NUTRITIONAL PSYCHOLOGY EDUCATION
Empowering innovative education in mental healthcare
A NUTRITIONAL COMPONENT TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE BY 2030
There is a crucial need to deliver better education to the public and clinicians about the connection between dietary intake and psychological health. We believe that providing university-level continuing education in nutritional psychology is crucial to building a nutritional component to mental healthcare by 2030. From 2008 to 2020, CNP provided the original Certificate in nutritional psychology through John F. Kennedy University, allowing for the first university-level education in NP to be provided to a variety of mental health and allied professionals to better understand the diet-mental health relationship (DMHR).
Today, we are developing a next-generation curriculum in nutritional psychology that provides the evidence-base needed to serve as the foundation for the development of this field. NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods is the flagship course in this updated curriculum and is informed by an evidence base of over 3,000 scientific publications. NP 110 is the first in a series of three courses included in a next-generation certificate in nutritional psychology.
NP 110 introduces the foundational language, concepts, and methods considered within the study of nutritional psychology. This course is designed to meet the rigors needed for inclusion within the traditional education system and provides 10 continuing education credits for professionals accepting CE/CPE approved by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). We are currently working towards sponsoring CE credits for Nurses and allied health professionals. The remaining two courses in the NP 100 Certificate series are in development and expected to be published in May and July of 2022 respectively.
Through education, awareness, and Advocacy, we can change our mental healthcare systems for the better. CNP is also now providing Scholarships for greater accessibility to nutritional psychology education. You can learn more about NP 110 here and CNP Course Scholarships here.
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110 is the foundational course in the study of nutritional psychology and is a prerequisite for all future NP courses. Provides conceptualization in NP, introduces key terms, language, concepts, and evidence-based findings. The six major elements defining the DMHR are explored, including the psychological, cognitive, behavioral, sensory-perceptual, interoceptive, and psychosocial. Enrollment is now open!
NP 120: Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA) and Mental Health
NP 120: Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA) and Mental Health
Coming January 2023!
NP 120 explores the Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA). Evolutionary conceptualization of the MGBA is explored, as are the physiological and communication pathways connecting the gut and brain. Dietary elements influencing MGBA regulation and MB composition, and MGBA influence on all aspects of the DMHR are explored.
NP 150: Mechanisms Influencing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship
NP 150: Mechanisms Influencing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship
Coming June 2023!
NP 150 explores the mechanisms by which dietary intake influences all essential aspects of aspects of the diet-mental health relationship. Factors involving inflammation, neuroinflammation, alteration of the intestinal microbiota and gut-brain axis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, HPA-Axis dysfunction, and neuroplasticity are explored.
NP 126: Diet-Stress Relationship
NP 126: Diet-Stress Relationship
Coming 2023!
This course introduces the interconnected and bi-directional relationship existing between dietary intake and psychobiological response to stress. Referred to as the “Diet-Stress Relationship” (DSR) this course employs concepts from both the fields of psychology and nutrition to inform our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms through which diet and stress interconnect.
NP 160: Diet-Child Mental Health Relationship
NP 160: Diet-Child Mental Health Relationship
Coming 2023!
This course will benefit those who wish to develop an understanding in the evidence-based relationship between dietary intake patterns and mood, behavior, and psychological functioning in the child and adolescent population.
LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A NEW FIELD OF STUDY
Findings exploring the link between diet and certain aspects of mental health exist. The purview of Nutritional Psychology lies deep within the intersection of the fields of psychology and nutrition to explore the underpinnings through which this link exists. Informed by research, this field is designed to serve as a major stepping stone in supporting the development of a university-level curriculum for students and professionals designed to deepen their understanding of this connection and use this understanding to inform major change in global mental health.
CNP curriculum serves learners from countries around the world, including Belgium, Canada, Italy, India, Turkey, Nepal, Bermuda, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and others. Learners range from interested individuals to post-doctoral professionals across different fields.
Curriculum development for CNP courses involves consolidating multinational research from across disciplines and presenting it in a way that can be understood by people from varied educational backgrounds, expertise areas, and cultures. CNP strives to promote respect, inclusion, and promotion of diversity in developing course content and related materials.
UPCOMING CERTIFICATES
NP 100 Certificate
The NP 100 Certificate is academically-oriented and designed to provide the evidence base necessary to build a solid foundation within nutritional psychology. In this Certificate, the theoretical and mechanistic underpinnings characterizing the diet-mental health relationship are explained. New language, terminology, concepts, and mechanisms are introduced. The NP 100 Certificate is comprised of three courses, including NP 110, NP 120, and NP 150.
NP 200 CERTIFICATE
The NP 200 Certificate is applied and focuses on developing guidelines for mental health and nutrition professionals to provide education to clients in the DMHR. These courses focus on facilitating the application of psychonutritional tools and education within the clinical and applied environments. Scope of practice guidelines are presented to facilitate appropriate inclusion of psychonutritional tools and education within the clinical environment. More information regarding this certificate will be available in the fall of 2022.
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110 is the foundational course in the study of nutritional psychology and is a prerequisite for all future NP courses. Provides conceptualization in NP, introduces key terms, language, concepts, and evidence-based findings. The six major elements defining the DMHR are explored, including the psychological, cognitive, behavioral, sensory-perceptual, interoceptive, and psychosocial. Enrollment is now open!
NP 120: Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA) and Mental Health
NP 120: Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA) and Mental Health
Coming January 2023!
NP 120 explores the Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA). Evolutionary conceptualization of the MGBA is explored, as are the physiological and communication pathways connecting the gut and brain. Dietary elements influencing MGBA regulation and MB composition, and MGBA influence on all aspects of the DMHR are explored.
NP 150: Mechanisms Influencing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship
NP 150: Mechanisms Influencing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship
Coming June 2023!
NP 150 explores the mechanisms by which dietary intake influences all essential aspects of aspects of the diet-mental health relationship. Factors involving inflammation, neuroinflammation, alteration of the intestinal microbiota and gut-brain axis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, HPA-Axis dysfunction, and neuroplasticity are explored.
NP 126: Diet-Stress Relationship
NP 126: Diet-Stress Relationship
Coming 2023!
This course introduces the interconnected and bi-directional relationship existing between dietary intake and psychobiological response to stress. Referred to as the “Diet-Stress Relationship” (DSR) this course employs concepts from both the fields of psychology and nutrition to inform our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms through which diet and stress interconnect.
NP 160: Diet-Child Mental Health Relationship
NP 160: Diet-Child Mental Health Relationship
Coming 2023!
This course will benefit those who wish to develop an understanding in the evidence-based relationship between dietary intake patterns and mood, behavior, and psychological functioning in the child and adolescent population.
The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction
The science or study that deals with food and nourishment
The science of mind and behavior
Diet Mental Health Relationship
Connecting what we eat with how we feel
Diet 
Mental 
Health 
Relationship 
Psychosocial
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and family, culture, community, society
Psychological
Explores the relationship between dietary intake patterns and our feelings, moods, and emotions (e.g., resilience, flourishing, creativity, happiness, depression, anxiousness, irritation, sadness, well-being)
Behavioral
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and reactions, actions and behaviors in which we engage in relating to dietary intake
Perceptual
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and senses involving sight, smell, sound, taste, touch, and how we make meaning of this information.
Cognitive
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and brain processes involving cognition, attention, memory, learning, reasoning, executive functioning, and decision making etc.
Interoceptive
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and our internal bodily sensations we experience because of it (i.e., the bi-directional signal processing between brain and internal organs that generates a representation of our internal state from the food we eat)
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Take steps to develop your understanding of the relationship between diet and mental health. Together, we can build a new model of mental healthcare to include this important piece of the puzzle.