We honor the bravery it takes to come to a conference under any circumstances, and this one is a "first ever" in this program in this area. We thank you for placing your faith in Higher Power and attending with us in the pursuit of recovery.

Note for Newcomers

You might be asking “Am I Codependent?” We offer no diagnostic criteria. Instead, this pamphlet and these characteristics are offered as an aid for self-diagnosis.

Whether you identify as codependent or not, you are welcome at CoDA meetings. The only requirement for membership is a desire for healthy and loving relationships.

CoDA suggests that you try six different meetings before deciding whether CoDA is right for you, because each meeting is autonomous: each has its own boundaries, culture, feel. However, we are united in reading the Preamble, Welcome, Twelve Steps, and Twelve Traditions. Additionally, we abide by no-crosstalk guidelines, and do not abide 13th-Stepping. We hope that you will find here a loving and safe space to listen and perhaps be heard. If you feel that this or any other meeting is not in line with these principles, we encourage you to bring it up with any trusted servant. For this conference, you may contact a moderator directly during any of our events.

There are meetings available during social distancing all over the Southern California Area, and all over the world, if you’d like to try any of them. CoDA.org maintains a COVID meeting update page.

As a newcomer, there is a plethora of information available to you at LACoDA.org and CoDA.org’s newcomers' pages. You might especially enjoy the sections on Sponsorship and Resources at LA CoDA’s web site.

Thank you again for joining us. Take care of yourself by taking breaks whenever you need them, by reaching out to others, and by scheduling time for yourself to decompress. Many of us, regardless of time in program, have benefited from taking the Monday after a conference off to "ease back into reality", if that is something you are able to do and feel you need.