WHY AN ORIENTATION TRAINING?

In traditional 12-Step programs, people often come through the doors either after hitting rock bottom—grappling with addiction, loss, or profound suffering—or because unmanageable relationships, family dysfunction, or referrals from other programs push them to seek help. These are entry points rooted in desperation, where the need for recovery feels urgent and inescapable. 

A large portion of the frontloading process for the original Alcoholics Anonymous program was clarifying what alcoholism is and how it works. Having clear definitions allowed AA participants to determine whether they “qualified” as an alcoholic, and it allowed the program to build shared identities and communities around alcoholism. This was foundational to their program’s success. The process of defining a new addiction and clarifying how it works has been a regular challenge for all new 12-step programs; however, after confronting this challenge, these other programs have similarly been able to foster a shared sense of identity and community for their participants around their relevant qualifier.

So what about those who don't identify with any of the “qualifiers” for existing 12-Step programs—individuals whose lives, though imperfect, don't seem desperate or unmanageable on the surface? For them, the pull toward a 12-Step framework is less natural, less urgent. These individuals often lack the acute desperation that propels others into recovery, making it harder for them to see the value of such a program.

Here’s where the concept of the “False Self” becomes critical. In psychology, it’s called the shadow; in everyday terms, it’s our egoic programming—our unprocessed emotional baggage, our blind spots, our "stuff." These patterns often remain dormant until life forces a reckoning: a breakup, a divorce, the death of a loved one. The Buddhists call these events the "harbingers of enlightenment." But waiting for these moments to spontaneously bring people into a 12-step process is neither reliable nor scalable. What’s needed is a new gateway: an intentional, structured training that introduces people to the core principles and practices of 12-step work.

The good news is, we’ve seen this model succeed in social movements. Activists mobilized around social justice issues don’t just show up fully informed and committed. They, too, need an initiation training—a guided process that both agitates and inspires, helping them connect deeply with the cause.

Paul Engler and the Momentum team have pioneered what is called mass training: designing scalable, impactful programs to initiate people into movements. This same methodology can be a game-changer for the 12-Step community. By adapting mass training principles, we can create an experiential program that not only introduces participants to the 12 steps but also creates the kind of emotional connection and commitment needed to sustain their journey.