Course
11

Mental Health

Overview
Develop the ability to identify and address the biochemical, nutritional, and lifestyle roots of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, helping clients restore emotional stability and cognitive clarity.
Format
Online
Units
49
Recommended for
  • ADHD
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Burnout
  • Trauma history
Mental Health

The learning framework

1
Why mental health cannot be treated in isolation
Mental health challenges affect more than one in five adults globally, impacting focus, mood, sleep, relationships, and overall quality of life, yet most approaches treat mental health as purely psychological, overlooking the profound influence of biochemistry, nutrition, inflammation, and the gut-brain connection on neurotransmitter synthesis, receptor sensitivity, and neuroplasticity.
2
The limitations of symptom-focused mental health care
Conventional care typically relies on symptom management through medication or talk therapy alone, without investigating the physiological drivers, neurotransmitter imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, gut dysfunction, hormonal disruption, blood sugar dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and environmental toxin exposure, that underpin mood disorders, anxiety, ADHD, brain fog, and cognitive decline, leaving clients with incomplete solutions and persistent symptoms.
3
A whole-system framework for mental health support
The Mental Health module trains you to evaluate mental health from a whole-system perspective, integrating psychosocial and biochemical assessment, and to design evidence-based interventions that restore neurotransmitter balance, reduce inflammation, and support long-term emotional resilience and cognitive performance.

What you'll learn

By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Understand the biochemical basis of mental health
Recognising how neurotransmitters, hormones, inflammation, and cellular energy influence mood, anxiety, focus, motivation, sleep, and cognitive performance.
Assess the physiological drivers of anxiety
Identifying how nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar dysregulation, HPA axis dysfunction, thyroid dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, histamine intolerance, and excessive stimulant use contribute to anxious feelings, panic attacks, and nervous system hyperarousal.
Understand the root causes of depression
Recognising how chronic inflammation, nutrient depletion, serotonin and dopamine deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, gut-brain axis disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, and social isolation contribute to low mood, anhedonia, and fatigue.
Assess ADHD and focus-related presentations
Understanding how dopamine dysregulation, iron deficiency, zinc deficiency, omega-3 imbalance, food sensitivities, blood sugar instability, poor sleep, chronic stress, and environmental toxin exposure impair attention, impulse control, and executive function.
Recognise the gut-brain axis and its impact on mental health
Mapping how gut dysbiosis, intestinal permeability, vagus nerve dysfunction, and inflammatory cytokine production influence neurotransmitter synthesis, mood regulation, anxiety levels, and cognitive function.
Understand neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism
Assessing pathways for serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA, and acetylcholine, identifying nutrient cofactors required for optimal production.
Apply evidence-based nutritional and lifestyle interventions
Using dietary strategies, supplementation protocols, sleep optimisation, stress management, movement programming, and social connection practices that support nervous system regulation and mental resilience.

Why this matters

The ability to address root causes of mood and cognitive issues
Plus icon, svg, dark
Rather than managing symptoms, you'll identify and resolve nutrient deficiencies, gut dysfunction, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances driving anxiety, depression, ADHD, and brain fog.
Confidence in complex, treatment-resistant cases
Plus icon, svg, dark
You'll assess clients who haven't responded to medication or therapy alone, offering complementary biochemical and lifestyle interventions.
Better client outcomes
Plus icon, svg, dark
Restoring neurotransmitter balance, reducing inflammation, and supporting nervous system regulation creates measurable improvements in mood, focus, sleep, energy, and quality of life.
Professional differentiation
Plus icon, svg, dark
Mental health expertise positions you as understanding the mind-body connection at a biochemical level.
Plus icon, svg, dark
Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
Brain Health
Mood Support
Neurotransmitters
Gut–Brain Axis
Neuroinflammation
Nutritional Psychiatry
Cognitive Function
Your path to becoming a Certified Practitioner

How to get started

1st Step
Submit your Application
Apply online in just a few minutes. Our team will review your experience, education and goals to ensure this certification aligns with your professional path.
2nd Step
Join the IOH community
Once accepted, you’ll gain instant access to our global network of practitioners, mentors and resources that support your learning from day one.
3rd Step
Begin your first module
Start your studies inside the IOH learning portal — with guided mentorship, live calls, and access to the Oracle AI system that turns knowledge into action.

Expand your knowledge

All Courses
What does an Integrative Nutritional Therapist do?
Plus icon, svg, dark

An Integrative Nutritional Therapist utilises the latest evidence-based research to create an integrative approach to optimising each client’s health and wellbeing.

They design bio-individual nutrition plans, personalise supplementation where appropriate, and interpret functional laboratory data, including blood work, to gain deeper insights, achieve better accuracy and tailor every intervention to the individual.

How is functional medicine different from conventional medicine?
Plus icon, svg, dark

Conventional medicine often waits until a disease is clearly present before intervention begins. Treatment is focused on managing or suppressing a diagnosed condition.

Functional medicine looks upstream. It assesses the early drivers of dysfunction and works to prevent disease from developing in the first place, or restore balance in the body. It uses a whole-systems view of the body, then applies personalised, preventative nutrition and lifestyle interventions to support long-term health rather than only reacting once things have gone wrong.

What will be my scope of practice after completing this certification?
Plus icon, svg, dark

After completing the certification, you will be recognised and insured as a Integrative Nutritional Therapist inclusive of Nutritional Therapy and Functional Blood Work, with a clearly defined scope of practice.

You will be trained and insured to:

  • Design bio-individual nutrition plans
  • Recommend and prescribe over-the-counter supplementation up to safe, optimal intake thresholds
  • Utilise functional blood work from a wellness perspective to guide your reasoning and recommendations
  • Collaborate with and refer to medical professionals when red flags, pathology or out-of-scope conditions are identified

Our scope of practice has been aligned with nutritional therapy standards and externally audited, so you can work with confidence and clarity.

Is your course accredited?
Plus icon, svg, dark

Yes. Our certifications are accredited by multiple independent professional bodies, including the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT) and the Complementary Medical Association (CMA).

To receive these accreditations, our curriculum undergoes forensic external auditing to ensure every component is up to date, evidence-informed, ethically delivered and aligned with recognised Nutritional Therapy and Functional Health standards. This includes rigorous evaluation of our academic content, assessments, delivery methods and scope of practice frameworks.

This external oversight gives you confidence that the qualification you are investing in is credible, robust and widely recognised within the industry, with clear pathways for insurance, professional membership and global practice.

Will I be able to practise internationally?
Plus icon, svg, dark

Yes. Our graduates are eligible for insurance through IICT that is recognised across 36 countries, including:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden & United Kingdom.

This allows you to work with clients internationally, including in online practice, provided you respect local regulations and the scope of practice defined by your insurer and professional associations.

Need help?
Get in touch with us
Clarity, confidence, and real results start with one conversation. Let’s map your next chapter — together.