Club 12 Group

Types of AA Meetings

As Bill Sees It: As Bill Sees It is a collection of essays and reflections from AA’s founder, Bill W., about the organization and its purpose. The book is often referenced in AA meetings to encourage members to individually and collectively discuss their recovery.

Big Book: Connecticut AA meetings may use the Big Book as a main discussion topic. The Big Book features real stories of men and women who overcame alcohol use disorder, and is a source of inspiration for clients.

Closed: In Connecticut, closed AA meetings are only available to members and individuals who want to seek help for a drinking problem. Newcomers can ask questions and learn more about the program and others can share their sobriety journey and offer hope for the future.

Discussion: In Connecticut, AA discussion meetings revolve around one specific topic. A member serving as the leader will open the meeting by referencing an AA text, such as AA Grapevine, the Big Book, or Daily Reflections. Then, other members can participate and share their own feelings about the topic and its relation to their recovery journey.

Living Sober: AA centers may have selected sessions set aside for Living Sober discussions. This text is secular in nature, and focuses on practical ways that members have used to stay sober one day at a time.

Open: In Connecticut, open AA meetings are available to any interested member of the public, including individuals who aren’t seeking treatment for an alcohol use disorder. This gives participants the opportunity to learn more about AA and the 12 step model of recovery.

Speaker: In Connecticut, AA speaker meetings involve humor, raw emotions, personality, and faith. Their goal is to inspire clients to harden their resolve against alcohol.

Step Meeting: Step meetings are part of Connecticut AA programs. In these meetings, participants converse about the stages of their recovery, compare their experiences to those in AA texts, and make goals for strengthening their recovery.