3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Gratitude, Optimism, and Joy: Implications for Health and Wellness is presented by Jerrod Brown, PhD.

This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Integrated Behavioral Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.

Gratitude and wellness, gratitude and health have been linked for years now. Numerous studies have shown that people who regularly practice gratitude tend to have higher levels of happiness and well-being, lower levels of stress, and better relationships. Gratitude has been shown to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, increase happiness and satisfaction with life, and reduce anxiety and depression. In addition, gratitude has been associated with increased physical health, better mental health, longer life, and a more meaningful existence. 

Intended for professionals, this program examines the impact these topics have on client-based populations. Intervention and treatment approaches are discussed through gratitude, optimism, and joy lenses. Empirically based research findings are discussed throughout this program.

Related topics discussed during the course of this program include:

  • Resilience 
  • Happiness 
  • Emotional intelligence 
  • Humor
  • Well-being
  • Self-compassion 
  • Positive psychology
  • Self-reflection
  • Metacognition 
  • Journaling 
  • Savoring
  • Healthy lifestyle practices
  • Positive coping strategies 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe gratitude, optimism, joy, and other related constructs
  • 2 Describe ways to promote gratitude, optimism, and joy among client-based populations
  • 3 Describe the causes and consequences associated with lower levels of gratitude, optimism, and joy
  • 4 Describe the relationship between gratitude, optimism, and joy and positive emotional, social, cognitive, and physical health outcomes
  • 5 Describe empirically based research findings

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals who wish to integrate gratitude and wellness strategies into their clinical practice. It is suitable for those specializing in psychotherapy, counseling, or behavioral health interventions, and is designed for individuals interested in enhancing client well-being, resilience, and overall mental health through evidence-based gratitude and wellness approaches.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Social Workers
    • Counselors
    • Behavioral Health Practitioners

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with gratitude and wellness interventions.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to integrating gratitude, optimism, and related constructs into clinical practice and seek foundational knowledge and basic intervention strategies.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience applying gratitude and wellness concepts with clients and are looking to deepen their understanding of empirically supported interventions and expand their skills in promoting positive psychological outcomes.

    • Advanced: Participants are highly experienced in utilizing gratitude, optimism, and related approaches in clinical settings and are interested in advanced applications, critical analysis of research, and leadership in implementing gratitude-based interventions within organizations or communities.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners work in professional clinical environments that deliver psychotherapy and behavioral health services, with structures for ethical practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and outcome monitoring across in-person and virtual care. These settings support evidence-based gratitude and wellness interventions to enhance client well-being, resilience, and overall mental health.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Private practice clinics
    • Community mental health centers
    • Hospital psychiatry units (inpatient and outpatient)
    • Integrated primary care/behavioral health clinics
    • University counseling centers
    • School-based mental health programs
    • Residential or intensive outpatient programs
    • Telehealth platforms

Presented By

Jerrod Brown, PhD Pathways Counseling Center, Inc.

Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is a professor, trainer, researcher, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers, professionals, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), confabulation, suggestibility, trauma, and other life adversities, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Neuropsychology, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Other Health Disabilities (OHD), and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). Jerrod has also conducted over 200 workshops, webinars, and on-demand training for various organizations and professional and student audiences. In 2021, Jerrod completed a post-doctoral certificate in Leadership and Organizational Strategy from Walden University and a Professional Certificate in Forensic Psychology from San Diego State University Global Campus. Currently, Jerrod is pursuing a graduate certificate in Neuroscience and Law from Michigan State University. Jerrod has published several articles and book chapters and recently co-edited the book Forensic Mental Health: A Source Guide for Professionals (Brown & Weinkauf, 2018) with Erv Weinkauf. Jerrod is also regularly featured on several national and international podcast programs.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Jerrod Brown, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Gratitude, optimism, joy, and other related constructs

  • Ways to promote gratitude, optimism, and joy among client-based populations

  • Causes and consequences associated with lower levels of gratitude, optimism, and joy

  • The relationship between gratitude, optimism, joy, and positive emotional, social, cognitive, and physical health outcomes

  • Empirically based research findings

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
View Certificates

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.