Abstract

The Three Portals cross-cultural theory and model for social work practice was created, researched and synthesized by the author and spawned from her original published doctoral dissertation on ancient Basque spiritualism ([Author], 2009). Her doctoral research was a heuristic qualitative research study, situated within an ethnic paradigm (Stanfield, 1994; Moustakas, 1990: Colorado, 1988). The original study explored the author's own personal journey, related literature (translated from French sources), cultural shapes, symbols, stories and dialogues to describe the experience of Basque spiritualism. The author has extracted the universal elements from her research with the Basques to formulate an integrated cross-cultural theory and assessment and intervention model for social work practice. After a four-year research process writing her doctoral dissertation, the author applied this model for seven years in a variety of health and human services and social work practice settings to assess clients from the lens of a cross-cultural perspective. The author continued her research through a cultural immersion process in the Basque Country of southwestern France for two more years, resulting in a total of thirteen years of research.