Gut Feelings: The Microbiome’s Growing Role in Mental Health Treatment

Often referred to as our “second brain,” the gut microbiome has become a central focus of research for leading neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals, as we discover more about how gut health influences mood, cognition, and even personality.

Join us in collaboration with Houston Methodist's Dr. Alok Madan, PhD, MPH, to gain a deeper understanding of how diet and nutrition function as essential components of holistic, interdisciplinary treatment planning. We’ll also dive into what clinicians can do to dispel common misconceptions about diet and mental health, and to pr...Read moreomote a broader cultural shift toward whole-person healing in clinical practice. Less...

Learning Objectives

Explain how the gut microbiome influences mental health and brain function.
Apply nutrition science within interdisciplinary mental health care planning.
Identify a key strategy to support the shift toward nutrition-informed psychiatric treatment.

Target Audience

This educational activity is intended for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and MFT's.

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Live Interactive Webinar

01:00 PM EDT - 02:00 PM EDT

EARN 1 CE Credit Hours
Click Here to Register

About the speakers

Alok Madan, PhD, MPH

Vice Chairman, Houston Methodist Behavioral Health

Dr. Alok Madan is a clinical health psychologist with over 20 years of experience advancing care for individuals with chronic medical conditions and serious mental illness. He currently serves as Vice Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health and the John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Chair at Houston Methodist, where he leads efforts to expand mental health services and build research infrastructure with a focus on technology integration. His research explores gut-brain connections in psychiatric illness and innovative brain stimulation therapies. Dr. Madan holds professorships at Houston Methodist, Weill Cornell, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M, and UTHealth. He earned his PhD and MPH from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Amanda Fialk, PhD, LCSW, LICSW

Partner and Chief Clinical Officer, The Dorm

Dr. Amanda Fialk is the Partner and Chief Clinical Officer at The Dorm, a young adult treatment community with locations in New York City, NY and Washington, D.C. Amanda received her master’s degree and a doctoral degree in Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work where her dissertation focused on the clinical implications of countertransference in the treatment of addiction. She completed psychoanalytic training at The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York City. Prior to joining The Dorm in 2011, Amanda was the Program Director for New York Center For Living and Flatbush Addiction Treatment Center. Amanda has specialized training in DBT, CBT, addiction and co-occurring disorders, eating disorders, family therapy, EMDR and motivational interviewing. Amanda believes that clients and their families need to be treated holistically and from a strengths-based perspective and has seen firsthand the healing power of the therapeutic alliance.

She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the New York Academy of Medicine and an adjunct professor at Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Agenda

1pm- 1:15pm: Introductions and learning objectives
1:15pm - 1:50pm: Presentation
1:50pm- 1:55pm: Audience participation- Questions/Answers

CE Information - Earn 1 CE Credit Hour

CE Approvals

New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work

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New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy

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Commission on Dietetic Registration

Completion of this RD/DTR profession-specific or IPCE activity awards CPEUs (1 IPCE credits = 1 CPEU). If the activity is dietetics related but not targeted to RDs or DTRs, CPEUs may be claimed which are commensurate with participation in contact hours (1 hour/60 minutes = 1 CPEU). RDs and DTRs are to select activity type 102 in their Activity Logs. Performance Indicator selection is at the learner’s discretion.

American Psychological Association

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CE Process Info

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Complete evaluation forms for the event
Download your continuing education certificate in a PDF format

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