Diva's drug therapy on Spuiten en Slikken
Diva’s Drugstherapie is a documentary series by BNNVARA in which journalist Diva Brons investigates whether psychedelics can offer a way out for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress, especially now that many people are getting stuck in mainstream mental healthcare with long waiting lists and sometimes unsatisfactory results from medication or therapy.
In the series, Diva combines personal experiences with conversations with family, experts by experience, scientists, and guides of psychedelic sessions. She shows how people find their own way in a landscape of microdosing, truffle ceremonies, and other alternative therapies. This continually highlights the tension between hope, distrust, scientific evidence, and the risks of self-experimentation.
Diva's Drugstherapie is a journalistic and personal investigation into whether substances such as truffles, LSD analogues or MDMA can genuinely play a role in the treatment of psychological complaints, and how people in the Netherlands navigate between hope and risks in this regard.
Triptherapie was asked by the BNNVARA editorial team
In February 2025, Triptherapie was approached by the editors of Spuiten en Slikken (BNNVARA) with a request to collaborate on a new four-part documentary series about the therapeutic applications of psychedelics. In this series, they explore what role psychedelics can play in neurodiverse and psychiatric conditions such as PTSD, OCD, depression, bipolar disorder and ADHD. Because Triptherapie has been guiding people for years and has a lot of practical experience in this area, our organisation was seen as a relevant discussion partner to provide more insight into the working methods of guided psychedelic sessions outside of regular healthcare.
Although Marcel Although the founder initially proposed putting forward a colleague with a formal therapeutic background, the editorial team ultimately chose to speak to him precisely because of his extensive experience in facilitating thousands of sessions.
The episode about microdosing and Triptherapie
In part 2 of Diva's Drug Therapy Diva Brons is investigating whether psychedelics can help with depression, partly motivated by her own experiences with long waiting lists and doubts about conventional medication. She talks to her grandmother about mental health and the scepticism surrounding drugs, and visits Professor Kim Kuipers, who explains that microdosing sometimes produces positive effects, but remains scientifically unproven and carries risks.
Diva also speaks with Casey, who, alongside her ADHD medication, microdoses with 1P-LSD and discusses the benefits and pitfalls. Finally, she talks to Triptherapie founder Marcels, in which he explains how psychedelic sessions are guided, what the current limitations are, and how it can be done legally. He emphasises that it is not an official treatment. The episode shows that psychedelics offer hope, but are not a cure-all and require care.
Why we collaborated
Initially, based on the editorial request, we thought the focus would primarily be on the positive effects and therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Ultimately, the emphasis in the episode shifted more towards safety and legality. These are important themes, but as a result the balance shifted somewhat towards the limitations rather than the possibilities. Nevertheless, we felt it was valuable to take part, because any nuanced attention helps to destigmatise psychedelics and contributes to a broader societal conversation about their role in mental health.
Because we are frequently chosen and often willing to collaborate on articles in the media, we have contributed at the request of the parties listed below:
Why we facilitate psychedelic sessions
At Triptherapie we see people every day who consciously choose a guided psychedelic experience, without a medical protocol. Not recreationally, but aimed at insight, processing or growth. This desire often stems from disappointments in regular care or long waiting lists. We offer them a well-supervised alternative, with clear boundaries: what we do is not a medical treatment.
We are always transparent about that. During the application procedure, we discuss the risks, contraindications and limitations. At the same time, we have a strong focus on safety: screening for contraindications, thorough preparation, professional guidance and, if necessary, consultation with doctors or psychiatrists with whom we work closely. In this way, we apply a harm reduction approach that prevents people from experimenting on their own or in high-risk situations.
The future of psychedelic therapy
What now falls outside the healthcare system may become part of regular treatment in the future. We are closely monitoring international developments and working behind the scenes on a professional transition. As soon as psychedelic therapy is recognised within mental healthcare (GGZ), we want to (partially) evolve into a medical branch with BIG-registered professionals and the associated healthcare reimbursements.
Until that time, we will continue to do what we are doing now: providing responsible, holistically person-centred and expert guidance to people who consciously choose to undergo psychedelic sessions. Not as a 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 privilege of guiding during psychedelic sessions.
