Alcoholics Anonymous - Page 1 | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Rethinking 12-Step Referrals

June 13, 2026

How to make a 12-step referral patients will actually try.

Understanding 12-Step Programs: A Guide for Clinicians

January 1, 2026

Khaled Draghmeh, MD and Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD

Khaled Draghmeh, MD. Postdoctoral associate, psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT.

Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD. Associate professor of psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; director, psychiatric emergency room, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT.

Dr. Draghmeh and Dr. Fuehrlein have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Twelve-step programs remain widely used yet poorly understood in clinical practice. This article outlines the twelve steps, demystifies what happens in meetings, how sponsorship and “90 in 90” support recovery, and how clinicians can address common reservations to make referrals more effective and patient-centered.

Supporting Sobriety With 12-Step Facilitation

July 1, 2025

Joseph Nowinski, PhD

Joseph Nowinski, PhD is assistant professor, Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, Center City, MN.

Dr. Nowinski has authored and receives royalties for books and online trainings on twelve-step facilitation published through Hazelden Publishing. Relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Dr. Nowinski explains the rationale behind the development of twelve-step facilitation (TSF) and how it blends traditional models of psychotherapy with peer support. He provides compelling evidence for its efficacy and presents data that TSF can even be superior to cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational enhancement therapy.