Alex Brake, PhD

Alex Brake, PhD is a psychologist at the Adult Partial Hospital Program (PHP) at Brown University Health in the Trauma Track.

He earned his master’s degree in psychology at Boston University and his doctorate degree in clinical psychology at the University of Kentucky. He also completed an internship and postdoctoral fellowship in the Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium.

Dr. Brake’s clinical work focuses on the assessment and treatment of PTSD and trauma-related difficulties, as well as anxiety and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. He practices an evidence-based skill-focused treatment approach grounded in mindfulness, emotion regulation, and exposure-based interventions. He has particular expertise in prolonged exposure for PTSD, dialectical behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy.

Dr. Brake is also a clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, where he serves as a clinical supervisor for postdoctoral fellows within the PHP Trauma Track.

His research interests include the impact of non-fear emotions—particularly disgust, shame, and their sequelae—on trauma-related symptoms, as well as their implications for treatment and recovery from these symptoms. He has co-authored book chapters and numerous articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and has presented nationally.