Welcome To The COSA Program
COSA is an anonymous, international Twelve Step recovery program for those whose lives have been affected by compulsive sexual behavior. The COSA fellowship is steadfastly autonomous; it is not affiliated with any other organizations. We are also self-supporting, sustained entirely by voluntary donations of time and money from our members.Welcome to the COSA fellowship. COSA is a Twelve Step recovery program for spiritual development, no matter what your religious or philosophical beliefs. Through the Twelve Steps, we achieve serenity one day at a time.
Our primary purpose is to recover from co-addiction and codependency and to reach out to those who still suffer. We do this by practicing the Steps, Traditions, and Concepts, and by sharing our experiences and listening to others. Through this program of recovery, we heal from our pain and come out of isolation. Our relationships and our lives become more meaningful and more fulfilling. We discover inner strength, unshakable serenity, deep joy, and lasting freedom, one day at a time.
The only requirement for COSA membership is to have been affected by compulsive sexual behavior. When dealing with the effects, many of us experience trauma, pain, powerlessness, and unmanageability. We often turn to unhealthy behaviors of our own to manage our pain or try to control the behaviors of others. In the end, we realize our need to reach out for help.
COSA offers hope, whether or not there is a sexually addicted person currently in our lives. Everything that is said in the group meetings and between members must be held in confidence, promoting open and honest sharing of experience, strength, and hope. By working the Twelve Steps in COSA, we gain a new perspective on ourselves and our lives. The loving interchange of help among members and daily use of program tools make us ready to receive the priceless gifts of serenity and freedom.
The Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer is thought to have been written by theologian Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s. It is used by COSA and numerous other Twelve Step groups around the world. The short version that most people are familiar with is as follows:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
The full version of the prayer is shown below:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it,
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
COSA Diversity Statement
- COSA Diversity is consistent with the Third Tradition of COSA, which states that the only requirement for COSA membership is that our lives have been affected by compulsive sexual behavior.
- The COSA Fellowship welcomes all genders, all varieties of relationship to the addict, all religious and spiritual preferences, all employment statuses, all marital statuses, all ethnicities, cultures, and languages. COSA does not discriminate on the basis of class, financial status, sexual orientation or gender identification, physical or mental challenges, race, or national origins.
- In COSA, we find hope whether or not there is a sexually addicted person currently in our lives.
- COSA Diversity is consistent with the First Tradition of COSA, which states that our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon COSA unity.
Find a Meeting
Local meetings (as well as phone and online meetings) are the heart of COSA. If you or a loved one have been affected by compulsive sexual behavior, join us to find a supportive community of individuals.