Dr. Kirkpatrick was recognized as an expert on addiction in women. Her dream to have women meet in self-help groups throughout the country has become a reality, both in location-based and online meetings. Treatment facilities also use the program.
Thousands of women have used the New Life Program to achieve sobriety and reclaim their lives. The WFS Acceptance Statements are the recovering woman’s guide to everyday thinking and living. As the New Life Program evolved, participants began to request a more chronological guide for their recoveries. In response Jean defined Levels of Recovery. Jean also wrote articles on recovery related topics, such as Early Sobriety, Self Esteem, Understanding Relapse and many more.
On June 19, 2000, Dr. Jean Kirkpatrick passed away at the age of 77. Her life experiences and recovery journey, expressed so well in her books and the WFS New Life Program, have had such a personal and positive impact on many women in recovery.
Consider celebrating Jean’s 100th with a $100 donation
One time, today, or in small monthly installments (8.34/ month for this year for a total of $100.08). Your generous gift will allow WFS to continue to support and distribute this life-changing program, continuing Jean’s meaningful impact on women’s recovery.
In 1973 Dr. Kirkpatrick set her plan of recovery into an acceptance program that she called New Life. In 1975, she used the name Women for Sobriety, Inc., to establish a nonprofit organization. She formalized 13 affirmations that had been helpful in her own recovery into the thirteen Acceptance Statements, which are still used today. Jean became widely recognized as an expert in women’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) recovery.
Among Jean’s Many Accomplishments
In 1977 published an article, “When A Woman Drinks Too Much,” that told of a woman’s drinking problem and how she overcame her problem with a new program.
After her initial book, Turnabout, Jean authored A Fresh Start, (1981), which tells about the beginning of the WFS organization and Goodbye Hangovers, Hello Life(1986), which provides a method of overcoming the problems encountered by women in the process of SUD recovery.
Gave expert testimony on women and alcoholism before several Senate Committees.
Presented papers and workshops worldwide, including presentations before the international community of alcoholism professionals in Zurich, Switzerland; Tours, France; Cardiff, Wales and Vienna, Austria.
Appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows, among them “The Today Show,” “The Phil Donohue Show,” “Good Morning, America,” “To Tell The Truth,” “The Morning Show,” and others.
Was awarded the Raymond Haupert Humanitarian Award from Moravian College, and was named Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women of Quakertown, Pennsylvania in 1978.
Now, 48 years after Jean established WFS, we continue to provide Jean’s New Life Program to women in recovery through a variety of programs:
In the late 1950s Jean Kirkpatrick couldn’t cope with the fact that she was the first woman to receive the Fels Fellowship award at the University of Pennsylvania, so she went out and got drunk. Fearing that a mistake had been made and the funds to write her doctoral dissertation would be taken away, Dr. Kirkpatrick broke 3 years of sobriety with a drunk that lasted 13 years.
When she returned to AA 13 years later, she wanted to hear new ideas and new things. AA just wasn’t saying to her what she needed to hear. The fault was not with the AA Program but was in Jean’s own need to know about herself. And so she continued to drink.
During this time Jean began to read more and more the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and other metaphysical writers. She began to see that by changing her thoughts she could change herself. In Turnabout: New Help for the Woman Alcoholic, Dr. Kirkpatrick describes these years, the self-destruction, and how she finally was able to stop drinking.
With her own sobriety established by methods other than the traditional AA Program, Dr. Kirkpatrick formed the Women for Sobriety, Inc., organization and the New Life Program in 1975. She devoted the remainder of her life to helping women with addictions.
Join WFS in celebrating the life’s work of Jean Kirkpatrick and help support women in recovery!
WFS is proud to announce the start of a new in-person meeting!
Wauwatosa, WI
Mondays at 6:00 pm
Start Date: 1/13/2021
Please email [email protected] with questions and to obtain the exact location of the meeting.
Please join us in extending our gratitude to the volunteer Certified Facilitator who has made the commitment to bring the New Life Program to her local community!
If you are feeling inspired to bring WFS to your local community, please review the requirements for becoming a Certified Facilitator at https://womenforsobriety.org and contact the Facilitator Management Team at [email protected] for assistance.
WFS is proud to announce the start of a new Regional Video Meeting!
London, ON, Canada
Tuesdays 12:00 pm
Start Date: 1/4/2022
Please email [email protected] with questions and to obtain the online details for the meeting.
Please join us in extending our gratitude to the volunteer Certified Facilitator who has made the commitment to bring the New Life Program to her local community!
If you are feeling inspired to bring WFS to your local community, please review the requirements for becoming a Certified Facilitator at https://womenforsobriety.org and contact the Facilitator Management Team at [email protected] for assistance
WFS is proud to announce the start of a new face-to-face meeting!
Souderton, PA
Sundays at 8:00 am
Start Date: 11/7/2021
Please email [email protected] with questions and to obtain the exact location of the meeting.
Please join us in extending our gratitude to the volunteer Certified Facilitator who has made the commitment to bring the New Life Program to her local community!
If you are feeling inspired to bring WFS to your local community, please review the requirements for becoming a Certified Facilitator and contact [email protected] for assistance.
A research team at the Alcohol Research Group, which conducted the groundbreaking Peer Alternatives for Addiction (PAL) Study, has received federal funding for a larger and more detailed follow-up study. We hope you will participate. The original PAL study examined the effectiveness of several mutual-help groups, including LifeRing, SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety, and 12-step groups, and found evidence that all groups are equally effective as recovery supports. The investigators are now seeking volunteers to participate in their new study, which looks more closely at how these mutual-help groups work and which group works best for whom. Results of this important study will help addiction treatment providers to make informed referrals to mutual-help groups. They will also help people seeking peer support to make the best choices possible for their recovery pathways.
Study participants must have attended or led a Women For Sobriety meeting within the past 30 days. Also, study participants must be 18 or older and be a U.S. resident. Those surveyed for the original PAL study in 2015 may not participate in the current study. Participants will receive Amazon gift certificates totaling up to $115. The study uses strict data security procedures to protect participant confidentiality.
To learn more about the study and take the online survey, please visit www.pal2study.org.
WFS is proud to announce the start of a new face-to-face meeting!
Chicago, IL
Fridays 9:00 am
Please email [email protected] with questions and to obtain the exact location/details of the meeting.
Please join us in extending our gratitude to the volunteer Certified Facilitator who has made the commitment to bring the New Life Program to her local community!
If you are feeling inspired to bring WFS to your local community, please review the requirements for becoming a Certified Facilitator and contact [email protected] for assistance.
WFS is proud to announce the start of a new face-to-face meeting!
Chicago, IL
Thursdays 6:30 pm
Start Date: 10/14/2021
Please email [email protected] with questions and to obtain the exact location/details of the meeting.
Please join us in extending our gratitude to the volunteer Certified Facilitator who has made the commitment to bring the New Life Program to her local community!
If you are feeling inspired to bring WFS to your local community, please review the requirements for becoming a Certified Facilitator and contact [email protected] for assistance.
After receiving design submissions, getting input from focus groups, and voting by WFS women the future logo has been selected. Join us online to see which one was selected and learn more about it.
WFS is excited to announce that our WFS Online community will be moving to a new, more user-friendly and feature-rich platform in the coming months. This new online community will have all the current content as well as some really great new features and improved functionality. Read more about the new platform here.
Introducing Joanne – WFS Volunteer Coordinator
Hi, My name is JoAnne O. I live in Millis, Massachusetts. I have been living in Recovery for just about 9 years. I have 4 young adult children and two loving dogs. I love spending time outdoors exploring new areas in my Jeep, and feel so very blessed to live close to the ocean, the mountains and everything in between! My background is in early childhood education and for many years I had the privilege of working with young children and families with special needs. The past 6 years I have been the volunteer coordinator for a non-profit Hospice, connecting patients and caregivers with volunteers and community resources. I am beyond excited to begin working with Women for Sobriety, Inc. and look forward to sharing time and space with women on their path to recovery.
JoAnne
WFS is Hiring!
WFS is hiring a full-time Program Manager. The Program Manager will oversee all day-to-day business operations of the corporation including planning, implementing, and maintaining efficient procedures for coordinating the organization’s various peer-support resources, managing official WFS events, and providing additional services such as the provision of free and sale literature and other materials. Applicants with diverse backgrounds and identities are encouraged to apply. This is a remote position open to anyone who lives in the US. Read more here.
Grab your popcorn & join us for a night of fun as we gear up for the 2022 Conferences. Do you remember how magical Conference 2021 was? Wouldn’t you like to be part of the behind the scenes effort? Join us to learn all about Conferences 2022 & get involved!!
Saturday, October 9, 7pm EDT
Log in to WFS Online to access the Zoom link or email [email protected]
New Meetings
WFS is pleased to announce new In-Person* and Regional Video Meetings. We thank the dedicated volunteers who bring the New Life Program to their community. Use the email address for the specific meeting to get meeting details.
WFS Strategic Plan – Our Mission, Vision and Values
Have you read the WFS Strategic Plan yet? Fundamental to this important work was clarification of the organization’s Vision and Mission, and articulation of its Values.
VISION
WFS envisions a world where individuals live mindful lives and take responsibility for their thoughts and actions.
MISSION
Through the New Life Program, WFS supports women seeking a sober life in recovery from problematic substance use.
VALUES
Compassion: WFS promotes empathy and caring for self and others.
Connection: WFS creates safe spaces where women support the expression of thoughts, feelings, and needs.
Empowerment: WFS encourages and celebrates women and their right to be their own unique individuals.
Love: WFS commits to authentic relationships defined by mutual value and worth.
Respect: WFS acts with integrity, honoring every woman’s experiences and ideas.
A longitudinal study of the comparative efficacy of Women for Sobriety, LifeRing, SMART Recovery, and 12-step groups for those with AUD.
Results tentatively suggest that WFS, LifeRing, and
SMART are as effective as 12-step groups for those with AUDs, and that this population has the best odds of success when committing to lifetime total abstinence. An optimal care plan may thus involve facilitating involvement in a broad array of mutual help groups and supporting abstinence motivation. Journal of Substance Abuse TreatmentThis Peer Alternatives for Addiction Study will be replicated soon in an additional PAL2 study. Keep an eye out for your opportunity to become a part of this important research!
