About the Course

The Functional Approach to Psychiatric Treatment Course equips nurse practitioners of diverse disciplines with the skills needed to elevate mental health care. Participants will develop a sophisticated knowledge of functional medicine’s relationship to psychiatry, unlocking new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Exploring the relationship between genetics, hormones, lifestyle, nutrition, and emotional challenges, this course forges new paths in the mainstream understanding of psychiatric well-being.  

Developed by Nicholas Goodwin, DNP, PMHNP, this curriculum encourages providers to establish a holistic view of the human body when treating various conditions. Through the evaluation of lab values, family history, dietary deficiencies, and comorbidities, NPs can create hyper-individualized care protocols to improve outcomes. A functional approach can dramatically revamp the nature of an NP’s practice, fostering trust, boosting efficacy, and cultivating patient satisfaction.  

Broaden the scope of your business beyond the limits of the modern healthcare landscape. Deepen your understanding of the brain-body connection. Engage with clients and invite them to explore the true roots of their symptoms. Get ahead of the curve and embrace the future of medicine.  

You will learn: 

• How functional medicine principles can be used to shape diagnostic and pharmacological care  
• The links between genetics, hormones, and mental illness 
• Tips for effective communication with patients throughout the treatment journey 
• The differences and parallels between mainstream clinical psychiatry and holistic medicine 
• Best practices for collecting and understanding lab values in relation to patient well-being 
• Ways to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a spectrum of functional interventions 
• Recommended risk mitigation protocols for functional psychiatric medical practices 
• Techniques for incorporating functional medicine interventions into your medical toolkit 
• How to build, adapt, and expand your business through a functional care lens 

A Note from Dr. Nick Goodwin: 

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this course and expanding Elite NP’s functional medicine toolkit. As providers, we are faced with a variety of challenges when helping our patients overcome their illnesses and emotional hardships. There are many roadblocks in clinical settings, including low efficacy treatments and lack of evidence-based diagnostic testing. Many of our patients have been receiving care for years, with minimal improvement or even mental decline and misdiagnosis. 

We must be proficient and knowledgeable in diagnosis and intervention, employing out of the box approaches for those who have already “tried everything”. A functional philosophy allows us to look beyond the psychiatric interview process, and ensure we gather a holistic understanding of a patient’s symptoms, illness progression, genetics, treatment history efficacy, and lab/imaging results. A functional approach also unlocks many interventions that pose lower risk than traditional psychiatry. 

This course will help expand your library of functional techniques for diagnostics and psychiatric intervention. I point out the benefits and pitfalls of a variety of treatment methods. I place extra emphasis on those that are highly effective and align best for liability in insurance settings, while helping patients find what they are truly looking for. I use a “shared decision-making approach” in my practice, and know the most comprehensive treatment regimen is one that the patient is optimistic or even excited about. This is where functional medicine shines, as patients embrace natural and etiological strategies that often have far less side effects than medications they’ve tried before. 

See you in class! 

— Nick Goodwin, DNP, PMHNP 

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have unlimited access to this course? 

Absolutely! You can access this course however many times you’d like for however long you want. All Elite Nurse Practitioner Courses are pre-recorded and accessible indefinitely. 

I already own a practice. Can I add functional psychiatry to my service menu? 

Yes. Whether you are a primary care, family, or mental health NP, functional medicine principles can be incorporated into your clinical toolkit. 

Does this course cover the relationship between psychopharmacology and functional medicine?  

This curriculum includes everything the NP needs to make informed medication management decisions through a functional lens. 

Will participants get a full list of the most effective functional psychiatric interventions?  

Yes. This course gives an intricate overview of specialized lab values and genetic evaluation strategies that can be applied to any mental health treatment protocol. 

Will this course provide a certificate of completion? 

Yes! A certificate is issued at the end of the course that will show the CEU hours and your completion of this course. You can also use this certificate to submit for reimbursement through your malpractice carrier. 

What People are Saying...

Elite NP offers an array of amazing classes that can help you grow your dreams. The Elite NP team provides motivation and encouragement in abundance, making the journey towards success seem effortless. Their step-by-step instructions make learning easy and enjoyable. The quick responses to any questions show their dedication to their students' success. The support provided by Elite NP is invaluable, helping students achieve anything they set their minds to. With a strong foundation built through these great courses, anything and everything becomes possible. Elite NP is truly amazing!

A great amount of information is provided in these courses. Straight to the point, providing you with the tools you really need. I have been looking for information all over the place for several months without success, until I found Elite NP and these courses.

I was very excited about purchasing this amazing material. Upon completion, I was blown away. So much important high-yield material all put together so thoughtfully and skillfully. I cannot thank Elite NP enough for such a great education!