==> A hush fell over the room when Elaine Loveless said to Jane Kelley <== 
 EL> On 11 Feb 96 07:22am, Jane Kelley wrote to ELAINE LOVELESS:
 EL> Hello Jane!
 
 JK> I'm glad you are so smart that you don't need any help.  Others do, and 
 JK> not all of their needs get met in A.A.
 EL> I can understand why you are defending this position....it's how you
 EL> make you're living.......another good case for people in recovery not
 EL> making their living that way....MOF, I think that what Bill had in
 EL> mind when he wrote the 8th tradition.  You might want to look at the
 EL> long version of the tradition at the back of the Big Book.  On page 566
 EL> of the Third Edition, under the 8th Tradition...it says in
 EL> part...."Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional.
 EL> We defin professionalism as the occupation of counseling alcoholics
 EL> for fees or hire......"  As far as your sarcastic remark about my not
 EL> needing any help......it is obvious that this is a very emotionally
 EL> charged issue for you and I have no intention of continuing a
 EL> discussion with a person who has to stoop to petty personal attacks to
 EL> defend their position.......
 
 JK> Therapy in the case of addicts involves the entire person, we don't 
 JK> just say no.  
 EL> 
 EL> BTW, you might check all twelve of the steps....the first step is the
 EL> one we use to say "no", the other 11 are designed to help us change
 EL> our lives.......:)
AND THE CROWD WHEN WILD!!!!!!!!

FWIW, Elaine, although I don't have anything against mental health
professionals, I agree that we recovering alcoholics have no business
getting paid for what, according to the 12th step, we should be giving
away for free.
One of my sponsees asked me why I devote so much time and energy to 
her, when I don't get "paid" for it.  The only response I could come
up with was "I'm giving back was freely given to me."
I could never "repay" my 1st sponsor for the time, energy, and love
he gave me in my first three years...however, I *can* pass it on.
()
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