Psychiatrist Reveals Why Modern Psychiatry Treats Symptoms, Not the Cause - Dr. Will Van Derveer

September 4, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In modern psychiatry, the field has become good at labeling symptoms but not at understanding why they are there. Dr. Will Van Derveer and Keith Kurlander, co-founders of the Psychiatry Institute, argue that the profession has drifted toward treating depression, anxiety, and other conditions by matching them to a medication rather than investigating the root cause. "We might be good at labeling symptoms, but we're not necessarily great at understanding why they're there," Van Derveer says. The consequence is a system that often fails people whose distress stems from something deeper—most often, trauma.

What trauma actually is

The conventional view defines trauma as an event. But Van Derveer and Kurlander push a different definition: trauma is an imprint in the nervous system. Two people can experience the same event; one develops PTSD, the other walks away. The difference is not the event itself but what the nervous system does with it. Kurlander describes trauma as a physiological process—a system that begins to cue threat when no threat is present. That process can be triggered by a car accident or by a seemingly minor relational wound. The severity depends on how much the system becomes dysregulated, not on how objectively "bad" the event looks from the outside.

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What you'll learn

1 (02:02) **Modern Psychiatry: Wins & Failures** - Telepsychiatry expanded access, but approved treatments still fail too many people; the field is stagnating on treatment resistance.
2 (03:06) **The Core Problem: Treating Symptoms, Not Causes** - Psychiatry defines illness by symptoms and mistakes adaptive survival responses for disorders.
3 (04:53) **The Cultural Toll and the "Hockey Stick" Curve** - The incidence of major mental illness is rising at an extreme rate, reflecting an unhealthy culture.
4 (07:50) **Defining Trauma: Event vs. Imprint** - Trauma is not the event itself, but an imprint in the nervous system that can result from seemingly minor or major events.
5 (10:07) **Has Everyone Experienced Trauma?** - The trauma process likely occurs in every human to some degree, but not everyone reaches the dysfunctional threshold.
6 (14:31) **Subtle Signs of Unresolved Trauma** - The biggest place to start investigating unresolved trauma is in your relationships and how you perceive others.
7 (20:18) **Relational Trauma and Modern Dating** - The struggle to form and maintain secure partnerships is a major sign of pervasive relational trauma and attachment injuries.

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Show Notes

Psychiatrist Dr. Will Van Derveer and psychotherapist Keith Kurlander, co-founders of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, reveal why modern psychiatry has become so good at labeling symptoms yet so limited at healing their root cause.

In this thought-provoking conversation, they explore how trauma lives in the body as an imprint on the nervous system, why so many treatments fall short, and how the culture we're adapting to may itself be making us unwell. They also open up the emerging world of psychedelic-assisted therapy, what it is, who it can help, and why doing this work safely matters so much. Above all, they share a more hopeful vision of mental health, one that treats the whole person with curiosity, dignity, and the possibility of real transformation.

Whether you've struggled to find answers in the conventional system or simply want to understand your own mind more deeply, this is a refreshing and deeply human look at what real healing can be.

⚠️ For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Psychedelic substances carry real risks and should never be used without proper medical and psychological supervision.

Connect with Dr. Van Derveer & Keith Kurlander:

🌐 Website: psychiatryinstitute.com

📷 Instagram: @integrative.psychiatry

🎙️ Podcast: The Higher Practice Podcast for Optimal Mental Health

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