Live webinar air date: June 23, 2025
Date
CE credits
2
Exam items
14
Description
Contrary to the widespread belief that medication is the primary biological intervention for brain-based mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and addiction, this workshop will focus on the wide array of nutritional and lifestyle factors that can help to bring the struggling brain back into balance and health.
A balanced life requires a balanced brain. Many nutritional, physical, and lifestyle factors throw the brain out of balance, setting us up for recurrent mental health issues and addictive behaviors. These can be identified and addressed using non-pharmaceutical methods by focusing on the nutrients the brain requires for optimal functioning.
Understanding and identifying critical nutritional factors gives the non-medical provider and their patients the power to quickly address aspects of cognitive dysfunction, mood dysregulation, and elements of addiction and psychological distress. This attention to the biological elements of a biopsychosocial approach can enhance the effectiveness of other psychological interventions and substantially improve treatment outcomes over the course of psychotherapy.
Learning objectives
- Name three key nutrients required by the brain for optimal functioning.
- Name five physiological issues which can throw the brain out-of-balance and cause mental health symptoms.
Presenter
Christina Veselak, MS, LMFT, CN
Veselak graduated from San Francisco State University in 1983 with an MS in counseling psychology. She has been licensed since 1985, and has worked primarily in private practice with a wide range of clients, including those struggling with addiction and their families. After training in Western herbal medicine and then nutrition, she became a certified nutritionist in 1993 through the American Health Science University and began to fully integrate mental health nutrition into her practice. In 2015, Veselak started the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition, and in 2022, she also founded a non-profit organization, Eating Protein Saves Lives, Inc.
