group observation paper

Title Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name Date In the context of addiction recovery, support groups offer an essential setting within which those affected by addiction, including their relatives, and loved ones, can find shelter and understanding. One of such groups is Al-Anon that concentrates only on providing support to family members of the individuals suffering from addiction or alcoholism. This paper will showcase a description of an Al-Anon group session bearing in mind multiple aspects including group composition, communication patterns, leadership style, group culture, and the overall effectiveness of the group in achieving its primary goal. Al-Anon is the short name for Alcoholics Anonymous Family Groups which is a support group for individuals who are relatives or loved ones of people suffering from addiction or alcoholism. The main aim of Al-Anon is to create an atmosphere in which people can come and share their experience, get directions and support from others who live the same situation like them. Al-Anon applies the same twelve steps program as Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) (Alcoholic Anonymous, 2023) but concentrates on the issues of family members of an addicted person. During the Al-Anon session that I observed, there was no specific leader as such. Alternatively, the group worked in an open and democratic fashion where some members would alternatively speak while others relayed their experiences. But there was a facilitator who guaranteed that the meeting was well organized and followed the group rules. This facilitator was not the domineering one, but rather, she facilitated the discussion, allowing everybody to express themselves, and ensuring that the discussion did not deviate from the topic of the day. The Al-Anon group meeting was held in a community center located nearby. The room was big enough for about fifteen to twenty people to sit comfortably. The seating was in a circle, which ensured equality and inclusivity among members. The room was cozy and welcoming with a soft lighting and comfortable seats. Generally, the environment was conductive to open and candid dialog, therefore, the members could easily share their experiences. There were about twelve people in the group, their age from late 20s to early 60s. The ratio of men to women was quite balanced. There were ...