Coastside Group – Half Moon Bay

Types of AA Meetings

Closed: Closed AA meetings in California are not open to the general public. They are reserved for members and anyone who has a desire to stop drinking. Discussions are personal in nature and related to alcohol addiction recovery.

Discussion: AA discussion meetings in California help members share their thoughts and feelings on a specific topic related to alcoholism and recovery. A pre-determined speaker will open the meeting by sharing a topic from an AA text, such as the Big Book or AA Grapevine. After discussing the topic briefly, they will open the floor for others to speak.

Literature: California literature-centric AA meetings are peer support meetings for men and women affected by alcohol addiction. These meetings follow a 12-step program and focus on the study of AA literature, including the Big Book of AA, AA workbooks, and other writings by AA co-founder Bill W and other leaders. The meetings are free to attend.

Meditation: Meditation AA meetings feature physical and emotional calmness as a main method of healing. The meetings open with 15 minutes of private mediation and close with an additional 5 minutes of meditation.

Speaker: AA speakers often blend humor, faith, charm, and raw emotions before audiences. In California, speakers can effectively motivate listeners to harden their resolve against alcohol.