Skip to content
Spiritual First Aidby WorldWise United
Back to the library
🤝
CommunityOverview

Twelve-Step Fellowship

Free peer meetings (AA, NA, Al-Anon, ACA, and more) that meet you where you are, anonymously.

Evidence-informed
Format
group
Session
60 to 90 minutes
Touch
no
Cost
free

What this experience is like in depth

Twelve-Step Fellowship is a community and peer support experience. It is a worldwide network of peer-led recovery fellowships that follow a shared set of steps and traditions to support change around addiction, family patterns, and compulsion. It works with the understanding that healing is not only about insight but also about what is felt, witnessed, and released in the body, relationships, and environment. In a session, you show up to a meeting, listen, share if you want, and can pair with a sponsor to work the steps at your own pace. You will sit, listen, speak when moved to, read aloud, share coffee. This is offered in a group setting, typically 60 to 90 minutes, and this is a touch-free experience. People often choose this when they are carrying Repeating Patterns, Family Wounds, Shame, Loneliness, and Repeating Patterns. Over time, this work can become a way of relating to yourself with less fear and more capacity.

Who it may help

Repeating PatternsFamily WoundsShameLonelinessRepeating Patterns

Overview

A worldwide network of peer-led recovery fellowships that follow a shared set of steps and traditions to support change around addiction, family patterns, and compulsion.

What happens during a session

You show up to a meeting, listen, share if you want, and can pair with a sponsor to work the steps at your own pace.

What you physically do

Sit, listen, speak when moved to, read aloud, share coffee.
Typical session length

60 to 90 minutes

Insurance

Rarely covered by insurance. Some sliding-scale options exist, ask.

Questions to ask before booking

  • ?Is this an open or closed meeting?
  • ?Is there a beginners' meeting?
  • ?How do I find a sponsor?

Possible risks & safety notes

Not a substitute for medical detox or clinical treatment for severe addiction. Different meetings have very different cultures; try several before deciding it isn't for you.

Talk with a professional first if this applies to you

Some conditions call for extra care before starting this practice. Please review the following and share what applies with your practitioner.

  • Psychosis or severe mental health history

    If you have a personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar I, dissociative disorders, or are currently in an acute mental health episode, please consult a licensed mental health clinician before this practice. Intense inner experiences can be destabilizing.

These are general cautions, not medical advice. Always share your full health history with the practitioner and your regular healthcare provider before starting something new.

In a crisis right now? See immediate support resources →

Licensing & who to search for

Peer-led (no credential); some members are also in professional treatment

Try these search terms:

  • "AA meeting near me"
  • "Al-Anon meeting"
  • "Adult Children of Alcoholics"
  • "NA meeting"

Related modalities

Codependency Support GroupDivorce Support GroupRestorative Justice CircleWomen's Circle

Full guide in progress

This entry has the essentials so you can start researching safely. A deeper guide, with history, common myths, FAQs, and further reading, is coming.

Not sure if this is the right fit?

Take the short assessment. It shapes a starting point for what to research first.