What is the “Immanuel Approach”?
by Dr. Karl Lehman, M.D.The Immanuel Approach was originated by Charlotte and Karl Lehman, M.D. to describe a counseling prayer method designed to resolve many forms of emotional distress linked to incompletely processed painful experiences.
(immanuelapproach.com)
• Immanuel means “God with us,” and this promise is the foundation for all that follows.
• Thousands of professionals and lay people around the world are applying the Immanuel approach to deepen intimacy with God, permanently resolve past pain, and discern God’s ongoing guidance. The Immanuel approach has also been called “Emmanuel prayer,” or the “Immanuel process”.
The Immanuel approach to emotional healing
• Shifts the primary objective from “resolve trauma and relieve symptoms” to “help the person connect more intimately with Jesus by removing barriers between her heart and His.” We gratefully accept the resolution of psychological trauma and the associated symptom relief as side benefits, but the more important priority is to remove blockages that stand between our hearts and Jesus.
• Starts with recall of positive memories and deliberate appreciation, to prepare our brain-mind-spirit systems for connecting with the Lord; and then establishes a living, interactive connection with Jesus as the foundation for the session.
• Is organized around turning to Jesus, focusing on Jesus, and engaging directly with Jesus at every point in the session.
The Immanuel approach to life
• The Immanuel approach to life includes healing for psychological trauma, but clearly recognizes that this is only one part of God’s agenda for working in our lives. For example, the Lord also wants to build our capacity, grow our maturity, and spend time “just” being with us as a friend.
• Takes the tools for helping us connect with the Lord outside of special “sessions,” with the ultimate goal of helping us get to the place where we perceive the Lord’s presence, and abide in an interactive connection with Jesus, as our usual, normal, baseline condition as we walk through life each day.
• Again, identifies the primary objective, the most important priority, as intimacy with God.
To learn more about the on Immanuel prayer model, visit immanuelapproach.com.