Since the publication of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939, the Twelve Steps have been central to staying sober for millions of people around the world. AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), NA (Narcotics Anonymous), Al-Anon, and countless other recovery organizations and treatment programs have adopted the Steps as their program for abstaining from substance use and compulsive behaviors. However, recently a growing chorus of critics of the Twelve Step model is claiming that the science behind this model is questionable.

In If You Work It, It Works!, Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., calls upon the most up-to-date research, teamed with the critical work he did on Project match, an eight-year multi-site research study proving the efficacy of Twelve Step Facilitation, to build a compelling case as to why working the Steps provides predictable and successful outcomes with:

• experienced, knowledgeable sponsors
• consistent attendance at peer support groups
• systematic application of the Steps
• treatment professionals effectively incorporating the Steps and peer support in their recovery management programs

Whether you are thinking of joining a Twelve Step program, looking for intelligent ways to talk about why your program works, or simply wanting to understand the science fueling the success of one of the greatest social movements of our time, this book is for you. As many members of 12 Step groups say at the end of every meeting, the simple truth is that “It works if you work it."

Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who has taught at the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Connecticut, as well as served as supervising psychologist, University of Connecticut Health Center. He is the author of Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF), listed in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices and Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drinking a Problem? with co-author Robert Doyle, and blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and Psychology Today.