CHA Continuing Education

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and behavioral addictions remain major public health concerns, with significant impacts on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Despite advancements in pharmacological and behavioral treatments, overdose and relapse rates remain high and many individuals do not respond fully to existing interventions. Mindfulness-based therapies (MBTs), including Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), have emerged as promising adjunctive or alternative interventions for individuals with addictions. However, despite a growing body of supportive evidence, mindfulness-based approaches are still underutilized in clinical practice.

This new 5-week series will provide a foundational introduction to mindfulness-based approaches for addictions care, the evidence behind them, and strategies for introducing them with patients. The course will enhance clinician confidence, knowledge and skills in using MBTs to support relapse prevention, emotion regulation, and whole-person recovery. We invite all clinicians involved in addictions care to join us!

*Generative AI was used to draft this overview; the course directors then reviewed and edited it for clinical accuracy.

Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD (Course Director)
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Center Director, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Director, Mindful Mental Health Service, and Director of Addiction Research, Cambridge Health Alliance; Faculty Affiliate, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth

Carl Fulwiler, MD, PhD (Course Director)
Chair and Chief, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance; Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Sarah Bowen, PhD
Associate Professor and Research Faculty, Pacific University

Judson Brewer, PhD
Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center; Associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences at the School of Public Health and Psychiatry, Brown University School of Medicine

Eric Garland, PhD, LCSW
Endowed Professor in Health Sciences at the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Center for Addiction Science and Treatment at the University of California San Diego, and Director of UCSD ONEMIND (Optimized Neuroscience-Enhanced Intervention Design)

Kevin Griffin
Buddhist author, teacher, and leader in the mindful recovery movement