Reflections on a 12-Step Group Meeting Essays

Cognitive therapy is one of the few theories that have been extensively scientifically tested and found to be highly effective in over 300 clinical trials. It focuses on the immediate or automatic thoughts the client has and how these thoughts affect their feelings and behaviors. The goal of cognitive therapy is to identify these thoughts that are poorly affecting the client. Then teach the client how to identify these automatic thoughts and how they can effectively change them. Through the very structured sessions of cognitive therapy, a client should essentially learn the tools to be their own cognitive therapist for future problems they may encounter. The therapy session will not make them an expert but they will be better prepared to

Attending an AA meeting was intimidating at first, but it was one of the most moving and enlightening experiences of my life. I attended a meeting called the “Nooners Group” at the Serenity Club in Alexandria. The group had six men and one woman in attendance. The members were mostly white and were about 40 years or older. The group seemed to be in a middle or lower socio-economic level. The meeting started with several short readings. I was invited to read the AA preamble. Then, the group leader suggested reading a story from the ‘big blue book.” The story focused on a woman’s denial of her addiction and eventual acceptance of her alcoholism. After the reading, almost every person spoke about their own addiction and how it related to the story of the woman. After the time of sharing, the group held hands, said the AA chants, and recited the Lord’s Prayer. Afterwards, some group members lingered to interact and chat. I was so moved by the power of the meeting. At times, it felt very serious and emotional, but there were moments of levity, where the group would laugh or nod in agreement. Overall, the meeting was emotional, inspirational, and healing.

At one point in a person life, they will participated in a group whether it is part of a specific committee, therapy, or social group. In recent years, there has been a rise in counseling within a group forum veering from the tradition individual counseling. Therapists, physiologist, and counselors believe that form of counseling is beneficial to both counselor and client. This allows the counselor to help several clients at once rather than one at a time decreasing their strenuous workload and demanding work hours. This form of counseling integrate individual that share similar issues, struggles, and experiences into one forum. This not only allows the clients to learn from the therapist but from their fellow group members. The group experience

I learned two significant things about group counseling in this course. The first thing that I learned is the importance of setting up a treatment plan. The intention is to follow the client from their entrance into the program until the client is discharged. In this process the clients’ problems are identified through various assessments and as each problem is addressed, it is checked off of the list. Once all of the problems are checked off of the list, the client is considered as having completed the plan. This plan is especially important because it evokes thoughtful conversation between the client and the counselor and is the best method to gain information from the client regarding the help they want to receive. The second most significant thing that I learned about group counseling is how to design a group from start to finish. From pre group design, planning the goals of the group and determining the members to setting up the environment and structuring the sessions, each step adds its own important components to designing group counseling.

This paper is a reflective report of the authors’ personal observations, thoughts, and experiences from attending one of the ‘Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meetings’ at Burnaby Fellowship Centre Society. It is a drop-in social club for recovering alcoholics and addicts where its members describe their experiences with alcohol or drug addiction, how they came to the society, and how their lives have changed as a result of attending the program. Burnaby Fellowship Centre Society is part of the AA group which is a self-supporting and independent body. Membership is open to anyone who wants to recover from addictions and the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop the addictions. The main purpose of the AA meetings is to help its members

The 12 Step Program I attended was put on by USF group 164, held on July 8, 2015 at 7:00p.m. Location of meeting was at 12850 North 50th Street, Chapel Center in Temple Terrace, Tampa, Florida. The group leader was named BoB L. There were 12 participants that evening and several guests, a room full. I along with two other students were introduced to the group as student nurses, and we were welcomed with open arms. The group was very inviting and warm. People seemed happy, friendly and in good spirits. The length of the meeting was an hour and it closed with participants receiving pendants. Then someone was invited to come to the podium and say a prayer.

The Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step recovery program guides alcoholics through a series of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social actions towards sobriety and wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive drinking has lead to approximately 88,000 deaths in the United States each year and accounts for 1 in 10 deaths in working age adults, aged 20-64. Alcoholics Anonymous, a spiritual fellowship of men and women focused on a common goal of stopping drinking, has helped over 2 million people get sober and stay sober. The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are designed to promote

During the semester I attended different 12 step program in the South Bronx in churches around my community. Firstly, most of the people that attends to the meeting are Latinos. I was surprised to observe many Latinos in the meeting. My experience is that Latinos does not believe in mental health treatment. However, the room was filled of male adult’s Hispanics. The first time, I greeted the speaker who explained me how the meeting will progress. The meeting starts with a pray, and a brief introduction of each of the participants, just the name and the reason they are in the meeting. The speaker informed me as a group they focused on the abstinence and positive thinking for the most part. AA is trying to promote the idea of a superior believe

I went to an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting on November 26, 2016 at noon in Simi Valley, CA. It was in the back entrance of a strip mall in a long, thin room with tables down the middle and chairs around the table and around the walls in the room. It is only located four minutes from my house, but I have never noticed it before. As I walked in there was a little kitchen with coffee and a pecan pie and there were goodies on the table. I them walked into the main room.

I chose to attend the Alcoholic Anonymous meeting at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church on the north side of Chicago. I chose to visit a church because I wanted to see if there was a religious aspect thrown into the session. The name of the session was called Big Book Stop Study. This session occurs every Monday at 7:00pm, as an open meeting. The meeting lasted for an hour. The session was led by three members, Kyle, Tamara, and Melissa. There was fourteen participants within the group. I was very apprehensive about attending a meeting because I didn’t want to be seen as an alcoholic. For that very reason, I understand how hard it may be for some to admit to their alcoholism, due to the negative connotation that comes with the name. To some, that may seem like a short span of time. However, upon visiting this particular session I saw progression in each participant. I was very pleased with what I witnessed as a visitor.

Group therapy for me was a very new concept. My understanding towards group therapy was that every one share their concern issues and goup members discuss about that issue and get different perspectives about how to deal with that issue by building cohession and trust among the members. According to zander (1968) a group is a collection of individuals who have relation to one another that make them interdependent to some significant degree. , Group therapy is a type of psychotherapy that involves one or more therapists working with several people at the same time.Generally, the counselling group has a speific focus, which may be educational, vocational, social or

I could not imagine myself socializing with these people. I was hoping they did not think I am one of them. As the meeting is about to begin this tall guy was about to read out of this book. He began to say the purpose of the meeting is… that is when I spaced out. I was so lost in my thoughts all I can remember him saying,“ purpose of recovery from the disease of addiction.” I still could not believe that I was sitting in a room filled with strangers. He stated the third tradition, “ the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.” I always put myself in my sister’s shoes; she has been attending NA meetings for 5 or 6 years now. I could not imagine what she felt like attending her first meeting. I believe I would feel cheated

Group therapy is an important method that is commonly used by psychiatric professionals in the treatment of many types of mental illnesses. They consist of three or more people and are targeted at promoting psychological development and change. There are three different types of groups. The task group works by using tasks, such as activities and techniques, designed to help clients work toward desired goals. In addition, midrange groups work by allowing clients to share their thoughts and feelings with others who have learned to cope with similar problems over a longer period of time. Lastly, process groups work by allowing clients to work on their communicating patterns, skills and methods (Fortinash & Holoday Worrett, 2008).

Depression in late life is very common, particularly in older adults who are moving in to a different phase of their lives. They may experience a loss of a job, death of a spouse, empty nest, or a move that has taken them away from their social network. Geriatric depression is expensive for everyone involved, from the seniors who suffer not only mentally but physically from its effects to the increased use of health services such as emergency room visits. Suicide is also a consequence of depression in seniors. Sometimes depression is not diagnosed properly because its physical symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Many women, ages 55 and up, experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and do not know what to do now that they are in this new stage in their life; not working etc. Is the women’s group effective in helping members overcome feelings of depression and isolation?

The workshop was held on Wednesday the 16th of September and begun with participates being welcomed by the door. The members were allocated a name tag with their names already written. Participants were then encouraged to take a seat at one of the three groups of tables. In order to encourage people to a seat, snacks and drinks where provided at the tables, along with serviettes and cups. Moreover, the use of snacks and drinks works as an ice breaker fostering conversation. Similarly snack and juice was chosen to ‘spike’ sugar levels so participates would be more alert. As we wanted to as much participation as possible we decided to let participants choose their-own groups as people are more comfortable talking when they are among friends opposed