THE USE OF THE EARLY MEMORIES PROCEDURE IN A PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP OF SUBSTANCE-ABUSERS

Treatment programs in prison settings lack a solid basis regarding the rehabilitation of inmates who sincerely want to change. Although the need for practical and effective treatment programs continues to incre ase, few viable interventions exist, Richard's program for substance a busers, customized to eight modules for an offender population, consti tutes one promising exception. One module, in particular involves fill ing out Bruhn's Early Memories Procedure (EMP) and discussing these me mories in a 10-person group. Although the EMP is fairly well known as an assessment instrument and is used in individual and couples treatme nt, nothing has been written about its application in a group therapy context. In this article, the utility of the EMP in a prison populatio n of substance abusers is explored.