Beyond the Brain: How Metabolic Psychiatry Is Transforming Mental Health Care
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.
Last updated: October 2025
This episode originally aired on May 21, 2025 (Episode 67), and I’m bringing it back because it changes the way we treat our clients’ mental health diagnoses. Metabolic psychiatry invites us to look beyond the mind—to the brain, the body, and the biological energy systems that make healing possible.
When Mitochondria Changed Everything
If someone had told me a few years ago that the most mind-blowing conversation I’d have as a therapist wouldn’t be about attachment styles or trauma—but about mitochondria and metabolic psychiatry—I would’ve smiled politely and sipped my coffee in disbelief. But friends, here we are.
In a recent episode of the Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists podcast, I sat down with Nicole Laurent, a licensed mental health counselor in Washington State and founder of the Brain Fog Recovery Program. Nicole is one of the leading voices advancing metabolic psychiatry, and what she shared truly reframed how I think about mental health treatment.
What Is Metabolic Psychiatry (and Why It Matters)
Metabolic psychiatry is an emerging branch of mental health that examines how metabolism, inflammation, and mitochondrial function influence mood and cognition.
We’re talking about real biological mechanisms—insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and cellular energy deficits—that can drive symptoms like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and even burnout. It’s not just about thinking better thoughts; it’s about giving the brain the energy it needs to think clearly in the first place.
And the star of the show? The medical ketogenic diet—not the “bacon and butter for weight loss” trend, but a clinically supervised therapeutic intervention designed to stabilize brain energy. Clients who use this approach under proper care are seeing remarkable results: sharper focus, improved mood regulation, and, in some cases, full psychiatric recovery.
Why Metabolic Psychiatry Should Be on Every Therapist’s Radar
As therapists, most of us were never trained to consider how insulin resistance or mitochondrial health might affect a client’s emotions or cognition. Our training focused on psychodynamics, CBT, trauma, and family systems—and those remain essential.
But metabolic psychiatry adds a new layer. When a client comes in saying they’ve “tried everything”—therapy, medication, mindfulness—but still feel flat or foggy, metabolic dysfunction might be part of the picture.
Understanding this model doesn’t mean replacing therapy with nutrition advice; it means broadening our lens. Knowing when to collaborate with metabolic specialists can bridge the gap between psychological insight and physiological healing.
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Nicole Laurent’s Work in Metabolic Psychiatry
Nicole’s interest in metabolic psychiatry began with her own health crisis. After experiencing severe cognitive impairment following medical treatment, she discovered that a therapeutic ketogenic diet helped her regain clarity in just a few days. That transformation changed the course of her career.
Now she helps clients integrate medically supervised ketogenic interventions into comprehensive treatment plans—always alongside physicians and psychiatrists. Her practice centers on ethical collaboration, ensuring that every client receives safe, evidence-based support.
She’s also expanding access through her nonprofit programs and her educational website, mentalhealthketo.com, where clinicians can find resources and clients can learn about metabolic mental health.
What Metabolic Psychiatry Can Do That Medications Can’t
During our conversation, Nicole explained how a well-formulated ketogenic diet targets the brain’s underlying energy systems. By stabilizing glucose and increasing ketone-based energy, it can reduce inflammation, improve neurotransmitter balance, and promote neuroplasticity—results that medications alone can’t always achieve.
Clients struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and even schizophrenia are reporting improved stability, better cognition, and in some cases, full recovery when metabolic psychiatry is part of a coordinated care plan. It’s not a replacement for medication; it’s a metabolic foundation that helps everything else work better.
How Therapists Can Start Thinking Metabolically
Nicole emphasized that therapists don’t need to become diet experts. Instead, she recommends:
- Learning the basics through Dr. Christopher Palmer’s book Brain Energy.
- Asking metabolically curious questions in your intake assessments.
- Building relationships with providers trained in metabolic psychiatry.
- Referring clients who may benefit from these interventions.
- Staying within your scope of practice while remaining open to collaboration.
For therapists exploring their next professional direction, this field is still young—and full of opportunity.
You can also check out my free CEU training, “Find Your Niche as a Therapist,” to see how metabolic mental health could fit into your unique path.
Want to Go Deeper?
If this topic made you rethink how you understand “treatment resistance,” join me and Nicole Laurent for a free CEU webinar on Metabolic Psychiatry. We’ll dig deeper into the science, the ethics, and how to start thinking metabolically in your own clinical practice. It’s one of the most important conversations we can be having right now—and I’d love for you to be part of it.
And if we’re not already connected on LinkedIn, let’s fix that! I share new opportunities, therapist reflections, and honest behind-the-scenes thoughts on the work we do. I’d love to hear how these ideas are landing for you. What did this bring up for you? Are you starting to see your clients—or even yourself—through a new lens? Share your reflections with me—let’s talk.
xoxo,
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
P.S. Know another therapist who could benefit from learning about metabolic psychiatry? Share this article or send them the podcast link—this might be the missing piece in their clinical puzzle.
Resources:
Laurent, N. (2024). Retrospective case study: ketogenic metabolic therapy in the effective management of treatment-resistant depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1394679. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1394679/full
Sethi, S., Wakeham, D., Ketter, T., Hooshmand, F., Bjornstad, J., Richards, B., … & Saslow, L. (2024). Ketogenic diet intervention on metabolic and psychiatric health in bipolar and schizophrenia: a pilot trial. Psychiatry research, 335, 115866. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178124001513
Danan, A., Westman, E. C., Saslow, L. R., & Ede, G. (2022). The ketogenic diet for refractory mental illness: a retrospective analysis of 31 inpatients. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 951376. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.951376/full?author_name
FAQs About Metabolic Psychiatry
What is metabolic psychiatry?
Metabolic psychiatry is a new field that studies how metabolism and mitochondrial function affect mental health. It looks at how issues like insulin resistance, inflammation, and energy production can contribute to conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
How does metabolic psychiatry differ from traditional psychiatry?
Traditional psychiatry often focuses on neurotransmitters and medications. Metabolic psychiatry expands that view, addressing the brain’s underlying energy systems and how physical health impacts mental health. It’s not an alternative to therapy or medication—it’s a deeper, root-cause approach that works alongside them.
Can metabolic psychiatry help with treatment-resistant depression or anxiety?
Yes, that’s one of the most exciting parts of this emerging field. Many clients who don’t respond to medication or talk therapy alone find improvement when metabolic issues—like poor glucose regulation or mitochondrial dysfunction—are addressed through nutritional and lifestyle changes under medical supervision.
What role does the ketogenic diet play in metabolic psychiatry?
A medically supervised ketogenic diet can help stabilize brain energy and reduce inflammation. It’s been shown to improve cognition, focus, and mood in some patients. This isn’t the trendy weight-loss version of keto—it’s a therapeutic approach guided by trained professionals.
How can therapists integrate metabolic psychiatry into their practice?
Therapists don’t need to prescribe diets or supplements to apply metabolic psychiatry principles. It starts with awareness—understanding that physiological issues may contribute to emotional symptoms. Building relationships with metabolic specialists and asking curious intake questions are great first steps.
Where can I learn more about metabolic psychiatry?
Check out Brain Energy by Dr. Christopher Palmer for a scientific introduction, or visit mentalhealthketo.com for clinician resources. You can also join my free CEU webinar on Metabolic Psychiatry to explore the ethics, science, and practical ways to integrate this perspective into your own clinical work.
Is metabolic psychiatry evidence-based?
Yes. Metabolic psychiatry is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research exploring how metabolic dysfunction impacts psychiatric symptoms. Studies have shown that targeting insulin resistance, inflammation, and mitochondrial function can significantly improve outcomes for conditions like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Researchers such as Dr. Christopher Palmer at Harvard Medical School are leading this evidence-based movement.
Who should not try metabolic psychiatry or a ketogenic diet?
Metabolic interventions aren’t one-size-fits-all. Anyone considering a medical ketogenic diet should work with a qualified healthcare team—especially individuals with complex medical conditions, eating disorders, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Metabolic psychiatry emphasizes collaboration and safety, not self-experimentation.
What kind of professionals practice metabolic psychiatry?
Metabolic psychiatry involves collaboration between psychiatrists, licensed therapists, dietitians, and medical professionals trained in metabolic medicine. Therapists can play a key role in supporting clients through behavioral change and emotional adjustment while medical providers manage the metabolic treatment plan.
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