Keto as an Adjunct to CBTp? Nicole Laurent Explains

Keto as an Adjunct to CBTp? Nicole Laurent Explains

From Metabolic Mind by Bret Scher

May 29, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the potential of ketogenic therapy as an adjunct to cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Could ketogenic therapy help people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders engage more successfully with CBT? A new conceptual framework explores this powerful adjunctive approach. CBTp is considered a gold-standard treatment for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but many patients struggle to initiate, participate in, and complete it. Cognitive deficits, sleep disturbances, low distress tolerance, and ongoing psychotic symptoms can all stand in the way. In this conversation, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with licensed clinical social worker Nicole Laurent to discuss her recently published paper in Frontiers in Psychology, exploring how ketogenic metabolic therapy could help bridge that gap. In this conversation, you'll learn: Why CBTp is so cognitively demanding and where patients tend to struggle How ketogenic therapy may reduce key barriers like sleep issues, distress tolerance, and cognitive impairment What a conceptual analysis paper is and why it matters for shaping future research How clinicians and researchers can begin integrating these ideas into practice Whether this framework could extend to CBT for depression, OCD, and anxiety This discussion opens the door to thinking…

People in this episode

Host: Bret Scher

Guest: Nicole Laurent

Topics covered

  • ketogenic therapy
  • CBTp
  • schizophrenia
  • cognitive deficits
  • mental health

Keywords

  • ketogenic therapy
  • CBTp
  • schizophrenia
  • cognitive impairment
  • mental health treatment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Frontiers in Psychology

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