Exploring Therapeutic Innovations: MDMA vs. SSRIs in PTSD Treatment

In this powerful episode, psychiatrist and psychedelic therapy researcher Dr. Will Van Derveer joins John to explore the cutting-edge world of MDMA-assisted therapy and how it's changing the game for trauma recovery. They unpack the failures of conventional psychiatry, the neuroscience behind MDMA’s healing power, and why training—and restraint—are everything when it comes to this work. If you’re curious about psychedelic therapy or working with trauma more effectively, this one’s for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

1. The MDMA Data That Stunned the Field – Discover why an 83% recovery rate from treatment-resistant PTSD shook the psychiatric world—and how it’s even possible.
2. Healing as Remembering, Not Escaping – Why psychedelic therapy often works by accessing the mind’s natural blueprint for healing—and how “parts work” arises spontaneously.
3. The Danger of Doing Too Much – Learn why well-meaning but untrained therapists can unintentionally cause harm—and what true “holding space” actually looks like.

👤 Guest: Dr. Will Van Derveer

Dr. Will Van Derveer is a psychiatrist, integrative mental health leader, psychedelic therapy researcher, and host of the Higher Practice Podcast. He is the co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, which trains clinicians in cutting-edge trauma and psychedelic modalities.
Learn more:psychiatryinstitute.com
Instagram: @will.vanderveer.md
Facebook: @will.vanderveer.md

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