Exploring the Power of Immanuel Imagery in Neuroscience Informed Christian Counseling (NICC)

Continuous Verbal Feedback: Participants are encouraged to describe out loud whatever comes into their awareness, without filtering or judging the importance or coherence of the thoughts. This practice helps in externalizing internal experiences, making them more accessible for analysis and understanding. It also allows the facilitator to track the participants’ experience and guide the process more effectively.

Focusing on Healing and Insight: As participants engage with Jesus, they may uncover areas of pain, unresolved conflict, or deep questions. Facilitator prompts like, “Are there parts of your story Jesus wants to heal?” or “Ask Jesus that question” direct the therapeutic process towards healing and resolution. This interaction can lead to profound moments of insight and emotional release.

Encouraging Presence and Comfort: In moments where participants struggle with intense emotions or when no clear insights arise, facilitators might use prompts such as “Just be with him.” This encourages participants to simply experience the comforting presence of Jesus without the pressure of needing to achieve something specific from the interaction.

Benefits of Direct Engagement With Jesus in Imagery

Deep Emotional Healing: Direct engagement allows participants to address specific emotional wounds with the recognized support and intervention of Jesus, fostering a sense of safety and promoting deep healing.

Spiritual Integration and Growth: This practice integrates participants’ spiritual beliefs with their emotional experiences, deepening their faith and understanding of how it intersects with their daily lives and psychological health.

Enhanced Self-Understanding: Articulating internal experiences helps participants connect with and understand themselves better, revealing hidden beliefs, fears, and desires, which can be transformative in personal growth.

Resource Development: Through these interactions, participants develop internal spiritual and emotional resources, such as a sense of being loved and supported, which they can draw upon in times of need.

Strengthened Relationship With Jesus: Regular engagement with Jesus in this intimate and personal way can strengthen participants’ relationship with him, making their spiritual lives a more central and active part of their overall well-being.

This approach in NICC is not just about psychological therapy; it’s a holistic practice that fuses the therapeutic benefits of guided imagery with the spiritual practice of prayer and meditation, offering a comprehensive healing experience.

Keep Learning!

As you explore the transformative possibilities of Immanuel Imagery, remember that this practice is just one aspect of the broader framework of Neuroscience Informed Christian Counseling® (NICC) and Neuroscience Informed Relational Discipleship. Each offers unique insights and tools for integrating spiritual depth with psychological understanding. To deepen your journey towards healing and spiritual growth, we invite you to learn more about NICC and how Neuroscience Informed Relational Discipleship can enrich your personal and communal faith experiences. Embrace the opportunity to transform your life and relationships through these profound integrative approaches.

REFERENCES

1. Embrace Immanuel Imagery for Healing
2. Lehman, K. D., & Lehman, M. C. E. (2016). The Immanuel Approach: For Emotional Healing & for Life. Immanuel Publishing.
3. Parnell, L. (2013). Attachment-focused EMDR: Healing relational trauma. WW Norton & Company.
4. Parnell, L. (2008). Tapping in: A step-by-step guide to activating your healing resources through bilateral stimulation. Sounds True.
5. Korn, D. L., & Leeds, A. M. (2002). Preliminary evidence of efficacy for EMDR resource development and installation in the stabilization phase of treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of clinical psychology, 58(12), 1465-1487.

This article originally appeared here.