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Gratitude and Implications for Counselors – Q and A with TED Talk Speaker and Psychologist – 1 CE Hour

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About Course

This self-paced continuing education course, presented by Troy Kane, LCMHCS and psychologist and TED Talk speaker Dr. Christina Costa, offers a comprehensive exploration of gratitude through a neuroscience-informed and clinically grounded lens. Drawing from Dr. Costa’s research background, personal journey of resilience, and experience teaching the science of well-being, this course translates emerging brain-based findings into practical insights for counselors.

Learners will examine the neural mechanisms behind gratitude, its measurable effects on emotional regulation and stress, and practical ways to incorporate gratitude. Special attention is given to integrating gratitude practices within ethical, evidence-based counseling, as well as understanding how gratitude can support resilience, and counter burnout. Through thoughtful discussion and real-world applications, participants will explore how gratitude can be tailored to diverse clients and incorporated into treatment planning.

This course maintains an encouraging, accessible tone while addressing both the opportunities and limitations of gratitude-based interventions. Clinicians will leave with actionable strategies to help clients cultivate gratitude in meaningful ways—enhancing well-being, promoting neuroplasticity, and supporting lasting change.

Mental Health Education Online has been approved by NBCC As an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7878. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Mental Health Education Online is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Mental Health Education Online has been approved by NBCC

As an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7878.
Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Mental Health Education Online is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
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Learning Objectives

Explain the key neural mechanisms involved in gratitude, including the roles of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and reward pathways.
Analyze how gratitude practices can enhance mental health and resilience in personal and organizational contexts.
Describe how gratitude influences emotion regulation, stress response, and overall well-being.
Evaluate the limitations and misconceptions about gratitude in neuroscience and psychology research.
Identify evidence-based strategies for cultivating gratitude in daily life or professional practice.

Course Curriculum

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Speaker Profile

Dr. Christina Costa, Ph.D.

Dr. Christina Costa, is a psychologist, researcher, and widely recognized TED Talk speaker whose work bridges neuroscience, positive psychology, mindset, and teaching innovation. She is best known for her acclaimed TED Talk, “The Neuroscience of Gratitude,” which has reached hundreds of thousands worldwide and continues to influence both clinical and educational communities.
Dr. Costa holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, where her research has focused on gratitude, mindset, well-being, and the ways intentional practices shape and strengthen neural pathways. Her expertise includes the neuroscience of emotion, stress response systems, neuroplasticity, and the behavioral impacts of gratitude-based interventions. With a gift for translating complex scientific concepts into practical, accessible strategies, she equips mental health professionals with tools that are grounded in research and immediately applicable in clinical settings.

As an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr. Costa is deeply committed to teaching, mentorship, and helping others harness the brain’s adaptability to support mental health, resilience, and growth. Her work empowers clinicians and learners alike to understand the science beneath gratitude and mindset—and to apply these insights to foster healing, connection, and lasting change.

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