164 & More Book Study

Types of AA Meetings

Big Book: California AA meetings often feature the Big Book. This text features stories about how women and men overcame alcohol use disorder and is used to inspire clients to build resilience.

Child-Friendly: Child-friendly AA meetings allow each member to bring up to one child to the meeting, with the expectation that the discussion will not feature experiences or language that are inappropriate for the child. Formal childcare may not be available, but the member can watch over her child while participating in the discussion.

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.

Women: California women’s AA meetings are peer support meetings for women who are affected by alcohol addiction. Using a 12-step curriculum, these meetings help women at all stages of alcoholism recovery, offering a safe and productive space for community support. These meetings are available at no charge for women of all ages.