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 role of diets and nutrients in sustaining mental health (Huang, 2019). Here at CNP, we believe that providing education in Nutritional Psychology is crucial to building a nutritional component to mental healthcare. From 2008 to 2020, CNP hosted an online NP Certification through John F. Kennedy University.
Today, we are working towards the release of a next-generation certification in Nutritional Psychology — one that reflects the wealth of current research in the field and provides a valuable learning experience.
The first course in this new curriculum, NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods, is now available! NP 110 is worth 8 continuing education (CE) credits for professionals whose licensing bodies accept courses approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). We are working towards additional accreditations. Three upcoming courses are also under development now, with the first expected to launch in the fall of 2021.
Each course is designed for students, professionals, and all other individuals interested in the science behind nutrition and psychological functioning. Through education, awareness, and advocacy, we can change our mental healthcare systems for the better.
Learn more about NP 110 here.
NP Animated Curriculum for Kids (and Parents!)
NP Animated Curriculum for Kids (and Parents!)
This online animated curriculum is designed to help kids develop an intrinsic awareness of how what they eat can impact how they feel. The curriculum is designed to be funny while instilling kids with new cognitive and perceptual tools that increases their awareness of eating to support positive mental health.
NP Curriculum for Pediatricians and Health Professionals
NP Curriculum for Pediatricians and Health Professionals
This course introduces pediatric healthcare professionals to a quick set of tools that aid in increasing childrens’ perceptual and cognitive skills for selecting foods that are “mental-health supportive”.
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110 is the foundational course in the field. It introduces key terms, concepts, and research findings in all six elements of informing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship (DMHR): the psychological, cognitive, behavioral, sensory-perceptual, interoceptive, and psychosocial. Enrollment is open now!
NP Curriculum for University Students
NP Curriculum for University Students
This mini-curriculum is for college and university instructors who wish to introduce NP into their curriculum in a brief, modularized manner. Course content and materials are provided for one (or two) 50-minute class sessions. Presentation materials, background research, methodology, discussion points, experiential exercise, and quiz materials are provided.
NP 120: Microbiome and Mental Health
NP 120: Microbiome and Mental Health
Coming soon! NP 120 will explore the mechanisms behind the gut-brain relationship. Using current research findings and innovative conceptualization, this course will explore the various pathways through which our diets impact our cognitive health and psychological functioning.
NP 100 SERIES
The 100-level series is academically oriented. Each course in this series will help you establish a solid theoretical foundation of the field of Nutritional Psychology. Beginning with NP 110, these courses will form the basis of the new certification program.
NP 200 SERIES
Courses in the 200-level series will have an applied focus. Their goal is to help mental health and allied professionals build the skills necessary to educate clients in addressing the DMHR. These courses will also focus more strongly on scope of practice.
NP Animated Curriculum for Kids (and Parents!)
NP Animated Curriculum for Kids (and Parents!)
This online animated curriculum is designed to help kids develop an intrinsic awareness of how what they eat can impact how they feel. The curriculum is designed to be funny while instilling kids with new cognitive and perceptual tools that increases their awareness of eating to support positive mental health.
NP Curriculum for Pediatricians and Health Professionals
NP Curriculum for Pediatricians and Health Professionals
This course introduces pediatric healthcare professionals to a quick set of tools that aid in increasing childrens’ perceptual and cognitive skills for selecting foods that are “mental-health supportive”.
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods
NP 110 is the foundational course in the field. It introduces key terms, concepts, and research findings in all six elements of informing the Diet-Mental Health Relationship (DMHR): the psychological, cognitive, behavioral, sensory-perceptual, interoceptive, and psychosocial. Enrollment is open now!
NP Curriculum for University Students
NP Curriculum for University Students
This mini-curriculum is for college and university instructors who wish to introduce NP into their curriculum in a brief, modularized manner. Course content and materials are provided for one (or two) 50-minute class sessions. Presentation materials, background research, methodology, discussion points, experiential exercise, and quiz materials are provided.
NP 120: Microbiome and Mental Health
NP 120: Microbiome and Mental Health
Coming soon! NP 120 will explore the mechanisms behind the gut-brain relationship. Using current research findings and innovative conceptualization, this course will explore the various pathways through which our diets impact our cognitive health and psychological functioning.
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
Examining the role that family, culture, community, society, and socioeconomic status play in determining our dietary intake patterns
Psychological
Examining the relationship between our dietary intake patterns and our feelings, moods, and emotions
Behavioral
The relationship between our dietary intake patterns and resulting thoughts, emotions, and interoceptive experiences that influence our behaviors, reactions, and choices (e.g., increased reactive behavior or changed dietary behavior patterns)
Perceptual
Developing awareness of the physical and mental sensations we experience (Interoception) in response to our dietary intake patterns (discomfort, pain, irritation, relaxation etc.)
Cognitive
Using mental processes (cognition, attention, memory and learning) to gain insight into how the food we eat is affecting our mental health
Interoceptive
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.