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

Resources & Offerings:

➡️ Download my FREE IFS Resource Library - Get access here: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-resource-library
➡️Free Training - Learn how to integrate the principles of IFS into your therapy practice: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast
➡️ 1-Month Grace Period with Jane – Use code JOHN or visit: https://meet.jane.app/john-clarke-ambassador
➡️ 10% Off at Grounding Well – Use code GWJOHNCLARKE or visit: https://www.groundingwell.com/GWJOHNCLARKE
➡️ 10% Off at Dharma Dr. – Use code JOHN or visit: https://dharmadr.com/JOHN

Connect with me:

https://www.johnclarketherapy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/johnclarketherapy/
https://www.tiktok.com/@johnclarketherapy
https://www.youtube.com/@johnclarketherapy

Grab Your Seat for the Free IFS Webinar Here: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast

➡️ Free Training - Learn how to integrate the principles of IFS into your therapy practice: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast

In this special breakdown episode, John Clarke takes us inside a real IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapy session with a demo client named Sandra. With transparency and depth, John unpacks the nuances of their interaction, from checking in with previously unburdened parts to recognizing a live polarity between imagination and expectations. This session is packed with insights for both practitioners and those curious about the IFS model. Expect honest reflections, subtle therapeutic moves, and rich emotional terrain.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Discover how a single metaphorical image—like a genie named "Jolly Jeanie"—can illuminate the gifts and limitations within our internal system.
2. Learn the signs of subtle therapist overreach and how honoring the client’s process can yield deeper transformation.
3. Hear how the root of a manager part’s strategy often stems from early unmet attachment needs, like being “what mom wants.”

Resources & Offerings:
➡️ Download my FREE IFS Resource Library - Get access here: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-resource-library
➡️Free Training - Learn how to integrate the principles of IFS into your therapy practice: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast
➡️ 1-Month Grace Period with Jane – Use code JOHN or visit: https://meet.jane.app/john-clarke-ambassador
➡️ 10% Off at Grounding Well – Use code GWJOHNCLARKE or visit: https://www.groundingwell.com/GWJOHNCLARKE
➡️ 10% Off at Dharma Dr. – Use code JOHN or visit: https://dharmadr.com/JOHN

Connect with me:
https://www.johnclarketherapy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/johnclarketherapy/
https://www.tiktok.com/@johnclarketherapy
https://www.youtube.com/@johnclarketherapy

Grab Your Seat for the Free IFS Webinar Here: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast

➡️ Free Training - Learn how to integrate the principles of IFS into your therapy practice: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast

What if healing trauma didn’t have to happen in an office—or even through traditional “talk therapy”? In this episode of Going Inside, John Clarke sits down with therapist Emmy Ferguson to explore how IFS (Internal Family Systems), nonviolent communication, and extended wilderness experiences can create profound healing and growth. Emmy shares her journey from leading month-long outdoor expeditions to becoming a therapist, and how she helps people unlock their emotional resilience by stepping into discomfort, conflict, and connection.

Whether you’re a therapist, a healer, or someone on your own growth journey, this episode invites you to rethink what therapy looks like—and where true transformation happens.

3 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Why Facing Real-Life Challenges Can Unlock Emotional Healing
Discover how stepping into discomfort—whether in therapy or the wilderness—helps people reconnect with their strength and capacity for change.

2️⃣ The Healing Power of Conflict (When Done Right)
Learn how nonviolent communication and group dynamics can transform conflict into connection and growth.

3️⃣ IFS as a Way of Life, Not Just a Therapy Tool
Emmy shares how IFS interweaves with practices like embracing mortality, restorative circles, and outdoor leadership to create holistic healing.

Guest: Emmy Ferguson

Emmy Ferguson is a therapist who sees IFS as more than a therapeutic modality—it’s a daily practice of awakening to interconnection, healing, and aliveness. Her work is deeply informed by years of facilitating transformative wilderness expeditions, guiding restorative processes, and helping people embrace personal growth through challenge. Emmy helps clients access their inner healing capacity by integrating IFS with experiential learning and mindfulness around life’s impermanence.

Resources & Offerings:

➡️ Download my FREE IFS Resource Library - Get access here: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-resource-library
➡️ Free IFS Training for Therapists: From Burnout to Balance: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast
➡️ 1-Month Grace Period with Jane – Use code JOHN or visit: https://meet.jane.app/john-clarke-ambassador
➡️ 10% Off at Grounding Well – Use code GWJOHNCLARKE or visit: https://www.groundingwell.com/GWJOHNCLARKE
➡️ 10% Off at Dharma Dr. – Use code JOHN or visit: https://dharmadr.com/JOHN

Connect with me:

https://www.johnclarketherapy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/johnclarketherapy/
https://www.tiktok.com/@johnclarketherapy
https://www.youtube.com/@johnclarketherapy

Grab Your Seat for the Free IFS Webinar Here: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast

➡️ Free Training - Learn how to integrate the principles of IFS into your therapy practice: https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-podcast