In this beautifully human episode of Helping the Heard, Derrick sits down with Damon Krohn—therapist, educator, and founder of Monarch Neuroscience—for a sweeping conversation on healing, grief, therapy, and psychedelics. Damon’s story is one of heartbreak, curiosity, relentless compassion, and eventually, transformation.
Losing his mother lead him to become a therapist.
Growing up in a small Michigan town with no access to mental health services, Damon was first drawn to understanding people simply by observing life. After the devastating death of his mother at age 17, he found a calling: to become a therapist, in part to honor her—she was the first counselor in their county. That early loss shaped his path into psychology, and eventually, into helping some of the most complex and underserved populations in Chicago public schools and community mental health.
He went on to develop a deeply psychodynamic approach to therapy, focusing not just on symptoms, but the unconscious patterns that drive behavior—often rooted in childhood or trauma. For Damon, therapy is less about fixing and more about clearing the lens: helping people see themselves more truthfully and act from that awareness.
His wife diagnosed with cancer
But his journey took a profound turn when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Despite his years of training and therapeutic tools, Damon couldn’t shake the nightmares and retraumatization that came with the threat of losing her—mirroring his past trauma. He turned to something unexpected: psychedelic therapy.
What began as a personal healing journey soon grew into a professional mission. Damon describes psychedelics not as magic pills, but as "the autobahn to the unconscious"—powerful neuroplastic agents that, when used responsibly and with skilled therapeutic support, can unlock deeply buried insights and catalyze transformation.
Integrative Psychedelic Therapy
This led to the founding of Monarch Neuroscience, where Damon now leads integrative psychedelic therapy programs for veterans, cancer survivors, high performers, and anyone seeking to reconnect with their best self. What sets his approach apart is the ethical depth and therapeutic rigor—meticulous assessment, preparation, integration, and deep respect for the client’s full life context.
Summary
Throughout the episode, Damon and Derrick reflect on the complexity of transference, how trauma patterns play out in romantic and therapeutic relationships alike, and why therapy is an art—one that must be tailored to each individual.
The conversation closes with a quote from Damon’s mother, a guiding mantra:
“Be kind. Be formidable and relentless in pursuing your goals. And for God’s sake, make someone’s day.”
This is an episode about healing as a long game, and about holding both pain and purpose in the same breath. Whether you’re a therapist, a client, or someone somewhere in between, Helping the Heard delivers yet another masterclass in what it means to be human.