Therapeutic Factors and Psychological Concepts in Alcoholics Anonymous

The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) fellowship has been a constant in providing a solution for many individuals with alcohol use disorders. Millions of people have gained significant benefits from the vast array of therapeutic factors inherent in the AA model of support. Although abstinence and sobriety are the primary goals of AA support groups, numerous other positive emotional outcomes have been reported from participation in the fellowship. The authors of this paper explore and discuss several powerful emotional concepts found in counseling and psychotherapy and their function as therapeutic factors in AA recovery. Implications for counseling supervisors, counselor educators, and both addictions and mental health counselors, are discussed.

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