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Starting a Psychedelic Therapy Practice

Starting a psychedelic therapy practice? Discover essential tips & best practices for therapists, from medical safety to training & ethics.
Author: Will Van Derveer, MD
By Will Van Derveer, MD
Author: Keither Kurlander, LPC
By Keither Kurlander, LPC
March 9, 2023(Updated: September 19, 2024)

Starting a Psychedelic Therapy Practice Can Feel Overwhelming

As a therapist starting a psychedelic therapy clinic, there are many considerations to be aware of. From medical safety, the role of prescribers and therapists, insurance and training, to ethics, set and setting, vetting if someone is a candidate for psychedelics, and more.

Join Psychedelic Support for a discussion about how to get involved with psychedelic therapy as a therapist with Integrative Psychiatry Institute’s co-founders Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC, and Will Van Derveer, MD. We will explore the dos and don’ts of starting a psychedelic therapy practice and how to get started in the psychedelic therapy space. Hear from Mr Kurlander and Dr Van Derveer about the future of psychedelic clinics and best practices for ketamine-assisted therapy. It’s currently the only legal psychedelic medicine within the mental health treatment model currently available to patients in the United States outside clinical research settings.

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Getting to Know Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC

Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC, is co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) and Integrative Psychiatry Centers (IPC) and a co-host of The Higher Practice Podcast. The Integrative Psychiatry Institute hosts one of the most comprehensive psychedelic therapy trainings for mental health care professionals. He brings a professional and personal passion to innovation in the field of mental healthcare with psychedelic therapy. He graduated from Naropa University in 2005 with a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has practiced integrative psychotherapy and coaching with individuals, couples and groups for over 15 years. After years of treating highly complex patients, as well as going through his own personal journey of overcoming complex trauma and mental illness, he turned toward integrative psychiatric practices with psychedelics as a key component to achieving mental health and understanding the healing process.

Getting to Know Will Van Derveer, MD

Will Van Derveer, MD, is co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) and Integrative Psychiatry Centers (IPC) and a co-host of The Higher Practice Podcast. The Integrative Psychiatry Center in Boulder, CO, provides integrative psychiatry and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. In addition to his teaching, he has been a co-investigator and sub-investigator on FDA-approved studies sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which investigated MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD.

Emphasizing the role of trauma as a key, under-recognized cause of a wide range of human suffering is a central message of his clinical work, teaching, research, and writing—due in part to his personal journey of healing his own childhood trauma. Dr Van Derveer is a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM), earned his MD from Vanderbilt University, and his BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

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The content provided is for educational and informational purposes only and should be a substitute for medical or other professional advice. Articles are based on personal opinions, research, and experiences of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Psychedelic Support.
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Author: Will Van Derveer, MD
Will Van Derveer, MD
Will Van Derveer, MD is the Co-Founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) and Integrative Psychiatry Centers (IPC), and the co-host of the Higher Practice Podcast. The Integrative Psychiatry Center in Boulder, CO provides integrative psychiatry and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.In addition to his teaching, he has been a co-investigator and sub-investigator on studies sponsored by MAPS investigating MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, now in Phase III under break-through designation by FDA. Emphasizing the role of trauma as a key under-recognized cause of a wide range of human suffering is a central message of his clinical work, teaching, research, and writing, due in part to his personal journey healing his own childhood trauma. Dr. Van Derveer is a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). He earned his M.D. from Vanderbilt University and B.A. from University of Pennsylvania.
View all posts by Will Van Derveer, MD
Author: Keither Kurlander, LPC
Keither Kurlander, LPC
Keith Kurlander, LPC is the Co-Founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) and Integrative Psychiatry Centers (IPC), and the co-host of the Higher Practice Podcast. The Integrative Psychiatry Institute hosts one of the most comprehensive psychedelic therapy trainings for mental health care professionals. He brings a professional and personal passion toward innovating the field of mental healthcare with psychedelic therapy. He graduated Naropa University in 2005 with a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, and he has practiced integrative psychotherapy and coaching with individuals, couples and groups for over 15 years. After years of treating highly complex patients, as well as a personal journey of overcoming complex trauma and mental illness, he turned toward integrative psychiatric practices and psychedelics as a key component to achieving mental health and understanding the healing process.
View all posts by Keither Kurlander, LPC

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