Mindfulness-Based Therapy · Biddeford, Maine
Learn to sit with the feeling without using over it
Cravings, anxiety, anger, most relapses start as a feeling that felt unbearable. Mindfulness-based therapy trains the skill of noticing that feeling without reacting to it. It's not incense and chanting; it's a clinically studied relapse-prevention tool.
Part of PHP, IOP & OP · MaineCare accepted · Answered 24/7
Accredited & Licensed
LegitScript Certified
Joint Commission Accredited
Maine DHHS Licensed
Psychology Today Verified
What it actually is
Skip the stereotypes. This is brain training.
Mindfulness means paying attention to what's happening right now, in your body, your thoughts, your emotions, without judging it or immediately reacting. Addiction runs on autopilot: trigger, craving, use. Mindfulness inserts a pause between the craving and the response. In that pause is your choice.
The research-backed version we use draws on Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), developed specifically for substance use disorders. Clinical trials show it reduces relapse risk and cravings compared to standard aftercare, which is why it's part of programming at our Biddeford center, not a wellness extra.
You don't have to be spiritual, flexible, or good at meditating. Most of our clients start out skeptical and fidgety. That's fine. The practice meets you where you are, even if where you are is "this is uncomfortable and I hate sitting still."
Medically reviewed
Benjamin Crocker, MD
Psychiatrist · Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine · MD, The Ohio State University · Residency & fellowship training at the University of Michigan and LAC+USC Medical Center
Last reviewed August 2026. Read our editorial standards & clinical review process
What you'll actually learn
Skills you can use the same day
Urge surfing
Cravings crest and pass like waves, usually within 20–30 minutes. You learn to observe the urge, ride it out, and watch it fade instead of obeying it.
Body scan & grounding
Simple techniques that pull you out of racing thoughts and back into your body, the fastest way to interrupt an anxiety spiral or a flashback.
Breath work
Specific breathing patterns that calm the nervous system on demand. A tool you carry everywhere: the job site, the car, the family dinner.
Noticing triggers early
Mindfulness sharpens your awareness of the subtle physical and emotional cues that come before a craving fully forms, so you can act early.
Responding, not reacting
Practice creating space between what happens and what you do next, the core skill behind every relapse-prevention plan.
Self-compassion
Shame fuels addiction. Mindfulness practice includes learning to treat yourself with the same patience you'd offer a friend, which makes recovery sustainable.
How it fits your program
One part of a complete treatment plan
Mindfulness here isn't a standalone class, it's woven into our PHP, IOP, and outpatient programs alongside CBT, DBT, individual counseling, and group therapy. Where CBT works on your thoughts, mindfulness works on your relationship to the present moment. The combination is stronger than either alone.
Sessions are guided by clinicians who practice these techniques themselves, many of our team are in recovery and use these exact tools in their own lives. That matters when you're learning something new: you're being taught by people who know it works because it worked for them.
Insurance
In-network with almost every plan.
Portland Treatment is in-network with Anthem, UMR/UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim, Martin's Point, TRICARE and MaineCare, Cigna is our only out-of-network plan. In-network means contracted rates, lower coinsurance and no balance bill. We verify your benefits free, in minutes, with no obligation.
Free, confidential, no obligation
Or read the coverage guide for your plan, Anthem rehab coverage, Cigna rehab coverage, MaineCare rehab coverage and other accepted insurance plans.
Questions
Mindfulness therapy, answered
Do I have to meditate for mindfulness therapy to work?+
Formal meditation is one tool, but not the only one. Mindfulness-based therapy includes brief, practical exercises, grounding, breath work, urge surfing, that fit into real life. Most clients start with just a few minutes at a time.
Is there real evidence behind mindfulness for addiction?+
Yes. Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) has been tested in randomized clinical trials and shown to reduce cravings and relapse risk compared to standard care. We use it because it works, not because it's trendy.
I'm not spiritual at all. Is this for me?+
Yes. The mindfulness we teach is secular and clinical, attention training, not religion. No beliefs required, and skepticism is welcome.
Is mindfulness-based therapy covered by insurance?+
It's delivered as part of our PHP, IOP, and outpatient programs, which are covered by MaineCare and most major insurance plans, and we're in-network with all of them except Cigna. Verify your benefits free at 855-449-7674.
Where is mindfulness therapy offered?+
At our outpatient center in Biddeford, Maine, serving Portland, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook, Kennebunk, Sanford, and communities across York and Cumberland County.
Keep exploring
Related care at Portland Treatment
Levels of care
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP) in Biddeford
Our most structured day treatment, five days a week, home each night.
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Southern Maine
Nine-plus clinical hours a week with day and evening tracks.
- Virtual IOP for anywhere in Maine
The same IOP curriculum by secure telehealth, statewide.
- Outpatient program (OP) for ongoing recovery
One to two sessions a week that fit around work and family.
How we treat
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Practical tools for the thoughts that drive use and relapse.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills that hold up.
- Individual therapy in Biddeford
One-on-one counseling with the same clinician each week.
- Group therapy sessions
Small clinician-led groups with people in the same fight.
Where we serve
- Addiction treatment in Biddeford, Maine
Our home clinic, in the mill district off Route 111.
- Addiction treatment for Portland, Maine
A 20-minute drive down I-95 from the Portland peninsula.
- Addiction treatment for Saco, Maine
Minutes across the river from our Biddeford clinic.
- All Southern Maine areas we serve
Every city and town within driving distance of Biddeford.
The craving is a wave. Learn to surf it.
Practical mindfulness, taught by people who use it.
855-449-7674Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free and confidential.