Course

Foundations of Mental Health (3 CEs)

Self-paced
3 credits

$180 Enroll

Full course description

Courese Description

What if student behavior is more than meets the eye? Discover how stress and trauma shape the developing brain and influence student behavior in educational settings. This course will empower you to see beyond surface actions and respond with proven strategies that foster safety, connection, and effective learning. You'll explore practical frameworks, identify risk and protective factors, and clarify your role as an educator—building the foundation for a supportive, mentally healthy classroom.

What Lies Beneath Student Behavior?

When students act out, shut down, or disengage, it’s easy to assume they’re making a choice to misbehave. But often, these behaviors are outward signs of what’s happening inside their brains and bodies. Instead of being intentional, these actions can be automatic responses to stress. Understanding this deeper layer helps us see student behavior through a new, more compassionate lens.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Explain how stress impacts the developing brain.
  • Distinguish between learning and survival brain states.
  • Describe how trauma and stress influence student behavior.
  • Reflect on personal and student experiences with stress.

Course Instructor 

Sherri Sedler, PsyD,, Assistant Professor and Program Director, School Counseling Program Alliant University

Sherri Sedler, PsyD, is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the School Counseling Program at Alliant University. She has over two decades of experience in education, school counseling, behavioral health, and counselor education. Dr. Sedler has served as a school counselor, district mental health leader, clinical psychologist, and consultant, with expertise in trauma-informed practices, school mental health, educator well-being, crisis response, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is committed to equipping educators with practical, evidence-informed strategies that promote safe, supportive, and mentally healthy learning environments.

 

 

Full course description

Instructor

Sherri Sedler, PsyD

Timeline:

Self-paced

Course Type:

Asynchronous Web Lectures