Ep.6 Shifting Authoritarian Prison Norms with Sam Himelstein, Ph.D.

Prison Mindfulness

In this episode, Dr. Sam Himelstein speaks with Fleet Maull about his work with the Center for Adolescent Studies and his experiences with incarcerated youth.

• The impact of having positive and supportive role models for incarcerated youth
• The pros and cons of tech programs and apps for mindfulness
• Authenticity and predictability as a foundation for trauma-informed mindfulness
• Teaching from a space of presence, strength, and confidence (rather than ego/authoritarianism)

SAM HIMELSTEIN Sam Himelstein, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and the founder of both Family Spring, a mental health company that leverages technology to serve teens, young adults, and their families who’ve been impacted by substance use disorder and related mental health challenges; and the Center for Adolescent Studies, an interdisciplinary training institute focused on trauma-informed care, mindfulness, substance use disorder, resilience, and related training for professionals. For over 15 years, Dr. Himelstein has worked with incarcerated, trauma-impacted, and substance-using populations and has had the mission to help adolescents and young adults thrive by becoming aware of the power of self-awareness and transformation. A formerly incarcerated youth himself, Dr. Himelstein was privileged to change his life from a path of drugs, violence, crime, and self-destruction to that of healing and transformation. Learn more about his philosophy, work, and approach through his books: Trauma-Informed Mindfulness With Teens: A Guide for Mental Health Clinicians (Norton, forthcoming 2019), Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents: A 12-Session Curriculum(Routledge, 2015), and A Mindfulness-Based Approach to Working with High-Risk Adolescents (Routledge, 2013), his professional training institute: https://centerforadolescentstudies.com, and his clinical work: https://myfamilyspring.com

To Learn More About the Prison Mindfulness Institute, please visit www.prisonmindfulness.org