What is a Sponsor in the Adult Children of Alcoholics Fellowship? Tips for Finding/Being a Sponsor

Adult Children of Alcoholics and Other Dysfunctional Families, ACA or ACoA, is a 12 Step Fellowship. Although it follows 12 Steps similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, the role of a sponsor is very different. What is ACA sponsorship and how is having an ACA sponsor helpful in the recovery journey?

Start your journey towards becoming your own Loving Parent by finding a role model who can emulate that while providing safety and nurturing guidance. Just because we might not have learned self kindness, and self compassion while growing up, that doesn't mean we can't find somebody today to show us the way. 

Find your ACA sponsor by attending ACA meetings.

I'm Ken Francis, M.S., California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of The Intimacy Gram and The Gratitude Snorkel and Other Bedtime Stories. I specialize in Alcohol Addiction treatment, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, trauma recovery, and group therapy. I believe in life balance and building community support. Please check out my other videos as they are a good resource for information on substance abuse, trauma, motivation, and gratitude. 

With Covid-19 social distancing practices, I have had to stop teaching classes at my clinic. This video and others are my attempt to make my educational topics available to my patients. I have placed them on YouTube so others can benefit. Please like and subscribe to get more videos on recovery: Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Alanon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Mindfulness, good Mental Health and Self Care.

Please feel free to share this ACoA podcast so that others can benefit!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
00:30 The Big Red Book and Sponsorship
01:08 The Fellow Traveler Model
01:45 The Difference Between an AA and an ACA Sponsor
03:42 Finding an ACA Sponsor with AA Experience
04:03 A Loving Parent
04:24 ACA 12 Step and the Yellow Book Study Groups
05:31 Having a Human Connection While Working the Steps
06:20 Finding a LOving Parent Role Model
07:00 Benefits of the Fellow Traveler Model
07:14 Role of an ACA Sponsor
08:29 Conclusion

#The_Intimacy_Gram #adultchildrenofalcoholics #positivity #positivethoughts #recoveryquotes #recoveryhappens
#selfesteem
#selfcompassion
#selfkindness
#fellowtravelers

Kenneth Francis

[TheIntimacyGram]

For more information on the Adult Children of Alcoholics fellowship, please check out their website at adultchildren.org

Also check out my website: TheIntimacyGram.com

[ginagray]

I have a great Alanon sponsor. ACoA sponsors are difficult to find. So I see it as fellow travelers are the closest things to sponsors that we have. Finding an Alanon sponsor isn’t easy either. Mine is a double winner.

[ramonamontello]

Thanks for the ACA explanations of the differences between AA and ACA

[kevinetheridgemakes]

I really appreciate the ping-pong balls analogy in this talk. Had a yellow-book group come apart & even with the loving parent practice, it's still difficult to understand / refrain from self-blame sometimes. Nice to have another way to think about it and an analogy that makes sense to me. Thanks!

[joejackson]

Thanks Ken, very thoughtful to put this together at a challenging work time for you.
Great Contribution 🙏🏽

[cantstopwontstop]

Hello, I am wondering if you have any advice on how to work the program without a sponsor. I go to online meetings, but mainly in person meetings. They tend to be small groups and there is a lack of sponsorship in the groups. I have asked someone, but their response seemed like they did not like the idea of sponsorship. I agree with you, finding someone who can emulate a loving parent, but there a lack of those people with experience. I want to keep doing the program but it is becoming really difficult. I work with someone else in the group but yes, I am concerned there is not that much support there since we are both suffering in a way. I have a counselor but dang this stuff is hard.