Guidelines for Professional Referral to Alcoholics Anonymous and Other Twelve Step Groups

In working with clients who have addiction issues in addition to the presenting problem, counselors often consider support groups as adjuncts to treatment. “Twelve step” groups have been useful for this purpose. In this article the authors review Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the oldest and largest twelve step group. They explore some criticisms of AA, describe its components and mechanics, and provide guidelines for client referral.