Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment (MBSAT) Curriculum Certification

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Sam Himelstein, Ph.D. · November 27, 2025

This course opens on January 5, 2026.

Download the DRAFT syllabus here: DRAFT Digital MBSAT Certification Syllabus

Full course outline COMING SOON!

Open Enrollment Date: 11/28/2025

Course Access / Start Date 01/05/2026

Course Information

Course Instructor

Sam Himelstein, Ph.D. Author

Introduction to the MBSAT Certification

What is the MBSAT Curriculum & Certification?

How MBSAT fits within teen / adult SUD treatment

The development of this certification

Certification Outline

Live Optional Add-On

The role of repitition

Spiral learning: Get certified. Come back.

Mindfulness & You

Developing your own mindfulness practice

What is mindfulness? Lion – dog mind metaphor

Introduction to mindful breathing

Assignment: Meditation Journal

You as a mindfulness meditation facilitator

Making mindfulness stick: How to develop a practice

Assignment: Mindfulness elevator pitch

Building Authentic Relationships (BARs)

Three pillars: Relationship, insight, skills

Why BARs are so important to this work

What are BARs?

Specific BAR skills

Attunement

Authenticity

Deep Listening

OARS

INCRAs

Assignment: What INCRAs do you have access to?

Skillful Self-Disclosure

Assignment: Know thyself: What to disclose, what not to

Working with “resistance”

Resistance as protection

Pyramid of skillfully dealing with resistance

Base of the pyramid: View

Middle of the pyramid: Self-management

Top of the pyramid: Interventions

Assignment: Facilitator self-awareness of what types of resistance trigger you

Trauma

What is trauma?

PTSD and traditional trauma symptoms

Basic neurophysiology of trauma

How trauma manifests: A renewed look at symptoms

Tree of traumatic adaptations

What to do when trauma-impacted youth get triggered

Teaching trauma-informed mindfulness (part 1)

Section quiz

Promoting Insight / Motivational Interviewing

What is Motivational Interviewing?

Core principles of MI

Change Talk

OARS

DARN CATS

Core values exercise to develop discrepancy

Quiz

Group Facilitation

Groups – Their power and role in healing and growth

Facilitator Roles

Presenter

Supporter

Coach

Facilitator

Confronter / Explorer

Assignment: Which role are you most comfortable with? Which do you need most growth in?

Cultural Humility & Responsiveness

ADDRESSING framework

Living Identities

Humility is “beyond ego” work

Other culturally responsive frameworks

Assignment: What are your living identities?

General Curriculum Concepts

Developing curricula for teens and young adults? Can’t just meditate

Learning variability: Didactic vs. experiential vs. process

Didactic

Experiential

Process / Discussion

Curriculum Aids: Worksheets, sticky notes, visuals, etc.

What this all looks like for a “mindfulness-based” curriculum

Goal of effective curriculum: Engagement

MBSAT Curriculum Concepts

MBSAT logic model

General theme, discussion, learning progression

How the above helps individuals relate to the theme

General discussion progression: General to nuanced to personal

Facilitation of nuance

The paradox of teaching meditation

Quiz

MBSAT Meditations

Meditation is sometimes contraindicated and that’s okay

Arcs: Mindful breathing, body based, compassion

Deep breathing

Mindful breathing

Bodyscan

Nonmoving bodyscan

Noting meditation

Compassion for family

Compassion for peers

Compassion for community

BONUS: Still breathing

Assignment: Meditation journal on which meditation you gravitate towards most and why

Teaching trauma-informed meditation: 10 tips

Meditation & progression

Facilitator eyes: Open or closed?

Assignment: Download mindful breathing and make it your own

MBSAT Informal mindfulness tools

Mindful check-in

STIC (and other acronyms)

Mindful eating

Teaching trauma-informed mindfulness part 2: Case example of informal to formal mindfulness

Assignment: What’s your informal mindfulness practice?

Part 2: The MBSAT 12-Session Curriculum

Structure of each session agenda

Be prepared, be ready to pivot

Birds eye view of the 12 sessions

Language threads of the curriculum

Rolling admissions vs closed cohort

Session 1: Introduction to mindfulness

Session 2: Drugs and their health impact

Session 3: Reacting vs responding

Session 4: Promoting insight

Session 5: Emotional awareness

Session 6: The brain and drugs

Session 7: Craving

Session 8: Triggers

Session 9: Drugs and the family

Session 10: Healthy vs unhealthy peer relationships

Session 11: Environmental influences

Session 12: Graduation

BONUS: 24 Session MBSAT for Individual Treatment

Difference in facilitating individually vs with a group

General outline of each session

Treatment planning

24 session outline

Part 3: Putting it all together

Program evaluation, formal research, clinical assessment

Pre-post packets that could be used with MBSAT

Understanding levels of care in SUD

OPTIONAL: Final “live” assignment and workshop

Course Evaluation

Course Outline
- Introduction to the MBSAT Certification
  - What is the MBSAT Curriculum & Certification?
  - How MBSAT fits within teen / adult SUD treatment
  - The development of this certification
  - Certification Outline
  - Live Optional Add-On
  - The role of repitition
  - Spiral learning: Get certified. Come back.
- Mindfulness & You
  - Developing your own mindfulness practice
  - What is mindfulness? Lion – dog mind metaphor
  - Introduction to mindful breathing
  - Assignment: Meditation Journal
  - You as a mindfulness meditation facilitator
  - Making mindfulness stick: How to develop a practice
  - Assignment: Mindfulness elevator pitch
- Building Authentic Relationships (BARs)
  - Three pillars: Relationship, insight, skills
  - Why BARs are so important to this work
  - What are BARs?
  - Specific BAR skills
  - Attunement
  - Authenticity
  - Deep Listening
  - OARS
  - INCRAs
  - Assignment: What INCRAs do you have access to?
  - Skillful Self-Disclosure
  - Assignment: Know thyself: What to disclose, what not to
- Working with “resistance”
  - Resistance as protection
  - Pyramid of skillfully dealing with resistance
  - Base of the pyramid: View
  - Middle of the pyramid: Self-management
  - Top of the pyramid: Interventions
  - Assignment: Facilitator self-awareness of what types of resistance trigger you
- Trauma
  - What is trauma?
  - PTSD and traditional trauma symptoms
  - Basic neurophysiology of trauma
  - How trauma manifests: A renewed look at symptoms
  - Tree of traumatic adaptations
  - What to do when trauma-impacted youth get triggered
  - Teaching trauma-informed mindfulness (part 1)
  - Section quiz
- Promoting Insight / Motivational Interviewing
  - What is Motivational Interviewing?
  - Core principles of MI
  - Change Talk
  - OARS
  - DARN CATS
  - Core values exercise to develop discrepancy
  - Quiz
- Group Facilitation
  - Groups – Their power and role in healing and growth
  - Facilitator Roles
  - Presenter
  - Supporter
  - Coach
  - Facilitator
  - Confronter / Explorer
  - Assignment: Which role are you most comfortable with? Which do you need most growth in?
- Cultural Humility & Responsiveness
  - ADDRESSING framework
  - Living Identities
  - Humility is “beyond ego” work
  - Other culturally responsive frameworks
  - Assignment: What are your living identities?
- General Curriculum Concepts
  - Developing curricula for teens and young adults? Can’t just meditate
  - Learning variability: Didactic vs. experiential vs. process
  - Didactic
  - Experiential
  - Process / Discussion
  - Curriculum Aids: Worksheets, sticky notes, visuals, etc.
  - What this all looks like for a “mindfulness-based” curriculum
  - Goal of effective curriculum: Engagement
- MBSAT Curriculum Concepts
  - MBSAT logic model
  - General theme, discussion, learning progression
  - How the above helps individuals relate to the theme
  - General discussion progression: General to nuanced to personal
  - Facilitation of nuance
  - The paradox of teaching meditation
  - Quiz
- MBSAT Meditations
  - Meditation is sometimes contraindicated and that’s okay
  - Arcs: Mindful breathing, body based, compassion
  - Deep breathing
  - Mindful breathing
  - Bodyscan
  - Nonmoving bodyscan
  - Noting meditation
  - Compassion for family
  - Compassion for peers
  - Compassion for community
  - BONUS: Still breathing
  - Assignment: Meditation journal on which meditation you gravitate towards most and why
  - Teaching trauma-informed meditation: 10 tips
  - Meditation & progression
  - Facilitator eyes: Open or closed?
  - Assignment: Download mindful breathing and make it your own
- MBSAT Informal mindfulness tools
  - Mindful check-in
  - STIC (and other acronyms)
  - Mindful eating
  - Teaching trauma-informed mindfulness part 2: Case example of informal to formal mindfulness
  - Assignment: What’s your informal mindfulness practice?
- Part 2: The MBSAT 12-Session Curriculum
  - Structure of each session agenda
  - Be prepared, be ready to pivot
  - Birds eye view of the 12 sessions
  - Language threads of the curriculum
  - Rolling admissions vs closed cohort
  - Session 1: Introduction to mindfulness
  - Session 2: Drugs and their health impact
  - Session 3: Reacting vs responding
  - Session 4: Promoting insight
  - Session 5: Emotional awareness
  - Session 6: The brain and drugs
  - Session 7: Craving
  - Session 8: Triggers
  - Session 9: Drugs and the family
  - Session 10: Healthy vs unhealthy peer relationships
  - Session 11: Environmental influences
  - Session 12: Graduation
- BONUS: 24 Session MBSAT for Individual Treatment
  - Difference in facilitating individually vs with a group
  - General outline of each session
  - Treatment planning
  - 24 session outline
- Part 3: Putting it all together
  - Program evaluation, formal research, clinical assessment
  - Pre-post packets that could be used with MBSAT
  - Understanding levels of care in SUD
  - OPTIONAL: Final “live” assignment and workshop
  - Course Evaluation
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