Diva's drug therapy on Spuiten en Slikken
Diva's Drug Therapy is a documentary series by BNNVARA in which journalist Diva Brons investigates whether psychedelics can offer a way out of mental complaints such as depression, anxiety and stress, especially now that many people are stuck in mainstream mental health care with long waiting lists and sometimes unsatisfactory results from medication or therapy.
In the series, Diva combines personal experiences with conversations with family members, experts by experience, scientists and facilitators of psychedelic sessions. She shows how people make their own way through a landscape of microdosing, truffle ceremonies and other alternative therapies. In each case, the tension between hope, distrust, scientific evidence and the risks of self-experimentation emerges.
Diva's Drug Therapy is a journalistic and personal investigation into whether substances like truffles, LSD analogues or MDMA can actually play a role in the treatment of psychological symptoms, and how people in the Netherlands move between hope and risk in this.
Triptherapie was asked by the editors of BNNVARA
In February 2025, Triptherapie was approached by the editors of Spit and Swallow (BNNVARA) asking them to collaborate on a new four-part documentary series on the therapeutic uses of psychedelics. In this series, they investigate what role psychedelics can play in neurodiverse and psychiatric conditions such as PTSD, OCD, depression, bipolar disorder and ADHD. As Triptherapie has been counselling people for years and has a lot of practical experience in this field, our organisation was seen as a relevant interlocutor to give more insight into how counselled psychedelic sessions work outside mainstream care.
although Marcel as a founder initially suggested putting forward a colleague with formal therapeutic training, the editors eventually made the choice to speak to him in particular because of his vast experience in guiding thousands of sessions.
The episode on microdosing and Triptherapie
In part 2 of Diva's Drug Therapy Diva Brons investigates whether psychedelics can help with depression, prompted partly by her own experiences with long waiting lists and doubts about regular medication. She talks to her grandmother about mental health and the scepticism surrounding drugs, and visits professor Kim Kuipers who explains that microdosing sometimes gives positive effects, but remains scientifically unproven and has risks.
Diva also speaks with Casey, who microdoses with 1P-LSD alongside her ADHD medication and talks about benefits and pitfalls. Finally, she engages in a conversation with Triptherapie founder Marcels, in which he explains how psychedelic sessions are supervised, what are currently the limitations and how it can be done legally. He stresses that it is not an official treatment. The episode shows that psychedelics offer hope, but are not a panacea and require care.
Why we cooperated
Initially, based on demand from editors, we thought the focus would be mainly on the positive effects and therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Eventually, the focus of the episode shifted more to safety and legality. These are important themes, but as a result the balance shifted somewhat towards the limitations rather than the possibilities. Still, we found it valuable to collaborate, as any nuanced focus helps destigmatise psychedelics and contributes to a broader social conversation about their role in mental health.
Because we are often chosen and often want to collaborate on media articles, we have collaborated at the request of the parties listed below:
Why we guide psychedelic sessions
At Triptherapie, we see people every day who consciously choose a guided psychedelic experience, without a medical protocol. Not recreational, but aimed at insight, processing or growth. Often this desire stems from disappointments in regular care or long waiting lists. We offer them a well-guided alternative, with clear boundaries: what we do is not medical treatment.
We are always transparent about this. During the registration procedure and we discuss the risks, contraindications and limitations. At the same time, we focus strongly on safety: screening for contraindications, good preparation, professional supervision and, if necessary, consultation with doctors or psychiatrists with whom we have short lines of communication. In this way, we adopt a harm reduction approach that prevents people from experimenting on their own or in risky situations.
The future of psychedelic therapy
What is currently outside the healthcare system may become part of regular treatment in the future. We follow international developments closely and work behind the scenes on a professional transition. As soon as psychedelic therapy is recognised within the GGZ, we want to (partly) develop into a medical branch with BIG-registered professionals and care fees to match.
Until then, we will continue doing what we are doing now: responsibly, holistically human-centred and expertly guiding people who consciously choose psychedelic sessions. Not as hype, but as serious support for personal growth and mental well-being.
About Marcel
Marcel featured in the episode of Spuiten en Slikken and below you can find how many clients Marcel has already had the pleasure of guiding during psychedelic sessions.
