Podbit · Huberman Lab
Columbia's Dr. Helen Blair Simpson — one of the world's top OCD researchers and clinicians — uses a structured protocol: 2 orientation sessions followed by 15 exposure sessions twice weekly. Crucially, patients know exactly what to expect before they're confronted with their core fears.
Where this was said
At 23:30 · chapter starts 23:23
Huberman centers the treatment discussion around one of the field's most prominent figures: Dr. Helen Blair Simpson, MD/PhD, of Columbia University School of Medicine. He positions her as arguably the preeminent active OCD researcher-clinician in the world. Her protocol is specific and structured: two initial planning sessions orient the patient to exactly what will happen — what they'll face, when, and how long. Then 15 exposure sessions are conducted twice a week, each pushing the patient progressively closer to their core fear and preventing the compulsive response (ritual prevention). The total course typically runs 10 to 12 weeks. The planning sessions are not trivial; they are what allow patients to consent meaningfully and approach the exposures with enough trust and context to tolerate the intensity. Without that framing, the approach could feel traumatic rather than therapeutic.
The standard exposure-based CBT protocol for OCD involves 2 planning sessions plus 15 exposure sessions done twice a week, typically spanning 10 to 12 weeks or more.
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