Dr. Paul Conti on Huberman Lab: How agency ends mental loops

Compassionate curiosity and self-talk audits break introspective loops; Conti explains why agency collapses without balancing reflection and action.

Dr. Andrew Hubermanhost

May 4, 20262h 10mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 4, 2026
Duration: 2h 10m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Paul Conti, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and an expert in how to improve mental health and increase your sense of agency and wellbeing. He is also an expert in trauma treatment. We discuss practical tools you can use to gain insight into your natural strengths and to make better life choices on your own behalf. We explore how these tools can help overcome low motivation, intrusive thoughts and self-destructive bad habits. We also discuss how to balance internal reflection and external action to ensure you move your life forward in the right directions. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/ignr1Bk Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Helix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/huberman BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Rorra: https://rorra.com/huberman Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Dr. Paul Conti Website: https://drpaulconti.com Books: https://amzn.to/4tOULFf Pacific Premier Group: https://pacificpremiergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-paul-m-conti-845074216 Timestamps 00:00:00 Paul Conti 00:02:51 Self View; Tool: What's Going Right?; State Dependence 00:10:03 Sponsors: Helix Sleep & BetterHelp 00:12:44 Tool: Compassionate Curiosity; Falseness; Social Media 00:21:00 Doing vs Thinking; Self-Reflection 00:29:55 External vs Internal Processing, Balance 00:40:42 Sponsor: AG1 00:42:26 Quiet vs Verbal; Questions to Learn About Self 00:53:17 Examined Life & Reflection; Changing Unwanted Behavior 01:02:54 Making Positive Changes, Problem Solving 01:07:26 Sponsor: Function 01:09:03 Behavior Pattern Insight & Reclaiming Agency 01:17:06 Agency & Control; Getting in Your Own Way 01:22:49 Trauma, Living Intentionally; Internal Turmoil 01:29:08 Intrusive Thoughts, Tool: Self Talk Awareness; Dreams 01:34:10 Sponsor: Rorra 01:35:23 Trauma & Emotions; Healing Childhood Trauma 01:43:32 Photographs, Positive Climate for the Mind; Spirituality, Good & Evil 01:52:53 Happiness & Expectations; Death, Living a Good Life 02:03:10 Book Writing; Acknowledgements 02:07:25 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #hubermanlab #mentalhealth Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Dr. Andrew Huberman
host
Professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. Paul Conti and Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Paul Conti on Huberman Lab: How agency ends mental loops explores build mental health through strengths, curiosity, agency, and intentional living Conti argues that starting with “what’s going right” is both emotionally stabilizing and more truthful than a pathology-first, label-driven view of mental health.

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