Digital Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment (MBSAT) Curriculum Certification

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

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?

PDF of the 12-Session Curriculum

How MBSAT fits within teen / adult SUD treatment

Live Optional Add-On for “Full” Certification

Repetition & Spiral Learning

Mindfulness & You

Developing your own mindfulness practice

What is Mindfulness? Lion – dog mind metaphor

What is Mindfulness? (part 2)

Introduction to mindful breathing

Mindful Breathing Meditation

Assignment: Mindfulness elevator pitch

Mindfulness and You: Quiz

Mindfulness and You: Quiz Quiz

Building Authentic Relationships (BARs)

Three pillars: Relationship, insight, skills

What are BARs?

Attunement + Authenticity

More on Authenticity

Deep Listening

OARS (part 1)

OARS (part 2)

INCRAs

Skillful Self-Disclosure as an Intervention

Personal Life Information Free

Here and Now Feelings

Mechanisms of Therapy

What is “Skillful Self-Disclosure?”

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

BARs: Quiz

BARs: Quiz Quiz

Working with “Resistance”

Resistance as protection

Pyramid of skillfully dealing with resistance

Base of the pyramid: View (part1)

Base of the pyramid: View (part 2)

Middle of the pyramid: Self-management (part 1)

Middle of the pyramid: Self-management (part 2)

Top of the pyramid: Interventions (leadership)

Top of the pyramid: Interventions (Blending)

Top of the pyramid: Interventions (Authentic Communication)

Working with Resistance: Quiz

Working with Resistance: Quiz Quiz

Working with Trauma

SUD doesn’t happen in a vacuum Free

Neurophysiology of threat

Tree of traumatic adaptations

Widen the window of tolerance

The mindful check-in

Trauma-informed capacity building with the mindful check-in

What to do when trauma-impacted youth get triggered

Working with Trauma: Quiz

Working with Trauma: Quiz Quiz

Optional BONUS: Lessons from the Trauma Therapist Podcast: An Interview with Guy Macpherson PhD

Cultural Humility & Responsiveness

Cultural Humility & Responsiveness

Culturally Responsive SUD Treatment An Interview with Dr. Gabrielle Jones

Cultural Humility & Responsiveness: Quiz

Cultural Humility & Responsiveness: Quiz Quiz

Promoting Insight / Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing (MI) and its core principles

Using Motivational Interviewing in a harm reduction approach: An interview with Kristin Dempsey

Core Values Exercise

Promoting Insight & Motivation: Quiz

Promoting Insight & Motivation: Quiz Quiz

General Curriculum Concepts

Why we can’t just meditate

Learning modality: Didactic vs. experiential vs. process

5 Group Facilitator “Selves”

Facilitator Selves & Learning Modality

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

Assignment: Which facilitator self are you most comfortable with? Which learning modality?

General Curriculum Concepts: Quiz

General Curriculum Concepts: Quiz Quiz

MBSAT Curriculum Concepts

MBSAT logic model

General discussion progression: General to nuanced to personal

MBSAT Meditations

Meditation is sometimes contraindicated and that’s okay

Deep breathing

Mindful breathing

Bodyscan

Nonmoving bodyscan

Noting meditation

Compassion for family

Compassion for peers

Compassion for community

Teaching trauma-informed meditation: 10 tips

Assignment: Download mindful breathing and make it your own

MBSAT Meditations: Quiz-Assignment

MBSAT Meditations: Quiz-Assignment Quiz

MBSAT Informal Mindfulness Techniques

Mindful check-in

STIC (and other acronyms)

Mindful eating

Informal Mindfulness: Quiz-Assignment

Informal Mindfulness: Quiz

The MBSAT 12-Session Curriculum

PDF of the 12-Session Curriculum (again)

Birds eye view of the 12 sessions AND open vs. closed cohorts

Session 1: Introduction to mindfulness

Session 2: Drugs and their health impact

Session 2: Drugs and their health impact Quiz

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

MBSAT Curriculum: Quiz

BONUS COMING SOON: 24-Session MBSAT for Individual Treatment

12-Session MBSAT Curriculum Quiz

12-Session MBSAT Curriculum Quiz

Live Workshop + Course Evaluation

OPTIONAL: Final “live” assignment and workshop

Course Evaluation

Course Outline
- Introduction to the MBSAT Certification
  - What is the MBSAT Curriculum & Certification?
  - PDF of the 12-Session Curriculum
  - How MBSAT fits within teen / adult SUD treatment
  - Live Optional Add-On for “Full” Certification
  - Repetition & Spiral Learning
- Mindfulness & You
  - Developing your own mindfulness practice
  - What is Mindfulness? Lion – dog mind metaphor
  - What is Mindfulness? (part 2)
  - Introduction to mindful breathing
  - Mindful Breathing Meditation
  - Assignment: Mindfulness elevator pitch
  - Mindfulness and You: Quiz
- Building Authentic Relationships (BARs)
  - Three pillars: Relationship, insight, skills
  - What are BARs?
  - Attunement + Authenticity
  - More on Authenticity
  - Deep Listening
  - OARS (part 1)
  - OARS (part 2)
  - INCRAs
  - Skillful Self-Disclosure as an Intervention
  - Personal Life Information
  - Here and Now Feelings
  - Mechanisms of Therapy
  - What is “Skillful Self-Disclosure?”
  - Assignment: Know thyself: What to disclose, what not to
  - BARs: Quiz
- Working with “Resistance”
  - Resistance as protection
  - Pyramid of skillfully dealing with resistance
  - Base of the pyramid: View (part1)
  - Base of the pyramid: View (part 2)
  - Middle of the pyramid: Self-management (part 1)
  - Middle of the pyramid: Self-management (part 2)
  - Top of the pyramid: Interventions (leadership)
  - Top of the pyramid: Interventions (Blending)
  - Top of the pyramid: Interventions (Authentic Communication)
  - Working with Resistance: Quiz
- Working with Trauma
  - SUD doesn’t happen in a vacuum
  - Neurophysiology of threat
  - Tree of traumatic adaptations
  - Widen the window of tolerance
  - The mindful check-in
  - Trauma-informed capacity building with the mindful check-in
  - What to do when trauma-impacted youth get triggered
  - Working with Trauma: Quiz
  - Optional BONUS: Lessons from the Trauma Therapist Podcast: An Interview with Guy Macpherson PhD
- Cultural Humility & Responsiveness
  - Cultural Humility & Responsiveness
  - Culturally Responsive SUD Treatment An Interview with Dr. Gabrielle Jones
  - Cultural Humility & Responsiveness: Quiz
- Promoting Insight / Motivational Interviewing
  - Motivational Interviewing (MI) and its core principles
  - Using Motivational Interviewing in a harm reduction approach: An interview with Kristin Dempsey
  - Core Values Exercise
  - Promoting Insight & Motivation: Quiz
- General Curriculum Concepts
  - Why we can’t just meditate
  - Learning modality: Didactic vs. experiential vs. process
  - 5 Group Facilitator “Selves”
  - Facilitator Selves & Learning Modality
  - Curriculum Aids: Worksheets, sticky notes, visuals, etc.
  - Assignment: Which facilitator self are you most comfortable with? Which learning modality?
  - General Curriculum Concepts: Quiz
- MBSAT Curriculum Concepts
  - MBSAT logic model
  - General discussion progression: General to nuanced to personal
- MBSAT Meditations
  - Meditation is sometimes contraindicated and that’s okay
  - Deep breathing
  - Mindful breathing
  - Bodyscan
  - Nonmoving bodyscan
  - Noting meditation
  - Compassion for family
  - Compassion for peers
  - Compassion for community
  - Teaching trauma-informed meditation: 10 tips
  - Assignment: Download mindful breathing and make it your own
  - MBSAT Meditations: Quiz-Assignment
- MBSAT Informal Mindfulness Techniques
  - Mindful check-in
  - STIC (and other acronyms)
  - Mindful eating
  - Informal Mindfulness: Quiz-Assignment
- The MBSAT 12-Session Curriculum
  - PDF of the 12-Session Curriculum (again)
  - Birds eye view of the 12 sessions AND open vs. closed cohorts
  - 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
  - MBSAT Curriculum: Quiz
  - BONUS COMING SOON: 24-Session MBSAT for Individual Treatment
  - 12-Session MBSAT Curriculum Quiz
- Live Workshop + Course Evaluation
  - OPTIONAL: Final “live” assignment and workshop
  - Course Evaluation
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