Guideline 4 for Celebrate Recovery small groups says: “Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.”

To me, this guideline is not just a rule, it is what allows me to be 100% real and honest and feel safe.

Many of us come into recovery carrying hurts, habits, and hang-ups that we may not have shared with anybody else. Some of the things we share may feel embarrassing, heavy, or even scary to say out loud. It takes courage to speak honestly. Anonymity and confidentiality are what make that honesty possible and make us feel safe.

When I sit in my small group, I see how powerful it is when people know they are safe. Safe from gossip. Safe from being talked about outside the room. Safe knowing that whatever they shared will not be passed along to people outside the group. And safe knowing that my identity will not be revealed in the “outside world”.

Confidentiality means we don’t repeat what others share. Not as a story, not as a prayer request with details, not as “something I heard.” We can share what we are learning and experiencing, but not what someone else has shared. Whatever they share is theirs. The rest of us are there to listen and support, not to repeat what they share.

Anonymity means we protect who shares. We do not attach names to struggles outside the group. We don’t say, “So-and-so is dealing with…” Recovery is personal, and each person has the right to share their own journey in their own time.

There is one clear exception: if someone says they intend to harm themselves or others, leaders will act to get help. That’s not betrayal or lack of confidentiality; it is there for love and protection.

When anonymity and confidentiality are broken, trust is damaged, and people become guarded. They may not share honestly and deeply again.

When anonymity and confidentiality are honoured, trust grows, walls come down, people open up, and healing has room to work.

Protecting each other’s names and stories is one of the most loving and Christ-like things we can do for one another in recovery. It creates a space where grace is felt, honesty is possible, and true recovery can happen.