Planning an Introduction Session

For many people, undertaking the 12 Step process is a new journey, and as with every good trip, planning is essential.

It is important for participants to know what they can expect and what will be expected of them. Therefore, we have found it extremely important to have an Introduction Session which is open to anyone who is interested in hearing about the STEPS journey without having to commit.

The advantage of having the Introduction Session cannot be stressed enough. We have had a significantly higher rate of people completing the course after doing the introductory sessions, because participants are better prepared for the process.

  • A brief overview of the STEPS process;
  • The reasons why we need a group like this;
  • The tools we use when going through the process; and
  • Four stories from people who have experienced the life-changing power of the STEPS process.

Typical program for an Introduction Session (90 mins)

5 mins

Welcome. Include why you are here (why you have chosen to start a group), and what will happen during the Introduction (presenting the program for the session). (See Host Script at Appendix 15)

25 mins

Watch the ‘Introduction’ film

10 mins

Listen to a live testimony, either in person or via live feed. (The STEPS Team are happy to organise this is your first course – please contact your STEPS Coach)

10 mins

Do the identification exercise (Appendix 2) from Step 1 in the Course Book. (You may want to make copies of the exercise in case people do not have the book at this session.)

5 mins

Q&A session – to answer any queries people may have about the course.

2-4 mins

The session closes with a brief conversation with each participant, to confirm which unhelpful behaviour or thought pattern they wish to focus on in the STEPS group.

Conversations with Participants

The 12 Steps were originally developed to fight alcoholism but are generally effective in breaking all forms of unhelpful behavioural patterns. Of the participants who have undergone STEPS with us, only about 3-5% have worked with substance addictions. Typically, we can say that the 12 Steps are for people who dare to look into their lives and ask themselves the following questions:

  1. What are the principles of my life and do I live according to them?
  2. Are there patterns in my way of thinking, feeling or responding that are unhelpful?

During the Introduction Session, each participant will do the Identification Exercise, and then have an interview with one of the co-facilitators to help them identify which unhelpful behaviour or thought pattern they want to work on. The interviews usually take 1-5 minutes per participant.

During these conversations it is helpful to ask, “What specific behaviour or thought pattern do you want help to change?’

The Identification Exercise from Step 1 usually helps to highlight common behaviours or thought patterns people wish to work on, but equally someone may wish to work on something not directly connected to the Identification Exercise.

Top Tip

It is helpful to be as specific as possible in choosing what area participants work on, to avoid it becoming too overwhelming and unmanageable. It is also important to work on a problem rather than a solution (i.e. dishonesty instead of honesty). Another way to think about it is that people generally work on their lack of [X], their need to [X] or their fear of [X].

Common areas people work on

Here is a list of common areas people work on (Appendix 1) in the STEPS process, but also use common sense when hearing participants’ responses, as you may want to suggest making it more specific.

In general, we do not recommend:

  • Accepting participants who have an untreated medical condition.
  • Accepting participants with severe mental disorders.
  • Accepting participants who are unwilling/unable to define a concrete area to work on.

Helping people identify what they want to work on

Some participants will know what they want to work on straight away, and if they do, we would support them in that – as long as they are working on a problem in the way they feel, think or act. However, many people need extra support identifying what it should be. In order to help them most effectively, we have put together a short guide to having this conversation with them.

We suggest asking one or more of the following questions:

  • Which 3 statements did you relate to the most?
  • Which of the roles mentioned in the video did you identify with most (Hero, invisible child, helper, or the scapegoat?)
  • What seems to be the biggest issue for you right now?

You may find that they need some help identifying what the issue is. Some phrases that have helped in the past are:

  • “In my experience, people who have struggled with the same thing have sometimes worked on ABC. How does this sound to you?”
  • “It sounds as though you might be saying ABC. Do you identify with this at all?”
  • “I suggest being more specific might help you get the most out of the course. How about ABC”.

Top Tip

It is important the participant works on the problem rather than the desired behaviour. For example, they should work on dishonesty rather than the desire to be truthful, or fear of rejection, rather than wanting more confidence.

Sometimes people are stuck between two topics. In this case you could suggest they reflect on it for a few days and try one topic for the first week to see how it fits. It is important they only work on one topic. You can assure them that working on one area typically have ripple effects into other areas.

Below is a list of the statements and the underlying issues that tend to be associated with these:

If you are unsure which statements apply to you and want to talk through this with someone, please chat with your co-facilitator or STEPS Coach.

Facilitator Guide for Conversations

  • Download printable version of Facilitator GuideDownload

Grouping Participants (if multiple groups)

After the Introduction Session the leaders of the course will put together the groups based on the participants’ chosen behaviours. If possible, the participants are divided into groups with as much commonality among the working areas as possible. We usually divide men and women into separate groups, but we also have good experience with mixed groups depending on the number of participants (and ensuring working areas are suitable for a mixed group). We would recommend keeping group sizes to no greater than 8-10 people (max. 10 participants plus 1-2 facilitators), to ensure everyone gets a chance to share.

It is important to find out what the participant’s situation is in order to assess whether they would benefit from the course, or whether, for example, there is a need for therapy or some other form of help. In connection with this, it may be necessary to ask about the family situation to find out about the person and figure out if there are other members of the family who need help.

If you choose to ask about this, it is necessary beforehand to have given thought to what help you can offer or the ability to refer them to other organisations.

We have had a number of participants on our courses who have not been part of any church. This is not an issue, as long as they have a generally positive attitude towards faith. They do not need to define themselves as believers.