Alcoholics Anonymous and the Counseling Profession: Philosophies in Conflict

This article describes the contribution of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to drug and alcohol treatment. The potential for AA's steps to encourage growth is discussed, and their consistency with counseling philosophy examined. To stimulate constructive discussion, 12 new steps based on counseling theory are proposed and contrasted with AA's steps. The need for counselors to be aware of these differences is emphasized and the move toward more solid boundaries between AA and the counseling profession is advocated.