Twelve Step Sponsorship: How It Works

by Hamilton B.

Book Overview

Twelve Step Sponsorship is the first truly comprehensive look at sponsorship, a role recovering people benefit from both as sponsees and ultimately as sponsors.

Sponsorship is a rich and enduring part of tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous. Twelve Step Sponsorship delivers both the theory and practice--how to do it and why--in a clear, step-by-step presentation. Written by the author of Getting Started in AA, a widely acclaimed...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1568381220
• ISBN13: 9781568381220
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Add this to your "tool box."

I have learned a lot through my own experiences in recovery but there's always so much more to learn and relearn. In addition to sponsorship, Step 12 can be practiced in so many ways; group service (big or small), being there for others... especially newcomers. Simply showing up can impact someone... and yourself, if you let it. (Despite some opportunities to sponsor) it hasn't yet been a strong point of mine... but I'm still a pup eager to keep growing. The experiences of those who came before me, the thorough work alongside my own sponsor, and books like this help me "keep it simple" no matter how I'm trying to be of service to others.

Intuitive, Simple and to the Point!

If you honestly want to be set free from the addiction of alcohol this book is an excellent resource. It simply teaches both the sponsor and the sponsee how to apply the proven 12 step process as a way to enter into recovery. With God's help and this book you are free!

Response to a readers review

Unfortunately, there will always be people who attempt to dissect and dispute the success of Alcoholics Anonymous, of which sponsorship plays a vital part. Alcoholism is a deadly disease. Because of the anonymity of the twelve step programs, no "success rates" can be researched or documented with any validity or reliability and cannot be taken seriously. However, members of AA are not particularly interested in proving anything to anyone, except to be a living example of the program. This book explains clearly and succinctly how sponsorship works in leading sponsees through the twelve steps. The benefit of being a sponsor enhances one's spirituality even more than actually doing the twelve steps. I can honestly say that the twelve steps have saved my life and being a sponsor helps me keep which has been so generously and freely given to me. I do not believe that Mike McF has any personal experience with the twelve steps, other than perhaps observing meetings. Recovery does not lie in attending meetings and attempting to dissect the steps intellectually. No wonder his understanding of the steps is so skewed and hateful!! The steps must be experienced. Being powerless ends the battle that is so self-defeating and it opens the door to finding where we truly have power. Seeing others with years of successful recovery (stopping drinking is not successful recovery because as Bill Wilson says "our alcohol is but a symptom.....we must get down to causes and conditions") is inspiring. I believe that a casual observers unfortunate distorted explanation of what a higher power really is in one's life indicates the desperate need to find a higher power. And really working the program, not just attending meetings and analyzing why it could not possibly work, shows an incredible change of lives that is inspiring to me, always. Having a higher power is part of the human condition throughout the centuries, and those who have found it have greatly enhanced and rewarding lives. A major part of sponsorship is leading a sponsee through the steps so that they may find a higher power for themselves. This book does an excellent job of explaining when to move to the next step and overcoming roadblocks. Please do not take a reviewer seriously who is determined to "prove" that Alcoholics Anonymous does not work. It is annoying for us who have seen the miracles for ourselves and I pity those who waste energy attempting to prove this wonderful program wrong.

Outstanding Book!

I have been sober in AA for 31 years and have been going to AA daily for that length of time. I recently was given this book and was totally amazed at how ''right on target'' all the information was! It's 'tried and true AA' ....I purchased 6 books to give to each of my sponsees so they get get the rewards I have gotten from the book.

An Excellent Book for Sponsors and Sponsees

I read this book after reading "A Sponsorship Guide for 12-Step Programs" by M.T. Both are very good books. The book by M.T. offers a more casual approach, IMO, to Sponsorship than does this book by Hamilton B. It also offers a variety of viewpoints. "Twelve Step Sponsorship: How It Works" gives very specific and direct answers to many questions that Sponsors and Sponsees have about their Fellowship and how to maintain a Sponsor/Sponsee relationship while working all of the 12 Steps together. The second half of the book does present a meeting study guide for a Sponsor to use, with suggested readings for the Sponsee, suggested questions, and even offers a discussion of the questions the Sponsee should answer prior to a meeting with the Sponsor and at the meeting. As far as a manual for a Sponsor of any 12 Step program, this is the book to use. The author primarily targets those in AA, but is very sensitive to the needs of those in other recovery programs and the Appendix includes the 12 Steps of other Fellowship Groups. I can highly recommend this book, which also gives guidance on how you, the Sponsor, will know when your Sponsee has completed a Step and how to procede with them to the next step. Hamilton B. also offers advice on how to help your Sponsee move to the next step if they become reluctant to move to the next step. Thanks for Reading! L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Author: Prayer Steps to Serenity the Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition ISBN: 0977805387 See also serenitygroups.org and prayersteps.org

A wonderful book for sponsors in any 12 Step program

This book is very useful and easy to understand. It's very helpful and has documented years of success in sponsoring other who are in recovery. THe author shares his "experience, strength and hope" in this practical guide to working the 12 Steps. It's adaptable to any 12 Step program. I use it often and continue to find answers to questions as a re-read and study the contents.