Trauma-Informed Mindfulness With Teens: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals

For the clinician who wishes to share the transformational practice of mindfulness with youth who’ve been adversely impacted by trauma.

Mindfulness has grown in popularity exponentially over the past two decades, and many educators, therapists, and other youth professionals are asked to teach mindfulness in a variety of public settings: schools, detention centers, and other systems of care. Many of these youths are impacted by trauma.

Through practical methods and real- world examples, Sam Himelstein offers a clear conceptual understanding for why mindfulness may help youth impacted by trauma, explanation about when and how to adapt mindfulness meditations, and practical “mini- modules” for presenting and teaching mindfulness via a trauma- informed lens.

This book presents specific guidelines about teaching mindfulness within a relationship- based framework for building the therapeutic alliance and aiding other psychotherapy interventions. Case examples illuminate common experiences that arise with trauma-impacted youth, and detailed descriptions of exercises and curricula are provided. This book is a must for therapists who wish to share mindfulness with trauma-impacted youth.