Book Review: Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Addiction, Stress, and Pain

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Addiction, Stress, and Pain by Eric L. Garland, PhD, LCSW, NASW Press, 214 pages, 2013, $37.99 paperback.

    From the first paragraphs, it is clear that author Eric L. Garland is both a well-researched author and a social worker. Although many amazing books for social workers are written by those in other professions, it benefits the reader that Garland is the developer of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), assistant director of the Trinity Institute for the Addictions, and assistant professor at the Florida State University College of Social Work.  The compilation of Garland’s knowledge from both the classroom and the field lends to a book that is strong and easy to follow.

    Written in a linear style, Garland begins by laying out how addiction, stress, and pain are cyclical. Next, he examines how one leads to the next and the most common reasons a person struggling to overcome any of these may begin to struggle with the other two. It is at this point that the author introduces Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE). This general explanation then becomes more specialized, as the author spells out how a person struggling with addiction, stress, and pain will benefit from each of MORE’s steps.

    The following section describes and guides a clinician through using this treatment model, including scripts and rationale for each of several client sessions. Most helpful is his inclusion of “clinician tips,” tiny reminders or helpful hints for a clinician to keep in mind while following the laid out steps. As a social worker working to follow the book and utilize this treatment model for the first few times, these additional bits of information come across as being supported by the author as a social work colleague, a lovely emotional boost during what may be a stressful learning experience for a clinician new to MORE and focused on trying to get each step exactly right.

    The closing of this book is full of helpful appendices, including a section on working with clients struggling with opiate addiction, multiple worksheets for use with clients, and information regarding how mindfulness integrates with physical activity and how it affects personal relationships.

    Overall, author and MORE developer Eric L. Garland has created a wonderful training tool for social workers whose clients struggle with addiction, stress, and pain. Both clients and clinicians will benefit from what amounts to a written guided training of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement.

Reviewed by Kristen Marie (Kryss) Shane, MSW, LSW, LMSW.