3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Sickness Behavior 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.

Sickness behavior is a coordinated set of behavioral changes (e.g., depression, cognitive impairment, irritability, fatigue, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal, and decreased appetite) that can occur in physically ill individuals. 

Although considered an adaptive response, persisting symptoms may negatively impact overall health and wellness. Intended for professionals, this program is designed to increase awareness of sickness behavior, including its implications for screening and intervention through a behavioral health lens. Empirically based research findings are highlighted throughout this program. 

Relevant topics covered will include:

  • Comorbid unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, 
  • Psychopathology, 
  • Trauma and psychological distress, 
  • Burnout, cognitive dysfunction, 
  • Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, 
  • Problematic coping strategies, 
  • Inflammation, 
  • Somatization, 
  • Chronic pain syndromes, 
  • Sleep disturbances, 
  • Emotional dysregulation, 
  • Loneliness and social isolation, 
  • Substance misuse 

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe sickness behavior and other related constructs
  • 2 Identify the symptoms and red flag indicators of sickness behavior
  • 3 Describe the role of sickness behavior in co-occurring cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical health conditions
  • 4 Describe screening and intervention techniques and approaches for sickness behavior through a behavioral health lens
  • 5 Describe relevant and up-to-date research findings

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other behavioral health professionals who are interested in understanding and addressing sickness behavior and its impact on overall health and wellness. It is particularly relevant for those specializing in behavioral health, clinical psychology, counseling, integrated care, and interventions for clients with physical and mental health comorbidities. The training is also suitable for allied mental health professionals who work with clients experiencing both physical and mental health challenges and are interested in the intersection of physical and mental health.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists (clinical, counseling, health, and related specialties)
    • Social Workers (clinical and community-based)
    • Licensed Professional Counselors
    • Marriage and Family Therapists
    • Allied Mental Health Professionals (e.g., psychiatric nurses, case managers)
    • Behavioral Health Specialists
    • Integrated Care Providers
    • Researchers in behavioral health or psychosomatic medicine

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with sickness behavior and related constructs.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to the concept of sickness behavior and seek foundational knowledge about its symptoms, related constructs, and basic screening approaches.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some familiarity with sickness behavior and are looking to deepen their understanding of its role in co-occurring health conditions, as well as enhance their skills in assessment and intervention using current research.

    • Advanced: Participants have substantial experience with behavioral health and are interested in integrating advanced, empirically supported strategies for complex presentations involving sickness behavior and comorbid conditions.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice occurs in multidisciplinary, medically integrated environments where behavioral health is embedded alongside physical healthcare to address co-occurring conditions and sickness behavior. Clinicians collaborate with medical teams to provide screening, consultation, and intervention across preventive, acute, and chronic care, delivered in both in-person and telehealth formats.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Integrated primary care
    • Hospital consultation-liaison services
    • Outpatient behavioral health clinics
    • Community mental health centers
    • Pain management and rehabilitation programs
    • Specialty medical clinics (oncology, cardiology, endocrinology)
    • Federally qualified health centers
    • University counseling and student health services
    • Telehealth practices
    • VA and military health systems

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:

  • Comorbid unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, sleep disturbances, and problematic coping strategies

  • Psychopathology

  • Trauma and psychological distress

  • Burnout and cognitive dysfunction

  • Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction

  • Inflammation and chronic pain syndromes

  • Somatization

  • Emotional dysregulation

  • Loneliness and social isolation

  • Substance misuse

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.