Nutritional Psychology Tools: Assessment and Macronutrient Remediation

CE Credit Hours: 5
APA, BBS, BRN

The Western dietary pattern has been implicated in an increased risk for depression and anxiety. As a result, it is becoming increasingly necessary for mental healthcare professionals to understand the scientific principles that govern the connection between diet and mental health. This course offers clinicians a scientifically-based understanding of how daily dietary intake can lead to emotional, mental, and behavioral imbalance, and introduces tools used by integrative healthcare professionals to assess and remediate these imbalances. The 3-Day Food Journal for Mood (3-DFJM) is a tool that allows simple assessment of the impact that daily dietary intake is likely having on mood. Based on the results of the 3-DFJM, a method of nutritional remediation called Macronutrient Mood Therapy (MMT), will be presented. While this course does not result in a license to practice nutrition, it will provide the foundational knowledge needed for mental health practitioners to work in conjunction with integrative medicine providers to solve dietary-related behavioral problems and facilitate behavioral change.

Instructor: Ephimia Morphew-Lu, MS, Dip.C.N.

Ephimia Morphew-Lu is an M.S. in Psychology with a decade of experience in the field of psychology and human performance. She spent the majority of her career at NASA as a Senior Engineering Psychologist supporting the psychological and performance capabilities of pilots and astronauts for NASA and the U.S. military. She is the founder of an International scientific society and peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments, has won numerous awards in her field of specialty, and has published widely in her area of expertise. In 2004, she resigned from her career with NASA to pursue a full-time career in the field of nutrition and nutritional psychology. She has since been personally trained by the country’s leading experts in amino acid therapy and holistic nutrition. In addition to her professional training, Ephi has personally suffered from both a chronic autoimmune disease and debilitating pain disorder for over 25 years. Motivated to relieve her own pain and find a cure, she has consulted a plethora of physicians and health practitioners during these years, and has been prescribed an equal amount of medications – all with no relief. It was not until she stumbled into the field of nutrition that she was able to replace many of the medications she was taking with nutrients. She has now dedicated her life to bringing this form of therapy and healing to her clients, fellow practitioners, and the medical and health community.

Instructor: Amanda Hull, Ph.D.

Dr. Hull is the Integrative Health and Wellness (IHW) Program Director at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) in Washington DC. Along with developing and directing the IHW Program, she teaches the integrative health education course, facilitates iRest yoga nidra, and conducts research assessing the program. She completed both her predoctoral and postdoctoral training, specializing in neuropsychology, at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center. She received a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University, and her graduate research focused on cognitive functioning in veterans at an outpatient polytrauma clinic. Additionally, she is currently completing a Post-Masters Certificate in Nutrition and Integrative Health at Maryland University of Integrative Health. Her research interests include: nutritional psychology/neuropsychology, the influences of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) on cognition and well-being, traumatic brain injury, and neuropsychology of PTSD. Dr. Hull’s clinical experiences also include training in iRest yoga nidra and individual, group, and family therapy.

JFKU-CE is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to provide continuing education for MFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs & LEPs and by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) to provide continuing education for RNs.  JFKU-CE maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

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