Introduction to Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention

Catalog description

Addictions - whether to alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, or other behaviors - often stem from a desire to escape our current experience. By bringing awareness to this tendency, and by finding new ways to relate to our experiences, whether pleasant or unpleasant, we can step out of our habitual tendencies, and choose a more skillful response. This workshop serves as a basic introduction to Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), an aftercare program intended for individuals who have completed initial treatment for substance use disorders. MBRP integrates mindfulness practices with cognitive-behavioral strategies to help clients relate more compassionately and skillfully to physical, mental, or emotional experiences. The workshop will consist of an experiential tour of the core practices and exercises from the eight-week MBRP program. In addition to lecture by the instructor, students will take part in various meditation practices and cognitive-behavioral exercises so they can experience MBRP for themselves.