How To Take Psychedelics for Your Mental Health with Dr. Will Van Derveer

How To Take Psychedelics for Your Mental Health with Dr. Will Van Derveer

From How To! with Charles Duhigg by How To!

March 17, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

Mike Pesca discusses the use of psychedelics for mental health with psychiatrist Dr. Will Van Derveer.

Stand-up comedian and philosopher Myq Kaplan has built a successful career exploring the human condition, but navigating his own underlying anxiety presents a very different challenge. He knows how to handle recreational and spiritual psychedelic trips in the jungles of Peru, but the leap to "crossing the streams" and using these substances in a formal, clinical therapeutic setting feels uncertain. On this episode: How To! 's Mike Pesca brings on Dr. Will Van Derveer, a veteran psychiatrist, co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, and author of Psychedelic Therapy . Dr. Will Van Derveer offers Myq guidance on using medicines like ketamine and psilocybin to "shake the snow globe" of the brain's default mode network, the importance of treating the therapy like a psychological tow truck rather than a permanent ride—and why you really need to stop bothering the Sonoran Desert toads. Executive Producer Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Booking by Ben Astaire Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at [email protected] and we will consider your topic for the show. For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Pesca

Guest: Dr. Will Van Derveer

Topics covered

  • psychedelics
  • mental health
  • therapy
  • anxiety
  • psychiatry

Keywords

  • psychedelics
  • mental health
  • ketamine
  • psilocybin
  • therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Integrative Psychiatry Institute

Books & works: Psychedelic Therapy

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