Core Christian Integration Skills-​
What if you were loved more than you could ever imagine?
What are Christian listening
skills?
For those requesting that Christian integration to be part of their psychotherapy journey, Christian listening skills are often weaved into various parts of therapy.
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In listening, we become aware at the heart level of truths that are clearly written in scripture. Our main focus is experiential knowing God. The purpose is less about hearing from God for
the purpose of personal direction or predicting events. It is all about relationship with God. It is one of the ways he has given us to know him better.
Christian listening skills are held up by other Christian disciplines such as reading scripture and participating in spiritual community and never replaces them.
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Listening to God can be a resource in all four domains of the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Model of Mental Health Care
Why Are Christian Listening Skills
Considered a Mental Health Skill?
- Christian Listening is a relaxation skill (similar to deep breathing, visualization, etc.)
- Engages parasympathetic system
- Decreases baseline anxiety
- Form of meditation (evidence based
intervention)
- It is a form of mindfulness defined as present tense, non-judgmental, noticing (also evidence based)
- Works with other skills (CBT, EFT, etc).
Listening as a Biological Resource
- It takes the human nervous system info account. Intentionally calming and relaxing the physical body is part of listening (Virkler & Virkler 2010).
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- Biological factors of having access to “relational circuits” or Cingulate Cortex of the brain are central to listening skills (Lehman2011).
- Further understanding concepts of Physical Activation and the Window of Tolerance will accelerate practical aspects of spiritual listening
Listening as a Social Resource
- Human social interactions happen when “checking journals.” We remove isolation when interacting with those in spiritual community and having them read over what we believe God has given us (Virkler, 2010).
- We also “tell the Immanuel story,” to others to help us in our own healing journey (Wilder & Coursey, 2010).
Combining Psychotherapy Skills
with the Work of…
- Dr. Karl Lehman – The Immanuel Approach
- Mark and Patti Virkler – The 4 keys to
Hearing God’s Voice
- Traditional listening/contemplative prayer approaches
Listening as a Psychological
Resource
- Changes cognitions or thought patterns
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-Listening involves having a change in perspective or thought. This is similar to many established mental health therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Visualization key part of listening in established models of listening (Virkler 2010, Lehman 2016).
- Connecting emotionally with the Lord is vital. Having it “feel” true that you are loved, cared for, and seen is the “attunement” that is experienced when skills are used successful (Lehman 2011)
Listening as a Spiritual Resource
- The fourth domain of bio-psycho-social- spiritual model must not be neglected.
- It is unethical for therapists to ignore clients' spirituality and having quality spiritual interventions can be an important part of psychological care
Lehman, Karl, 2016 – The Immanuel Approach: ForEmotional Healing and for Life
Lehman, Karl, 2011 – Outsmarting Yourself: Catching Your Past Invading the Present and What to Do about It
Virkler, Mark & Patti, 2010 – 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice
Wilder, James E. & Coursey, Chris M, 2010 – Share Immanuel: The Healing Lifestyle