Stacey Risner, M.A., Certified IA Practitioner   stace@mubbus.us   785-317-4824

What is Immanuel Approach (IA)?

Immanuel — God with us

Immanuel Approach prayer is a gentle and effective model of heart healing led by Jesus with a trained facilitator coaching you through the process. The prayer session begins with a relational connection with Jesus in a positive memory of appreciation, joy, or peace. I will coach you to look for the presence of God in your positive memory. The goal is to deepen connection and intimacy with Him and remove any blockages between you and Him. I will coach you to let Jesus gently lead and guide you to places in your heart that need healing without bringing further trauma. Your session will conclude as I coach you to remain connected with Jesus in gratitude and peace and any healing that was gained.

May your relationship with Jesus bloom
as He helps you heal hindering wounds, lies, habits, & heartaches.

About Stacey Risner M.A., Certified IA Practitioner

An UNHINDERED relationship with Jesus is at the heart of Stacey. Whether studying brain science research or helping her friends and clients ask Jesus curious questions during an Immanuel session, you will find Stacey learning, stretching, and growing in intimacy and identity with Him.

Over three decades of ministry, a Masters in Biblical Counseling, and other training combined with her own heart healing journey have equipped Stacey to help others pursue him. His fingerprints on her life and the convergence of all her experiences have propelled her into the world of inner healing prayer and the Immanuel Approach. Nothing has proven more gentle, surprising, and deeply transformative than an interactive connection with Him. And what a joy and honor she feels to accompany others into this lovely connection.

When not engaged in training and Immanuel sessions, you will find Stacey hanging around her firepit with her best friend and husband, Jay — an author / illustrator, firewood enthusiast and recovering web developer — their daughter, Delenn, and their two cats. She enjoys laughter, conversation, and curiosity about the metamorphosis of dragonflies, thunderstorms, and gathering the goodness of God. And on quiet days, you might catch her petting bumblebees.

IA Training & Experience

IA Training

IA Basic Skills Training Cohort Fall 2019

9wks, trainer: Cathy Noa Cathy Noa started an emotional healing ministry at Hope Vineyard Church in St. Louis. She is currently an Immanuel Encounter Guide trainer for Alive & Well. Cathy is an Immanuel Approach trainer who was trained by Patti Velotta (trained by Patti Velotta Patti Velotta is the founder of Immanuel Practicum and trained by Dr. Karl Lehman, creater of the Immanuel Approach. / Immanuel Practicum)

IA Intermediate Skills Development Group Spring 2020

6wks, trainer: Michael Schaefer Michael Schaefer founded Immanuel Focused Training with Andy Ross (a professional counselor directly trained by Dr. Karl Lehman). He combines inner healing and psychotherapy and servies clients through his practice, 3 Chairs Counseling. , Brisbane, Australia

Immanuel Encounter Guide Training Spring 2021

10wks, trainer: Margaret Webb Margaret Webb is a founder of Alive & Well and developer of Immanuel Encounter Training based on the work of Dr. Jim Wilder and Dr. Karl Lehman. , Alive & Well

Immanuel Approach Foundations & Core Immersion Training Oct 2023 - Dec 2024

1+ year, trainers: Cathy Little & Melinda Wilson Cathy Little & Melinda Wilson are co-founders of Face to Face Network and are trained directly by Dr. Karl Lehman. They have training in additional inner healing modalities. , Immanuel Institute


IA Facilitating

one-on-one sessions (online & in person) Spring 2019 - present

Over 350 sessions

Face to Face Network / Immanuel Institute Prayer Minister & Certified PractitionerAugust 2024 - present

Group Immanuel & Passing the Peace sessions (online & locally) 2020 - present

InterVarsity National Staff Conference Jan 3-5, 2024

Offered heart healing sessions to IV staff with team of IA facilitators such as Dr. Karl Lehman Dr. Karl Lehman, the creator of Immanual Approach, is a board-certified psychiatrist with twenty-five years and more than forty thousand hours of clinical experience. and those trained by Alive & Well, Face To Face Network, and others


IA Coaching

Southern Israel April - August 2024

Coached those who are learning IA to minister to their war-traumatized neighbors

Immanuel Institute Certified Practitioner & CoachAugust 2024 - present

Coaching students who are enrolled in IA training programs (Foundations, Core, Facilitator Support, etc) Immanuel Institute

Additional Training & Experience

Led Women's Christian Discipleship & Growth Groups

For the Life of the World: Letters to The Exiles (video curriculum)

Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge

The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone & David Gregory

Listening and Inner-Healing Prayer by Rusty Rustenbach

Becoming Myself by Staci Eldredge

Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel by Dr. Jim Wilder, Anna Kang, J. & S. Loppnow

The Author Still Speaks by Denesia Huttala

All Things New (book & video) by John Eldredge

Building Bounce by Stefanie Hinman & Marcus Warner

Journey Groups Level 1: A Relational Discipleship Experience by Amy Hamilton Brown

Journey Groups

About Journey Groups

Training to lead in 2019

Began leading groups online & locally in 2020

Continue to use the material, skills, etc in many ministry contexts

Additional Training

Relational Wisdom 360 | rw360.org
Founder, Ken Sande
Completed Discovering Relational Wisdom online course in 2018


Polyvagal Institute
Integrating Internal Family Systems And Polyvagal Theory Certificate in January 2026

Influences & Resources

Immanuel Approach - Dr. Karl Lehman

Immanuel Institute - Cathy Little & Melinda Wilson

Life Model Works - Dr. Jim Wilder

ThriveToday - Chris Coursey

Deeper Walk International - Marcus Warner

Lk10 Groups

John Eldredge

Alive & Well - Margaret Webb, Amy Glaser, Teddi Rodgers


Full Timeline show hide

on staff education leading training IA facilitating IA coaching

1994 — 1995

Campus Ministry Staff

Christian Challenge (Baptist Student Union) | I discipled students.

1996

Colorado Christian University

MABC (Masters of Biblical Counseling) student | Graduated 1996
Instructors included Larry Crab and Dan Allender.

1997 — 1998

Campus Ministry Staff

Christian Challenge (Baptist Student Union) | I discipled and offered counseling to students.

1998 — 2000

Church plant leadership team (Fall '98)

Served on a church leadership team launching a Four Square church in Spring Hill, TN

2004

Led Women's Mentoring Ministry

For local Evangelical Free Church

2011 — 2021

Led Women's Christian Discipleship & Growth Groups

2019

Immanuel Approach

Began offering paid 1:1 sessions

Journey Groups

Received training for leading Journey Groups

Immanuel Approach training

Spring - Cathy Noa (trained by Patti Velotta) 1:1 training
Fall Cohort - 6wk training

2020 — 2021

Journey Groups

officially leading JGs material & extracurricular groups online & locally

2020 — 2023

Immanuel Approach

IA Intermediate Skills Development Group
6 week training with Michael Schaefer

Alive & Well

Immanuel Encounter Guide Training 10-12wks training

Face To Face / Immanuel Institute

Immanuel Approach Core Training, Oct – Dec 2024

2024

InterVarsity National Staff Conference

Jan - facilitated sessions for staff and partnered with the team in Orlando

Immanuel Approach

Completed F2F (Immanuel Institute) CORE Immersion training

Immanuel Approach

Apr - coaching/training IA facilitators in southern Israel

Face to Face / Immanuel Institute

Aug - began coaching for F2F

2025

Face to Face and more

Ongoing training within F2F and gathering of outside resources ie. articles from Dr. Karl Lehman's site/research, books, webinars, etc

Immanuel Institute Coaching & Facilitating

Ongoing coaching sessions

Immanuel Approach Facilitating

Over 350 sessions


Stacey Risner, M.A., Certified IA Practitioner   stace@mubbus.us   785-317-4824