Meet Richard

Dr. Richard L. Blake BA (Hons), MSc, PhD

I'm a researcher, author, and public educator working at the edges of mental health — the places where mainstream narratives break down and better questions need asking.

My PhD produced the largest randomized controlled trial ever conducted on Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) and anxiety. That research is now published in the Journal of Affective Disorders — the highest-impact-factor journal to publish a study on CCB to date. The trial found that six weekly online sessions produced a significant and lasting reduction in anxiety symptoms, providing the first rigorous evidence that CCB can work as an accessible, scalable intervention.

More recently, my research has expanded into family estrangement and the problems of therapy culture; subjects the mental health field has largely avoided taking seriously. 

The thread connecting these projects is a simple conviction: that people deserve access to honest information about their own mental health, even — especially — when it challenges professional orthodoxy. I share that work with a community of over 123,000 people on Instagram, where I break down research, challenge myths, and offer practical tools for regulation and resilience.

Alongside the research, I continue to work as a breathwork facilitator and coach. I train new facilitators through the Breath Guru Teacher Training and deliver continuing education courses for psychotherapists through PESI.

Qualifications

• PhD — Psychology (largest RCT on Conscious Connected Breathwork and anxiety)

• Post Graduate Certificate — Integrative Psychotherapy

• MSc — Commercial Real Estate

• BA (Hons) — History & Business Management

• Breath Guru — Certified Facilitator

• SOMA Breathwork — Certified Instructor

• XPT Performance Breathing — Certified

• Precision Nutrition Level 1

• CrossFit Level 2 Coach

• IPEC Certified Life Coach

• Oxygen Advantage Breathwork Certified

Media & Features

• Co-host — RUNGA Radio podcast, exploring breathwork, biohacking, and mental health

• The Third Wave / The Psychedelic Podcast — Healing Through Breath: Science, Safety & Somatics

• The Future Gen Podcast — Breathwork Revolution: Science, Healing, and the Future of Mental Health

• Tara Garrison Podcast — Conscious Breathwork vs Traditional Therapy

• WellPower Podcast — Why Talk Therapy May Not Work for Everyone

• BreathFinder — Exclusive Interview

• PESI — Continuing education provider for psychotherapists (course facilitator)

• Longevity Today — Online Breathwork Sessions Cut Anxiety Symptoms by 24% in Randomized Trial