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

Author: Peach Fish Projects March 17, 2026 Duration: 39:59

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 howto@mikepesca.com and we will consider your topic for the show.

For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/

Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@pescagist⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist

To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/howto


How To! with Mike Pesca is a podcast that operates on a simple, powerful premise: everyday people have complex, real-world problems that need solving. Each episode begins with a listener's specific dilemma, whether it's navigating a unique family dynamic, improving a personal skill, or protecting vulnerable loved ones from modern threats. Host Mike Pesca then connects that individual with genuine authorities-practicing attorneys, medical doctors, seasoned entrepreneurs, published researchers, and other accomplished experts-to provide actionable, credible advice. The conversations are structured yet organic, moving from the personal story of the problem to a practical exploration of solutions. You'll hear the caller's situation unfold, the expert's breakdown of the issue, and a collaborative path forward. This isn't abstract self-help; it's a direct application of specialized knowledge to tangible human challenges. The podcast thrives on specificity, tackling questions you might not even know how to ask, let alone who to ask. By focusing on one person's story, it uncovers insights and strategies that resonate far beyond the individual case, making expert guidance accessible and relatable. The tone is curious, empathetic, and grounded, prioritizing depth and utility over generic inspiration. Listening feels like being part of a focused, productive consultation where real questions meet real answers.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How To! with Mike Pesca
Podcast Episodes
How To Harness Your Citizen Superpowers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:51
Connie is feeling compelled to get involved in her local community, but she's never even attended a PTA meeting. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin enlists Eric Liu of Citizen University to explain how busy pare…
How To Switch Careers in Midlife [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:50
For three decades, Mike has worked in a field with an uncertain future: journalism. He loves the stability of his current job mentoring student reporters, but he can't stop thinking about starting a new career—in his 50s…
Quick Fix: Moving to Portugal 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:37
In this exclusive Quick Fix bonus episode, learn more about what it takes to move to Portugal. In this extended conversation from our How To Become an Expat episode, Jen Barnett of Expatsi talks with Maureen and Jayna, a…
How To Become an Expat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
Before the 2024 election, Maureen and Jayna had hoped to attend a historic inauguration for Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. But when Donald Trump won the presidency, the lesbian couple scrapped their trip—and booked a…
How To Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 2 - Encore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:44
Today we're going to see if one American family can flip the usual, tortured and tedious script for arguing about politics and do something more interesting. Jenn and Todd Brandel sit down with their dad, Bruce, to see i…
How To Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 1 - Encore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:14
Jenn and Todd Brandel have a close, loving relationship with their father, Bruce. But one thing makes their blood boil: his political chain emails. The messages are often forwarded commentary written in a provocative ton…
Quick Fix: Stuff We Loved in 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:55
Amid the hectic lives they lead as writers, parents, caregivers, and swashbuckling co-hosts of America's foremost advice podcast, Carvell Wallace and Courtney Martin somehow found time to read books and Substacks. (They…
Our Favorite Advice of 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:59
How will you remember 2024? Here at How To! Headquarters, this will be the year when a bunch of very smart and insightful guests taught us how to flirt with confidence, be a mindful drinker, make bank at a yard sale, and…
How To Exorcise Your Fitness Demons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:33
Sandy is a former college athlete who knows how to exercise—at least, she used to. These days, she's feeling lost without a coach, a workout plan, or much free time. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on…

«1...678910