PODCAST 39: Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents. Sam Himelstein talks about his new book.

Sam Himelstein is the author of two fantastic books on how to use and teach mindfulness to troubled youth.  He joins Team Renaissance to talk about his journey since leaving the Mind Body Awareness project and about his new book, Mindfulness-based substance abuse treatment for adolescents.  He is a licensed psychologist, an author, trainer, and researcher and is currently a Behavioral Health Clinician at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center. 

A former troubled youth himself (listen to podcast 23), Sam explains how his new role allows him to spend more time doing what he is most passionate about in the prisons working face to face with the inmates there.  To get a bit of perspective on the trauma suffered by these youth, when asked by Sam how many have witnessed a murder first hand, almost 3/4 raise their hand. What kind of detrimental effect does that have on the human brain?