.
Dr. Alavi is trained in MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ketamine Assisted Therapies. She has been working with ketamine clinically since 2019 and prescribing cannabis since 2016. She retired from Emergency and Hospitalist Medicine in 2020.
Ketamine Provider
Kennedi Barker, FNP-BC
Kennedi is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 7 years of experience in patient care. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri and has spent the past three years specializing in ketamine-assisted therapy and integrative mental health. Drawing from a strong foundation in holistic, trauma-informed care, Kennedi is passionate about forging authentic connections with her patients and guiding them towards healing through personalized treatment journeys. Outside of her nursing role, you'll find Kennedi, her partner, and their beloved dogs embarking on long adventures across the country in their Airstream.
Kambo Practitioner
Tara Alavi
Tara is an IAKP (International Association of Kambo Practitioners) certified Kambo practitioner working with the waxy tree frog medicine since 2020. She travels between Los Angeles, where she lives and New Orleans to provide treatments with this healing peptide secretion. Tara is also a musician, artist and interior designer.
Certified Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher
Tara Loftus
Tara Loftis is a graduate from Yale University, a Certified Hypnotist, Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher, & Plant Medicine Apprentice. She became a Reiki practitioner in 2011, which catapulted her into her life's calling as an intuitive facilitator of several different healing modalities - yoga, plant medicine, and hypnotherapy, working with the subconscious mind to create the changes we want to see in our lives. She believes that change in our world starts with each of us and that through our own healing, we can heal the world. When she is not teaching yoga or seeing clients, Tara is managing her family's real estate business, traveling, attending music or film festivals, working puzzles, and enjoying time with her rescue dog George.