3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Sedentary Behavior: Implications for Health and Wellness is presented by Jerrod Brown, Ph.D.

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.

Sedentary behavior is defined as any waking behavior characterized by an energy expenditure ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs) while in a sitting, reclining, or lying posture. Sedentary behaviors are a threat to emotional, cognitive, social, and physical health.

This program explores sedentary lifestyle effects, including the negative effects on lifestyle and mental health. Possible causes and contributing factors for sedentary behavior in behavioral health populations, along with the causes and consequences associated with a sedentary lifestyle, will be discussed. This program covers implications for screening, interviewing, and intervention. Empirically based research findings are highlighted throughout this program.

Relevant topics covered include:

  • Negative lifestyle effects and risky health behaviors
  • Psychological distress and toxic stress
  • Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction
  • Therapeutic lifestyle changes
  • Health-promoting behaviors
  • Problematic coping strategies
  • Chronic low-grade inflammation
  • Excessive screen time exposure
  • Metabolic dysfunction
  • Gut-brain health dysfunction
  • Blood sugar dysregulation
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Emotional dysregulation
  • Loneliness and social isolation
  • Alexithymia

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe sedentary behavior and other related constructs
  • 2 Describe unhealthy lifestyles and risky health behaviors
  • 3 Describe the causes and consequences associated with sedentary behavior
  • 4 Describe screening and intervention techniques and approaches for clients who live a sedentary lifestyle
  • 5 Describe relevant and up-to-date research findings

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for professionals interested in understanding the effects of sedentary behavior on emotional, cognitive, social, and physical health, with particular relevance for those specializing in behavioral health, clinical psychology, counseling, public health, and wellness or lifestyle interventions.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Social Workers
    • Counselors
    • Behavioral Health Specialists
    • Clinical Psychologists
    • Public Health Professionals
    • Wellness and Lifestyle Intervention Practitioners
    • School Counselors and Educators
    • Researchers in health-related fields

  • Experience Level

    This CE training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various experience levels.

    • Beginner: Participants new to the topic or with limited experience will gain foundational knowledge about sedentary behavior, its definitions, and its impact on mental and physical health.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience or prior training will deepen their understanding of the causes and consequences of sedentary lifestyles, and learn to apply screening and intervention strategies in clinical practice.

    • Advanced: Participants with extensive experience or specialized knowledge will enhance their ability to integrate current research findings, address complex cases, and implement advanced interventions for clients affected by sedentary behavior.

  • Practice Setting

    Participants typically practice in environments that deliver behavioral health and wellness services across in-person and virtual care. Work involves screening and interviewing for sedentary behavior risks, implementing evidence-based interventions and health promotion, and collaborating within interdisciplinary teams.


    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Outpatient mental health clinics and private practices
    • Hospital behavioral health units and integrated primary care
    • Community health centers and public health departments
    • School-based counseling and university counseling centers
    • Workplace wellness and employee assistance programs
    • Telehealth and digital care platforms
    • Residential/inpatient and rehabilitation programs
    • Research institutes and academic laboratories

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

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.
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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.