Walking With the Spirit, Not Just Following A Model

Ashley Brooks, PhD, LPC-S
May 30
4 min read

Updated: Jul 6

Post #12: Soul Change Series

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. — Galatians 5:25

No counseling model—no matter how biblically faithful—can produce transformation apart from the Spirit. But a good model can create the space where transformation is invited. — Soul Change

The world of therapy offers no shortage of models: CBT, EMDR, ACT, IFS, DBT, and more. Each provides structure, language, and interventions for healing. Christian counselors often spend years training in these models—and rightly so.

But over time, even the best frameworks can become boxes. We start to rely on structure more than sensitivity. We follow the flowchart but forget to follow the Spirit.

The Soul Change Model was created not just as another set of steps, but as a Spirit-dependent process. It’s a model, yes—but it’s also a mindset. One that acknowledges:

Transformation happens not by method, but by Presence.

The Model Is a Map, Not the Guide

In Soul Change, we teach therapists to use the model as a map—not as the guide itself. The Holy Spirit is the guide.

The model offers structure. It names the five domains of the soul. It gives language to the process of transformation. It offers tools that integrate theology, psychology, and relational wisdom.

But those tools are only effective when they are Spirit-led. Otherwise, they become mechanical. Even Christian language can become hollow when disconnected from real dependence on God.

As McMinn (1996) cautions, “Even Christian counseling can become a human-centered effort if we forget the necessity of God’s active presence.”

What Spirit-Dependence Looks Like in Therapy

Spirit-led counseling doesn’t always look dramatic. Often, it’s quiet, slow, and deeply attuned. It may involve:

A pause when you sense something deeper is surfacing
A gentle nudge to revisit a moment of grief rather than move on
A holy stillness that settles over the room when a client speaks raw truth
A whisper from the Spirit that says, “Stay here. Don’t rush this.”
A moment of prayer or listening, when you’ve run out of words but still want to offer care

Therapists trained in Soul Change learn to notice these moments—not just as emotional cues, but as spiritual invitations. We don’t just follow the client’s story. We follow the Spirit’s work within it.

Letting Go of Control, Without Losing Competence

For many clinicians, the hardest shift is letting go of control. We want to do it right. We want to help. And we’re trained to rely on protocols and measurable goals.

But the Spirit often works outside the protocol. Sometimes the most transformational moments don’t come from the technique—they come from presence.

This doesn’t mean abandoning competence. Soul Change therapists are clinically skilled.

They know how to assess, conceptualize, and intervene. But they hold that skill with open hands, asking:

“Lord, how do You want to move here?”

That question doesn’t make you less professional. It makes you more present, responsive, and wise.

Modeling Dependence for Clients

Clients are constantly watching, learning not just from what we say but from how we are.

When we model dependence on the Spirit—not just confidence in our methods—we invite them into a different kind of change. Not change through striving, but through surrender.

It’s powerful when a client sees that:

The therapist listens not just to them, but to God
The work isn’t rushed, but held with sacred care
The goal isn’t perfection, but deepening relationship—with God and self

This kind of therapy fosters hope, rest, and genuine transformation.

The Model Is a Framework—Not the Source

One of the closing affirmations of the Soul Change book is this:

“The Soul Change Model is a framework. The Holy Spirit is the change agent.”

We do not preach the model. We use the model to create space for the Spirit to move.

Langberg (2015) writes, “Therapy is holy work. But it is not ours alone. We are invited into the healing work of God—never the other way around.”

Soul Change therapists remember this daily. The session is not about applying a method perfectly. It’s about being faithfully present, listening for the Shepherd’s voice, and walking with the client in step with Him.

Spiritual Discernment, Not Just Clinical Intuition

Much of what gets called “clinical intuition” is actually a mix of experience and internalized knowledge. But in Spirit-led therapy, discernment goes further.

It asks:

What is the Spirit revealing in this moment?
Is this a time to speak or to stay silent?
Is this the surface issue—or is something deeper unfolding?
What sacred invitation is present here?

As Tan (2011) emphasizes, “The Spirit’s guidance is essential in knowing when and how to apply clinical interventions, and in discerning the deeper movements of the soul.”

That’s why Soul Change is not just a model. It’s a way of practicing with God, not just for God.

Freedom and Flexibility in the Spirit

Because Soul Change is Spirit-led, it allows for:

Flexibility: Adjusting session flow as needed
Freedom: Letting the Spirit lead even when it’s off-script
Freshness: Avoiding stagnation or performance-based therapy
Faithfulness: Trusting that God is more invested in the client’s healing than we are

It is both grounding and liberating. You have a model. But you are not married to the model. You are walking with the Spirit—and that makes all the difference.

Reflection

In your own work, are you more reliant on your training—or your listening?
Where might the Spirit be inviting you to loosen your grip on control and trust Him more in session?
How would your presence shift if you entered each hour as a co-counselor with the Holy Spirit?

References

Langberg, D. (2015). Suffering and the heart of God: How trauma destroys and Christ

restores. New Growth Press.

McMinn, M. R. (1996). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling. Tyndale

House.

Tan, S.-Y. (2011). Counseling and psychotherapy: A Christian perspective. Baker Academic.