OT 532: 12-Step Meeting

On Monday, March 5th, I attended a meeting for family members of people who are alcoholics. I thought this was an interesting meeting to go to because it was not based on the person who is an alcoholic, but rather the family members who are effected by the alcoholism. Sometimes, I think it is easy to forget that alcoholism doesn't just effect that person, but also the people they are associated with. The group started out with an introduction of what the group meeting would be about. It was a much larger group than I had expected; I was expecting around 5-10 people, but there were about 30 people. It was held in a parlor room in a church, therefore there was plenty of room to accommodate everyone. 

Going into a room with 30 or so people was extremely intimidating because I did not feel that I belonged. I know that I got some stares from people since I was a new face in the group. As the group session went on, I relaxed and became more comfortable, and at the end of the meeting several people came to welcome me to the group and share that I am always welcome to join. 

From my observations, the role of the facilitator seemed to be supportive. The group facilitator created a warm and comfortable environment where she encouraged the members to share on experience and she even shared some experiences herself. She also demonstrated therapeutic use of self, which is important for this type of group facilitator role. When the time came to share, she would say that the floor was open for group members to talk and while group members shared on their experiences, the facilitator sat back and listened. 

Since the group took place in a church, the atmosphere was calm and serene. I couldn't help but feel relaxed in such a holy place. The beauty of the stain glass windows was soothing in a way that it was understood that this was a judgment-free zone. I definitely feel that the environment made a difference in the groups' interaction. 

I do feel that the group was therapeutic. At first, it was a little overwhelming, but as the session went on, I felt more relaxed. It was empowering to hear people share their stories and feelings about their experiences and how having a family member who is an alcoholic, effects their lives. 

I think this group is a cognitive behavioral group because the goals of the group are to change the reactions, feelings, and thoughts towards the family members who are alcoholics. The group is centered around changing how the group members think based on their own will to change and self-regulation.