Why Ibogaine

A Letter from Our Founder: Why I Created Bassé

My name is Laura Shapiro, and I’m the founder and CEO of Bassé – but before that, I was someone whose life was saved by Ibogaine treatment. This isn’t just a clinic I built – it’s a deeply personal journey that began 18 years ago, at one of the lowest points in my life.

Back then, I was in the grips of a severe opiate addiction. I had tried everything – detoxes, rehabs, years of Methadone, years of Suboxone, 12-step programs – but nothing truly reached the root of what I was struggling with. I was physically and emotionally broken. In a final moment of desperation, I turned to my family and asked for help one more time. That was when I first learned about Ibogaine therapy in Mexico.

My family reached out to Dr. Deborah Mash, a world-renowned neuroscientist and the leading global expert on Ibogaine research – and now Bassé’s Scientific Advisor. Dr. Mash is the only U.S.-based doctor to have received FDA approval for human trials with Ibogaine, and she has spent decades studying its mechanisms and healing potential. She has also become one of my greatest mentors and lifelong inspirations.

Dr. Mash told my family that when she first heard my story, she felt as if an angel had tapped her on the shoulder. She called my family, and soon after, I spoke with her directly. Within a week, I was on a plane to Mexico to receive my first Ibogaine detox.

The Experience That Changed Everything

Within 45 minutes of taking Ibogaine, something incredible happened:

I felt my addiction leave my body.

I had been stabilized on morphine prior to the treatment, which made the detox process physically comfortable and manageable. But what shocked me most was the emotional shift – I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t even in withdrawal. I was watching my life, my pain, my addiction, from a distance – as if watching a movie behind my eyelids. And in that space, I was able to finally begin the process of letting go.

Following treatment, I completed a 28-day inpatient program and then moved to Miami to work with Dr. Mash at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, where I became her assistant. Working alongside her deepened my understanding of the science behind ibogaine – and confirmed that this medicine had the potential to help so many more people.

The Birth of Bassé

Years later, I co-founded one of the largest Ibogaine clinics in the world. But something inside me knew the model could go deeper—more human, more heart-centered, more integrated. Two years ago, I made the decision to step away from that clinic and bring a new vision to life. That vision became Bassé.

Bassé is my love letter to ibogaine.

It’s the embodiment of everything I’ve learned – both as a patient and as someone who has worked in this field for nearly two decades. My mission with Bassé was clear: to elevate the standard of care in the ibogaine treatment space, creating a deeply supportive, safe, and trauma-informed environment for true healing to unfold.

A Different Approach to Ibogaine Treatment in Mexico

At Bassé, we do things differently. This isn’t a detox factory. It’s a healing sanctuary.

We’ve created a patient-centered model that combines modern clinical oversight with ancestral medicine, somatic therapy, and meaningful integration. Our program supports healing at every level – physical, emotional, and spiritual.

We provide:

  • Full medical screening and licensed clinical oversight
  • Stabilization protocols to ensure a comfortable detox
  • Trauma-informed care from a highly trained therapeutic team
  • Somatic and body-based practices to support nervous system repair
  • Daily bodywork, breathwork, and integration rituals
  • Ongoing aftercare support to ensure long-term integration

Our belief is simple: healing happens when people feel safe, seen, and supported.

Ibogaine is not a magic cure – but in the right setting, with the right team and the right preparation, it can be a doorway to profound transformation.

Bassé Is My Life’s Work

 This project – this space – is everything I’ve worked toward. It’s the culmination of nearly 20 years of personal healing, professional experience, and an unwavering belief in the power of this medicine.

Ibogaine gave me my life back. It showed me what was possible.

And now, through Bassé, I want to offer that same possibility to others.

If you’re struggling – whether with addiction, unresolved trauma, or a deep feeling that something within you needs healing – know that you’re not alone. There is a path forward. And you deserve to walk it with people who truly care.

 

With all my heart,
Laura Shapiro
Founder & CEO, Bassé