Course curriculum

This course is FREE for Marin CAMFT members! Log on to your member profile at marincamft.org to find the sign-up code.

    1. Food, Mood & the Brain: How Nutrition, Cravings, and Early Trauma Shape Health - Free Preview

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Food, Mood & the Brain: How Nutrition, Cravings, and Early Trauma Shape Health - Part 2

    2. Food, Mood & the Brain: How Nutrition, Cravings, and Early Trauma Shape Health - Part 3

    1. Food, Mood & the Brain: How Nutrition, Cravings, and Early Trauma Shape Health - Post-Test

    1. Food, Mood & the Brain: How Nutrition, Cravings, and Early Trauma Shape Health - Course Eval

About this course

  • $30.00
  • 5 lessons
  • 2 hours of video content

Workshop Description

This lecture will explore the powerful intersection of nutrition, brain function, and emotional homeostasis. With a focus on the neurobiology of mood and cravings, participants will learn how dietary patterns, especially those high in sugar, fat, and alcohol, can activate brain regions that reinforce reward-seeking behaviors, emotional dysregulation, and food addiction cycles. Links between glycemic dysregulation and anxiety will be explored via case studies.

The course also examines how early trauma alters the development of brain systems involved in emotional regulation and impulse control. Childhood adversity is shown to sensitize the stress response and reward circuitry, increasing lifelong vulnerability to cravings, disordered eating, and mood instability. These early imprints on the limbic system and HPA pathway create a neurobiological foundation.

Participants in this training will explore the biochemical roles of key neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA as well as the hormonal regulators cortisol and insulin in the development and treatment of anxiety, depression, and eating behaviors. The mechanism of action of high sugar intake temporarily boosts serotonin and dopamine levels, creating a short-lived sense of pleasure and calm, yet often leading to rebound irritability, cravings, and depressive symptoms. Over time, chronic consumption of refined carbs may dysregulate neurotransmitter signaling and contribute to blunted reward sensitivity, a hallmark of both mood disorders and addictive behaviors.

This course is designed for therapists, psychologists and health professionals seeking to incorporate nutritional neuroscience and trauma-informed perspectives into their clinical work.


Educational Goals

This training offers a practical understanding of how nutritional intake, glycemic balance, cravings, and early life experiences converge to shape mental health and compulsive behaviors.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:

  • Describe the neurochemical pathways by which sugar and fat consumption influence key neurotransmitters.

  • Explain the role of cortisol and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in chronic stress and emotional eating.

  • Summarize the emerging research on GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide).

  • Identify patterns of eating behaviors and poor glycemic regulation in clinically presenting anxiety, panic, and depression.

  • Identify at least one cultural, socioeconomic, or marginalized status factor that contributes to food addiction risk.

  • Apply psychoeducational strategies in clinical practice to help clients understand the emotional impact of dietary choices.

Presenter

Christina Cowger, LMFT Christina Cowger, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and seasoned clinical educator specializing in the intersection of neurobiology, complex illness, inflammation, trauma, and mood disorders. With over two decades of experience, she has developed and directed innovative behavioral health programs across outpatient, residential, and academic settings. Her clinical philosophy bridges neuroscience, integrative medicine, with attachment theory, DBT and developmental trauma theory, creating a holistic approach to mental health. Christina has delivered continuing education seminars nationwide, partnering with organizations such as Stanford University, Kaiser Permanente, CAMFT, and Sutter Health to train medical and mental health professionals in advanced neuroendocrine and psychoneuroimmune concepts. She holds an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Sonoma State University and a certification in Health Education from CIIS. Christina’s CE lectures distill decades of clinical insight and research into actionable strategies for integrated care.