Secular and Alternative Support Groups

SMART Recovery, LifeRing, Refuge Recovery, Women for Sobriety, Moderation Management, S.O.S., and Secular AA all offer recovery support outside the traditional 12-step spiritual framework, with in-person and online meetings available across the US and internationally.

Why Do Secular Recovery Groups Exist?

The 12-step approach isn't the only path. If you've tried AA or NA and felt pushed toward a spiritual framework that doesn't work for you, or if you're just not into the higher-power thing, there are other options.

Secular and alternative recovery groups exist because not everyone connects with the God stuff. That's not a flaw in you. It's just a different fit.

What Are the Main Secular and Alternative Recovery Groups?

What Is SMART Recovery?

What it is: SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. It's the most established secular alternative to 12-step programs.

The approach: Uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing. Think of it like therapy meets peer support. There's a workbook. There's homework. There are practical exercises.

What meetings are like: A facilitator leads the meeting through an agenda. Topics might include "understanding and managing cravings," "problem-solving," "managing emotions," or "building motivation." People share, but it's more structured than a typical 12-step meeting.

Who it's for: People who want practical tools, want to understand the psychology of their addiction, or who couldn't connect with 12-step spiritual language.

Find it: smartrecovery.org, with in-person and online meetings worldwide.

What Is LifeRing Secular Recovery?

What it is: LifeRing offers peer-run support groups without any spiritual or religious framework.

The approach: Three pillars: "Sobriety, Sexuality, and Self." The focus is on developing a healthy identity outside of addiction. The model is less structured than SMART but more organized than just "show up and talk."

What meetings are like: Informal. People share their experiences, struggles, and wins. There's no required format, no reading, no prayer. Just people talking to people.

Who it's for: People who want a secular community but find SMART too structured. People who want peer support without the clinical feel.

Find it: lifering.org, mostly in California and the Pacific Northwest, but growing.

What Is Refuge Recovery?

What it is: A Buddhist-inspired recovery community. It's spiritual, but not religious in the way 12-step programs are.

The approach: Based on the idea that suffering comes from attachment, to substances, to old habits, to our identities as addicts. The path is through mindfulness, meditation, and compassion. It's about getting free from craving.

What meetings are like: Often starts with a guided meditation. Then someone reads from the Refuge Recovery book, followed by discussion. Some meetings are meditation-only.

Who it's for: People drawn to mindfulness and meditation. People who connect with Buddhist philosophy but don't want a strictly religious program.

Find it: refugerecovery.org, meetings in many major cities and online.

What Is Women for Sobriety (WFS)?

What it is: A recovery program specifically designed by and for women.

The approach: Uses the "New Life" program, which is 13 acceptance statements that form the foundation of the community. It's less about addiction as a disease and more about building a new life through positive thinking and emotional growth.

What meetings are like: Intimate, structured discussions. The facilitator guides the group through the 13 statements and how they apply to people's experiences. Very warm and supportive.

Who it's for: Women who want a women-only space. Women who've found mixed-gender meetings uncomfortable or triggering. Women who connect more with emotional support than step work.

Find it: womenforsobriety.org, primarily in-person in the US, with some online options.

What Is Moderation Management (MM)?

What it is: For people who want to reduce or moderate their drinking, not necessarily stop completely.

The approach: A 9-step program focused on moderate drinking as a goal. It combines cognitive behavioral tools with peer support. There's an emphasis on personal responsibility and self-change.

What meetings are like: Discussion-focused, like a support group. People share about their drinking, their goals, what worked and what didn't.

Who it's for: People who aren't sure they want to quit entirely. People who've tried 12-step and felt the "all or nothing" approach didn't fit. People who want to set their own boundaries around drinking.

Find it: moderation.org, mostly online meetings, some in-person in major cities.

Important note: Moderation Management is controversial. Some addiction professionals argue that for people with alcohol dependence, moderation isn't realistic. If you've tried moderation and it hasn't worked, that's worth paying attention to.

What Is Secular Organizations for Sobriety (S.O.S.)?

What it is: One of the oldest secular recovery options, founded in 1985.

The approach: "Sobriety through self-help." No higher power, no steps, no prayers. Just people supporting each other to stay sober.

What meetings are like: Peer-led, informal discussions. There's no required format. People share what's going on in their recovery.

Who it's for: People who want absolutely no spiritual content. The most secular of secular options.

Find it: secsober.org, smaller network, but meetings exist in many areas.

What Is Secular AA?

What it is: Secular AA meetings within the larger AA structure, but specifically for people who want a secular approach.

The approach: Uses the AA format (Big Book, 12 steps) but with secular interpretations. The "higher power" might be the group, nature, or their own humanity. Prayer is replaced with moments of silence.

What meetings are like: Just like a regular AA meeting, but without the prayer at the start and end. People share their stories without invoking God.

Who it's for: People who like AA's structure and community but want to strip out the religious language. The best of both worlds if you can find a secular AA meeting near you.

Find it: secularaa.org, directory of secular AA meetings worldwide.

How Do These Groups Compare?

How Should You Get Started?

1. Try SMART first. It's the largest secular alternative and has the most meetings. The tools are genuinely useful even if you also go to 12-step meetings.

2. Look for "secular" or "agnostic" meetings. Both AA and NA have secular-focused meetings. Check secularaa.org or secularna.org.

3. Try more than one. What doesn't work for one person might work for you. What doesn't work in one city might be great in another.

4. Mix and match. Lots of people go to SMART for tools and AA for community. You don't have to pick just one.

5. Online meetings count. If there's nothing near you, online meetings are real meetings. The connections are genuine.

Which Group Should You Try First?

• If you want tools and structure: Try SMART Recovery. The workbook alone is worth getting.
• If you want community without structure: Try LifeRing.
• If you're into meditation: Try Refuge Recovery.
• If you're a woman who wants women-only: Try Women for Sobriety.
• If you're not sure about quitting entirely: Try Moderation Management (but be honest with yourself about whether it's working).
• If you want AA but without God: Find a secular AA meeting.

The right meeting is the one that helps you stay connected to other people who understand what you're going through. That's what matters.

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