I corresponded occasionally with Chris, Dr. Wilder, and Dr. Lehman between 2010 and 2012 as my wife and I implemented Immanuel leader group trainings at a church new to the process in Virginia, and as I designed a field curriculum for group Immanuel as part of Coptic Orphans, an Egyptian Christian organization I was working for at the time.
My training has been informal and hands-on, but started in the early stages of Immanuel. It has included the study of the developers' work, finding out what worked and didn't through practice, and comparing notes with other Immanuel leaders who were learning at the time.
I have practiced and received the Immanuel Approach for about 8 years now, and my active ministry with Immanuel has included:
- small group facilitation as part of Life Model applications
- "group" facilitation with couples together as part of couples therapy (working under the supervision of and in team with a licensed marriage and family therapist)
- leader training and introduction at congregational level
- individual facilitation for trauma and advanced troubleshooting, alone and with my wife
- curriculum and program design for international trauma setting in Egypt
- as part of my current work as the Neurophysiology Technologist (I'm board registered as an R-EEG. T.) at the Northwest Institute of Integrative Counseling and Training, combining Immanuel with Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback to help establish and strengthen appreciation connections. I hope to use the added empirical basis offered by biofeedback to eventually create a research project on Immanuel.
In 2016, I have launched out in full-time ministry to provide Immanuel and other resources, and help facilitate their multiplication through the Body of Christ.