Who is Eligible:
To be eligible for certification, the applicant must have earned a minimum of a master’s degree in their profession and hold a state or national license as listed above, with all training hours and supervision requirements completed to be licensed for independent practice in the state they are licensed.
- Psychologists
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Licensed Creative Arts Therapists
- Psychiatrists
- Psychoanalysts
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
- Registered Dieticians
- Naturopathic Doctors
By applying for certification, the applicant agrees to adhere to Evergreen Certifications’ Professional Code of Ethics
Training Requirements:
A minimum of 18 hours of continued education, in specific mental health and nutrition topics.
Pre-approved, 3rd party trainings that meet the training requirements for CMNCS certification include:
Wondering if a course meets the requirements for CMNCS certification? Submit a copy of or link to the course title, speaker, outline and learning objectives to info@evergreencertifications.com for review.
Please note that Evergreen Certifications does not offer continuing education, all training must be purchased directly through the accredited training organization. Training is not included in the certification fee.
Complete Required Reading:
The applicant must read at least 2 books to further their understanding of mental health and nutrition. Sample books include, but are not limited to:
- Nutritional Treatments to Improve Mental Health Disorders
- Fuel Your Brain, Not Your Anxiety: Stop the Cycle of Worry, Fatigue, and Sugar Cravings
- Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health: A Complete Guide to the Food-Mood Connection
- The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions Today
- This is Your Brain on Food (An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More)
- Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power
- Brain Body Diet: 40 Days to a Lean, Calm, Energized, and Happy Self
- Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD That Restores Attention, Minimizes Hyperactivity, and Helps Eliminate Drug Side Effects
- A Mind of Your Own
- Brain Inflamed
Application Process:
For your initial 2-year certification, please complete the following steps.
- Complete a qualifying training
- Remit your initial application payment of 249.99 USD online
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
- A completed CMNCS application form
Evergreen Certifications will certify applicants who meet the above requirements.
Please note: Certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession’s standards.
Renewal Process:
To maintain CMNCS certification, a renewal is required. After your initial 2-year certification, you can renew for 2 years. A 2-year renewal requires 12 hours of continuing education related to nutrition and mental health since you were last certified.
Sample CMNCS renewal trainings include:
- The Food-Mood Connection: Empowering Psychotherapists with Integrative Strategies by PESI
- Therapists in the Kitchen: Integrating Nutrition into Your Mental Health Practice by PESI
- Nutritional and Integrative Interventions for Mental Health Disorders: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions for Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar & ADHD by PESI
- Nutrition and Mental Health: Better Treatment Outcomes through Food-Focused Motivational Interviewing, CBT, and More by PESI
- Nutrition and Integrative Methods for Trauma: Enhancing Mood, Sleep, and Well-being by Psychotherapy Networker
Renewal Process
- Complete a qualifying training
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CEU or completion certificate
- Remit your CMNCS renewal fee of 149.99 USD online
Renewal training hours need to have been taken in the time since you were certified or last recertified.
Renewals are calculated from the date that your certification was issued. If you allow your certification to lapse for more than 2 years, you are no longer eligible to renew your certification and instead can reapply for certification
Kristen Allott - ND, LAc
As a naturopathic physician, national speaker, and pioneering advocate for the use of whole foods nutrition in the treatment of mental health disorders and addictions, Dr. Allott is passionate about achievable results. With more than fifteen years of clinical experience, she has refined her expertise on how to promote increased mental, emotional and physical functioning by treating the physical causes of mental health, fatigue, and sugar cravings. Dr. Allott is the co-author of Fuel Your Brain, Not Your Anxiety: Stop the Cycle of Worry, Fatigue, and Sugar Cravings with Simple Protein-Rich Foods (February 2021).
Dr. Allott has worked as a residential counselor for adolescents in mental health crises and advocated for the educational rights for individuals with learning disabilities. She is currently on the academic faculty at Bastyr University and serves as a guest lecturer for a variety of groups. As a physician and acupuncturist, she enjoys studying how daily life affects the biochemistry, physiology, and qi (energy) of the body. As a black belt in Aikido, she has studied the intimate connections between the mind, emotions and body.
Vanessa Ruiz - ND, RN-BSN
Vanessa Ruiz, ND, RN-BSN, is a Naturopathic physician and registered nurse. She utilizes natural therapies such as biofeedback, nutrition and botanical medicines in an integrative setting for both behavioral health and medical conditions at Integrative Mental Health Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. She earned her doctorate of naturopathic medicine at Southwest College in Tempe, Arizona, and her nursing degree from Stony Brook University, New York.
She has been featured in the "Dig Deep Documentary" and “Voyage Phoenix” for her work with trauma and natural mental health. She has also been a practicing nurse for over 10 years, in the areas of pediatrics, geriatrics and global health. She is the founder of Nurses for Natural Health, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering nurses in natural health. In her spare time, she volunteers for the Medical Reserve Corps of New York, Naturopaths without Borders and Homeopaths without Borders.
Vicki Steine - DSC, LCSW, BCHN, IFNCP, CIMHP
Vicki Steine is a Doctor of Science in Holistic Nutrition and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice working with children and adults. She has worked in the field of mental health for over twenty years. She is currently in private practice and specializes in treating neurological disorders, addiction, and trauma. Knowing that the brain and the body are connected, Dr. Vicki uses a combination of lifestyle education, mind/body therapies and talk therapy in her practice. She is a Board Certified Nutrition Professional, Integrative Nutrition Certified Practitioner, Certified HeartMath Practitioner, and Brainspotting Therapist. She is also trained in Emotional Freedom Technique, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Exposure Therapy. She is a national speaker for PESI teaching an integrative approach to psychotherapy.