12-Step Meeting

I had the opportunity to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting at Calvary Episcopal Church in Downtown Memphis. A total of 4 men were present, 1 of which arrived late and 2 of which who got up and left midway through the meeting. The facilitator played a very hands off role during the meeting. He really did not "run" the group other than handing out the Daily Reflection, asking someone to read the 12 steps, and asking someone to read the "How it Works." He then went into a series of personal stories about friends or family members that had been addicted to a substance and had died from it. He rambled on about this to the point that one group member became agitated, the group member blurted out "so what is the topic, lets get started." The leader responded by just handing the book over to him and letting him read the days topic. I have attached a note that this same participant handed to us on his way out, informing us of other meeting options. The environment greatly impacted the session. To start, it cost $6 to park in the church parking lot. I feel that this could discourage many who need to commute to the church. There was also a lot going on in the church and the door was left open which was very distracting. The group leader was not very good at making those feel included and welcome to the meeting. In my opinion, the session was not therapeutic. I believe this due to the various reasons I have listed about. I was upset by this because I feel that if it was someones first time to an AA meeting they would not return back. This group was supposed to be a self-management group. As was mentioned in "How it Works," the group is supposed to be completely self-sufficient. 

For me, the most significant aspect was realizing that all of these groups are not professionally run. Previously, I thought that an AA meeting would be lead by a trained professional. This is probably because I had never experienced an AA meeting before. This is different from what I had previously thought because I assumed it to be run like I had seen in the movies and learned in class. Having experienced the AA meeting I now understand that a groups meeting can look very differently. This means that there is not a solidified way to do it. Going forward, I will remember what I saw and try to use it to make me a better therapist.