0697 - When the Body Speaks: Metabolic Health, Nervous System Biology and Human Flourishing in Women’s Mental Health

Course Description

Hours: 12

Women often carry chronic stress in their bodies. In clinical practice, this may present as persistent fatigue, disrupted sleep, changes in weight or appetite, inflammation, brain fog and heightened emotional reactivity – even when clients are engaged in therapy and doing “all the right things”.
These experiences are not separate from mental health. They are biological expressions of prolonged nervous system activation and sustained physiological load.

While many training programs address psychological, social and trauma-informed dimensions of care, the metabolic and nutritional aspects of mental health are often less explored. As a result, mental health professionals may not have a clear framework for understanding how chronic stress affects the body – or how these biological processes shape client experience and clinical outcomes.

This two-day Professional Development course addresses that gap. Drawing on nutrition science, nervous system biology and applied positive psychology, participants will develop an accessible, evidence-informed understanding of how chronic stress manifests physically – and what it means for clinical practice with women across the lifespan. This is a course in biological literacy, equipping helping professionals with an additional layer of clinical insight that can be applied immediately within their existing scope of practice.

Participants will leave with a practical framework for recognizing when physical symptoms and patterns are shaping a client’s experience, and how to respond in ways that deepen their work and support more effective, integrated care.

What You Will Learn

Participants will develop the knowledge and practical skills to:

• Deliver clear, accessible psychoeducation that helps clients understand the connection between their physical and emotional experiences, reducing self-blame and increasing self-compassion.
• Introduce accessible nervous system regulation strategies that can support both physiological stability and emotional wellbeing.
• Expand clinical assessment by integrating targeted, scope-appropriate questions related to sleep, energy, appetite, movement and physical symptoms into existing frameworks.
• Describe how chronic stress affects the body’s primary stress response system: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis – including impacts on cortisol regulation, sleep, immune function, metabolism and emotional regulation, and apply this understanding to client presentation.
• Identify biological patterns in client experiences (e.g., fatigue, sleep disruption, weight changes, inflammation, brain fog, emotional reactivity) and consider how these may interact with psychological and social factors.
• Understand the gut–brain connection and its relevance to mood, cognition and stress regulation in a way that supports informed, non-prescriptive clinical conversations.
• Apply a framework for moving beyond coping and toward flourishing, understanding how biological regulation supports greater energy, emotional flexibility and engagement in life, and how this can be integrated into clinical work
• Make more specific and meaningful referrals, connecting client experiences to underlying biological processes to improve relevance, uptake, and follow-through.

How This Will Impact Your Practice
This course is designed with direct clinical application in mind. Each topic connects biological understanding to practical use, so participants leave not only with new knowledge, but with a clear sense of how to apply it within social work, counselling and psychotherapy practice.

In practice, this means:

• More Comprehensive Assessments
  • You will begin asking different, targeted questions that reveal important aspects of your clients’ lived experience that may otherwise remain unaddressed.
• Deeper Client Understanding and Connection
  • Being able to name the biological aspects of a client’s experience can shift the narrative from personal failure to physiological response – often creating immediate relief and increased engagement.
• More Targeted and Effective Interventions
  • You will be better able to recognize when biological factors may be influencing therapeutic progress, and how to respond within your role.
• Stronger, More Relevant Referrals
  • Referrals grounded in a client’s specific experience are more likely to be understood, accepted and acted upon.
• Expanded Clinical Confidence and Scope of Understanding
  • You will feel more equipped to work with presentations such as burnout, chronic stress, caregiving strain and complex health concerns with greater clarity and integration.

Who This Course Is For
This workshop is designed for social workers, psychotherapists, counsellors, and other helping professionals who work with women experiencing chronic stress, burnout, trauma, caregiving demands, chronic illness or life transitions.

No prior background in nutrition or biology is required. Concepts are introduced in an accessible, clinically relevant way that builds confidence and practical understanding.

Notes

Time Zone: All listed class times are held in ET (Ontario, Canada)

For more information contact the Faculty of Social Work Professional Development office:

Email: fswprofessionaldevelopment@wlu.ca
Phone: 548-889-5128

Cancellations and Transfers
Be sure to carefully review our cancellation and transfer information before registering.

Website: wlu.ca/fswpd

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Women's Mental Health Certificate : Women's Mental Health