Date

7-21-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Thomas Vail

Keywords

Spirituality, 12-steps, AA, NA, Religion, God, Recovery, Long-term recovery, Christianity, and Recovery

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how individual Christian beliefs play a role in long-term recovery in a 12-step program. The findings from this study, focusing on this purpose, addressed the problem recognized as having a lack of research related to the Christian spiritual beliefs associated with the 12-step program and its successes or failures. Logotherapy provided the lens for the theoretical framework with data collected from a sample of seven individuals who had been sober for at least 10 years. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed for themes using Braun and Clarke’s six phases for thematic analysis. The data analyzed was used to address four research questions associated with how individuals who participated in 12-step programs and have been successfully sober for at least 10 years describe their experiences, roles, challenges, and other factors that contributed to long-term recovery. The four research questions were addressed by interpreting themes developed from the collected data shared by the sample. Recommendations for future practice, policy development, and research were shared, and limitations explained included applying this study to a larger population, using statistics and an expanded framework beyond logotherapy, and preventing interpretative researcher bias by employing a quantitative or mixed methods study.

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