Alcoholics Anonymous

Domain V · Systemic, relational, group & community · Bill W., Dr. Bob S. · 1935 · Akron, Ohio, USA

What it is

AA is not a therapy and is not delivered by a clinician. It is a self-supporting, non-professional mutual-aid fellowship of alcoholics whose stated aim is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety; the only membership requirement is a desire to stop drinking, membership is…

Format

• AA has no phases, sessions or discharge. The member's path, as AA literature describes it:
• Newcomer: first meetings; often beginners meetings (a series, commonly six sessions, typically a 20–30 minute talk then open discussion, sometimes focused on Steps 1–3); receives a pamphlet packet and meeting list; greeted by hospitality/greeters; may be offered a temporary sponsor.

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• : secret discontinuation; ask directly at each review.
• : social anxiety (more role-play, escorted attendance).
• : one bad meeting generalised to all of AA; groups vary widely.
• : slogans used to shut down emotion; follow with real exploration.
• : hiding slips; reinforce honesty about slips as a client responsibility.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.