Learn more
about each course:

Nutrition, the Mind
& Alternative Medicine
Online Continuing Education

Learn how Complementary
and Alternative Medicine
lifts spirits and supports therapy.

Diet is increasingly being recognized as having a substantial impact on mental health status.^1-9 And studies show that about 40% of the American population uses Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as part of their health-care regime.^10,11

Our online courses introduce you to a body of research that's often been neglected in the mental health field. With an eye toward respecting the views of those who feel this area is still controversial, we've included peer-reviewed research drawn from respected medical journals whenever it exists.

Online videos walk you through these articles, making them easy to follow and understand. The courses also incorporate videos drawn from YouTube, Vimeo and other sources (such as Ted.com) allowing the student to learn directly from leading figures in the alternative medicine movement. Many of these personalities are highly credentialed MDs.

Holistic Health & Mental Health
13 Online CE Hours / $129

New evidence suggests sugar substitutes are no less addicting than sugar. Perhaps this is why scientists reviewed the available work in the 90s and concluded "definitively" that there was no convincing evidence of a relationship between sugar intake and ADHD.

The same new evidence suggests strongly that sugar may be the first gateway drug.

Chocolate is unique among foods in its addictive nature. Once reserved solely for royalty and the extremely wealthy, chocolate is now cheap and available to all of us. But just how does it exercise its unique power over human tastes ... and willpower?

The study examined in this course details more than six different ways chocolate hooks us. An online video walks you through the main points of the article and explains key ideas and terminology.

Anxiety, Depression & Sugar:
The Evidence
18 Online CE Hours / $179

This online course introduces you to a generation of research into the effects of refined carbohydrates on mood. Nine downloadable peer-reviewed studies are presented along with videos that explain them and walk you through the main points.

If you've ever wondered about possible relationships between sugar addiction, depression and anxiety, this course will explain them ... while also introducing you to the amino acid that can stop sweet cravings in their tracks.

Diet vs Dementia
8 Online CE Hours / $79

Is it inevitable that our minds decline as we age? Could modern, industrialized food be a contributing factor? Could Alzheimer's Disease and age-related cognitive decline be slowed or even stopped by nutritional interventions?

This course looks at five studies examining the relationship of diet to the development of demential disorders. These peer-reviewed articles are presented along with videos that explain key points and terminology. It appears that antioxidant nutrients and botanicals can slow the progression of these debilitating diseases, as can restricting caloric intake and boosting folic acid levels.

ADHD & Sugar
4 Online CE Hours / $39

New evidence suggests sugar substitutes are just as addicting and disruptive to behavior than sugar. Perhaps this is why scientists reviewed the available work in the 90s and concluded "definitively" that there was no convincing evidence of a relationship between sugar intake and ADHD ... those studies used artificial sweeteners as placebos!

Richard Johnson and colleagues, in 2011, suggests strongly that sugar may be the first gateway drug.

Chocolate is unique among foods in its addictive nature. Once reserved solely for royalty and the extremely wealthy, chocolate is now cheap and available to all of us. But just how does it exercise its unique power over human tastes ... and willpower?

Kristin Bruinsma in 1999 examined more than six different ways chocolate hooks us. An online video walks you through the main points of the article and explains key ideas and terminology.

Relevance to
MFT/LCSW/LEP Scope of Practice

CB&P Code §4980(c) states that BBS licensees must complete "36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of marriage and family therapy in the preceding two years..."

This course is relevant to the scope of practice of BBS licensees as set forth in CB&P Code §4980.54(h)(3): "Training, education, and coursework ... shall incorporate ... (3)Aspects of other disciplines that enhance the understanding or the practice of marriage and family therapy."

The provision of nourishment is a basic family function, and, as the studies cited in these courses and elsewhere on this website make clear, there is a substantial body of published, peer-reviewed evidence supporting the idea that diet and nutrition can have a substantial impact on mental health status. This course is not intended to encourage BBS licensees to prescribe outside their scope of practice. But it is important for mental health professionals to:

• understand the full range of referral options available to their clients, especially those that are oriented toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine (about 40% of the US population) ...
• ... in order to be in a position to respect the cultural values of their clients,
• and in a time when large segments of the population are unable to access conventional care, it's important for mental health professionals to be at least as conversant in the use of non-conventional methods as their clients ... if only to be capable of noticing signs of abuse or misuse and avoid being perceived as less than fully informed.