A Framework for Addressing Spirituality in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: The Three-Legged Stool

Abstract

This chapter presents a theoretical model based on the multidimensional nature of spirituality that will support clinical practitioners in their efforts to provide interventions to their clients in substance abuse treatment and other mental health settings. The authors call it the three-legged stool, spirituality being the 'seat' of the stool and the three 'legs' supporting the seat being creativity, service, and solitude. The three-legged stool framework has emerged slowly over our years of teaching and research, and it finally coalesced as the authors began to present their research results at national and international conferences. The authors begin their presentation of the three-legged stool framework with a review of the literature concerning spiritual interventions in the treatment of substance abuse. They then discuss definitions of spirituality found in the literature that inform our model. Next, the authors discuss the three-legged stool model in detail, justifying the inclusion of creativity, service, and solitude by presenting the conceptual and empirical literature associated with each leg. Lastly, the authors acknowledge limitations of the framework and suggest possible future research to improve and/or validate it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)