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CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

Not only do we get to meet in person with folks we already know surprisingly well from screens full of their little boxes, but we also get to share each others’ experience, strength, hope, psychology, neuroscience, art, and inspiration in person. International Conference of Secular AA sessions include topics covering MANY PATHS OF RECOVERY, the conference theme, with lots of open discussion.

EXPERIENCE, STRENGTH, & HOPE SPEAKERS:

  • Dorothy H, founder of the first International Conference of Secular AA (“WAAFT”) in Santa Monica, CA, 2014

  • Beth Aich on Childhood Trauma and Defense Mechanisms

  • Local AZ ES&H of members involved in Arizona’s local secular recovery groups

  • Joe C on “The Secret Bookshelf of Bill W” with history, humor, and musings about early AA and our future

  • Dr. Noeréna A on “When Sobriety Isn’t the Hard Part” with practical tools to support connection, resilience, and long-term recovery when life gets ‘life-y’.

WORKSHOPS:

  • Nancy B on “Recovery Tools: Building Resilience Through Accurate Self-Talk”

  • Mary C on “Name It, Claim It, Tame It” on taming your inner critic.

  • Angela S on “Online Safety in Recovery Spaces”

  • Sandy J on “Illuminating Fears” on processing fears to “illuminate rather than ruminate”

  • Chad C on “The Neuroscience of Serenity: A Secular Approach to Step 11”

PANELS:

  • “Friends of Secular AA”: Members from NA, AlAnon, CoDA, and OA describe how recovery with connection and inclusion takes shape in their rooms

  • “Religious Trauma and Recovery”: Hear powerful stories of harm, healing, autonomy, and hope through secular AA, while inviting attendees to share their own recovery experiences and resources

  • “Ask-It Basket”: Get your recovery questions ready to be drawn from a basket for diverse panelists and attendees to debate

  • “Rainbow Recovery” with panelists sharing relevant experiences of how their sexual and gender identity impacted their recovery journey

  • “Happy, Joyous, & Free: Recovery in a World of Color” on recovery experiences in the Black, Indigenous, People of Color secular community

  • “Sponsorship” explores the legacy of sponsorship and how guidance, connection, and shared experience continue to shape recovery across generations; reflects on what sponsorship looks like today and how those relationships help people grow and stay in recovery

  • “Finally, It All Makes Sense: Neurodivergence and Recovery”, hear secular, sober neurodivergent people discuss how ADHD, autism, and dyslexia have affected their experience of recovery

  • “A Vision for Us” with members of the Board of Secular AA on the work being done to support our mission, how all members can get involved, and a vision for the future with Q&A

LECTURES:

  • Dr. John Aherwith “Does Your Body Already Know ‘Neuroscience’?” on the emerging science on the body’s role in addiction and recovery and what AA got right before the science caught up

  • “Sexual Health in Recovery” with Dr. Raven Badger, the author of Sexuality and Addiction: Making Connections, Enhancing Recovery, presenting a model of sexual health, discussing links between sexuality and substance use, and facilitating a discussion of strategies for helping individuals who have been impacted by negative sexual experiences to recover

  • Dr. Nick L on “Alcohol Myth Buster: Fact vs. Fiction” with empowering knowledge on the science of addiction and recovery

  • Historian Brandon B with “A Remarkable Gay Life: the Story of Barry Leach, Author of Living Sober”

ONGOING ACTIVITIES OVER THE WEEKEND

HOTEL ACCOMODATION

  • Impromptu Sessions of conference attendees’ choice of Home Groups, Sibling Secular Recovery Fellowships (AlAnon, NA, OA, CoDA, Tus Nua, RD, R2, etc.), Meditation, Yoga, Artistic Creativity

All‑suite accommodations, beautiful desert surroundings, and resort amenities make this​

ICSAA Discounted Rate: Approximately $174/night (includes resort fee + tax)*

Rate valid November 10–19, 2026

Visit the hotel website Or call 1‑800‑Hiltons and mention group code 915

*Discounted rate available until October 23, 2026

The hotel does not offer a shuttle. In late October, attendees will receive a rideshare coordination thread.

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

​We respectfully acknowledge that the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak resides on ancestral lands and that we are gathered on the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Piipaash (Maricopa) Jeved: that is, their traditional and ancestral homeland. They, along with their ancestors, the Huhugam (including the Hohokam), have lived in this region for thousands of years. The Huhugam were the original engineers of the vast canal systems that shaped the Salt River Valley, laying the foundation for modern-day Phoenix’s agricultural and urban landscape.

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Despite the impacts of colonization, displacement, and forced assimilation, the Akimel O’odham and Piipaash people continue to thrive, preserving their language, culture, and traditions. Today, their sovereign nations, including those of the Onk Akimel O’odham and Xalychidom Piipaash people of the Gila River Indian Community, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and the Ak-Chin Indian Community remain vital contributors to the stewardship of this land.

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We honor their resilience, history, and ongoing presence, and we recognize our responsibility to support Indigenous voices and initiatives. We encourage all who gather here to reflect on this land’s deep history and commit to fostering respect and collaboration with the Indigenous communities who have called it home since time immemorial.

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