A Trauma Informed Adaptation of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Women in Substance Use Treatment

Trauma Informed-Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (TI-MBRP) will be a 4-week intervention integrating trauma intervention approaches based on Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) into standard Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). TI-MBRP honors the spirit and cognitive-behavioral foundation of MBRP while introducing components of CPT. Each TI-MBRP session will include mindfulness practices that bring awareness to cognitive and behavioral processes of substance abuse, and how substance use may function as a mechanism to cope with trauma symptoms. Clients are trained to observe internal, triggering stimuli without reactively attempting to avoid these experiences through substance use as well as complete exercises that promote cognitive and emotional processing of traumatic events.

The Treatment as Usual (TAU) group implemented for this trial will be the standard protocol for Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). MBRP is a 4-week exposure-based intervention that integrates integrating mindfulness and acceptance-based techniques with cognitive-behavioral approaches and psycho-education to increase awareness of patterns associated with addictive behaviors and individual factors precipitating and maintaining substance use. These skills are also used to train individuals in responding skillfully in high-risk situations associated with use.