We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Tangela Stoot. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Tangela below.

Dr. Tangela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Yes, there was a defining moment that changed the trajectory of both my career and my life.

For many years, I served others through ministry, mental health, crisis intervention, and community outreach. On the outside, I appeared strong, capable, and committed to helping people heal. However, behind the scenes, I was carrying my own pain. I had experienced divorce, loss, betrayal, rejection, disappointment, and seasons where I questioned how much more I could endure.

One of the most pivotal moments came during a particularly difficult season in my second marriage. I found myself navigating infidelity, emotional pain, mental exhaustion, and the challenges of supporting someone struggling with significant mental health issues while simultaneously leading in ministry and serving others professionally. I was pouring into everyone else while silently running on empty.

I remember reaching a point where I realized I could no longer survive by simply being strong. I needed healing myself.

That season forced me to stop performing and start confronting my own wounds. I went back to God in a deeper way than ever before. Through prayer, fasting, counseling, reflection, and honest self-examination, I began my own healing journey. It was during that process that I realized something profound: many people sitting in churches, workplaces, counseling offices, and communities were carrying silent pain just like I was.

That revelation changed everything.

I began to see my work differently. Mental health was no longer just a profession. Ministry was no longer just a calling. They became part of the same mission—to help people heal emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and relationally.

That experience ultimately led to the expansion of my vision and the growth of The Healing Place International. It strengthened my commitment to creating safe spaces where people can be honest about their struggles without shame and receive support, healing, and hope. It also inspired much of my writing, speaking, coaching, and advocacy work around emotional wellness, inner healing, prayer, and personal transformation.

The lesson I learned is one I share often: your greatest pain can become the birthplace of your greatest purpose. Sometimes the very thing you are trying to survive is preparing you for the work you were created to do.

I learned that healing is not weakness. Asking for help is not weakness. Taking time to restore yourself is not weakness. In fact, some of the strongest people are those who are willing to face their pain, do the work of healing, and then use their story to help others.

Looking back, what felt like one of the darkest seasons of my life became one of the most defining moments of my career. It transformed me from someone who simply helped people into someone who truly understood the healing journey firsthand. That experience gave me a deeper level of compassion, authenticity, and purpose that continues to shape everything I do today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Apostle Dr. Tangela L. Stoot, Pastor of The Healing Place International, mental health professional, author, speaker, coach, and transformational leader. My life’s work is centered around one mission: helping people heal emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and relationally so they can live the life God intended for them.

My journey into this work was not something I simply chose as a career—it was born out of my own life experiences. From an early age, I experienced challenges that shaped me profoundly. My parents divorced when I was young, and I watched my family navigate difficult transitions. I witnessed my mother’s health struggles and learned early on that life can be both beautiful and painful at the same time.

As I grew older, I experienced my own seasons of heartbreak, loss, rejection, divorce, betrayal, disappointment, and personal struggles. Through every challenge, prayer became my lifeline. It was in those difficult moments that I discovered not only the power of faith but also the importance of emotional healing and mental wellness.

Those experiences eventually led me into both ministry and the mental health field. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice, a Master’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity. Over the years, I have worked in crisis intervention, behavioral health, case management, counseling support, and ministry leadership. Each role reinforced my passion for helping people overcome obstacles and find hope.

Today, I serve as the Founder and Pastor of The Healing Place International, a ministry dedicated to helping people recover from life’s wounds and discover healing, wholeness, and purpose. I also founded Sisters with Purpose, When Women Pray, Women Ignited Together, and other initiatives designed to empower individuals through faith, personal development, prayer, and community support.

What makes my work unique is that I bridge the gap between faith and mental health. For too long, many people believed they had to choose one or the other. I believe God works through both spiritual and practical tools. Healing often requires prayer, support, self-awareness, accountability, healthy relationships, emotional wellness, and professional guidance. My approach embraces the whole person.

Through my ministry, coaching, speaking engagements, workshops, counseling support, and educational programs, I help people address issues such as trauma, grief, emotional pain, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship challenges, life transitions, spiritual growth, leadership development, and purpose discovery. I work with individuals who feel stuck, broken, overwhelmed, overlooked, or uncertain about their next steps.

One of the problems I help solve is helping people move from surviving to thriving. Many individuals spend years functioning while carrying unresolved pain. They may appear successful on the outside while silently struggling within. My goal is to create safe spaces where healing can take place without shame or judgment.

What sets me apart is authenticity. I don’t just teach healing—I have lived it. I don’t just speak about resilience—I have had to develop it. I don’t just encourage others to trust God through difficult seasons—I have walked through those seasons myself. My personal experiences allow me to connect with people from a place of empathy, understanding, and credibility.

I am most proud of the lives that have been transformed through the work God has entrusted to me. While I am grateful for my education, professional accomplishments, and ministry opportunities, my greatest joy comes from seeing people healed, restored, empowered, and renewed. Watching someone rediscover hope, rebuild their confidence, strengthen their faith, or find their purpose is one of the greatest rewards of my work.

I also take great pride in creating The Healing Place International, a ministry built on the belief that healing is possible for everyone. We are more than a church—we are a community committed to restoration, transformation, and helping people become whole.

If there is one thing I want people to know about me and my brand, it is this: no matter what you have experienced, your story is not over. Your pain does not have to define you. Healing is possible. Growth is possible. Purpose is possible.

Everything I do—whether through ministry, mental health advocacy, coaching, writing, teaching, or speaking—is designed to help people recognize their value, embrace their healing journey, and walk boldly into the future God has prepared for them.

My life’s message is simple: Healing happens. Hope remains. Purpose awaits.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Absolutely. If I could go back, I would choose this profession and calling again.

Has it always been easy? No. There have been moments of heartbreak, sacrifice, emotional exhaustion, and challenges that made me question how much more I could carry. Working in ministry and mental health means walking alongside people during some of the most difficult seasons of their lives. It requires compassion, patience, resilience, and a genuine commitment to serving others.

However, despite the challenges, I cannot imagine doing anything else.

What makes this work so meaningful is the opportunity to witness transformation. There is something powerful about watching someone move from despair to hope, from brokenness to healing, or from feeling lost to discovering purpose. Whether through ministry, coaching, mental health support, speaking, or mentoring, being a part of someone’s healing journey is an incredible privilege.

If I could go back, I would still choose ministry because I believe helping people encounter God’s love and healing is one of the greatest callings a person can have. I would still choose the mental health field because emotional wellness is such an important part of living a healthy and fulfilled life. And I would still choose coaching and mentoring because I love helping people recognize their potential and become the best version of themselves.

What I might do differently is give myself permission to prioritize my own healing sooner. Early in my journey, I spent so much time helping others that I sometimes neglected my own emotional needs. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that you cannot pour from an empty cup. The healthier we are as leaders, caregivers, and professionals, the more effective we can be in serving others.

My experiences—both the victories and the struggles—have shaped who I am today. They have given me wisdom, compassion, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the people I serve. Every challenge became part of my preparation.

So yes, I would choose this path again. Not because it has been easy, but because it has been purposeful. I truly believe I am walking in the assignment God created me for, and there is no greater fulfillment than knowing your life is making a difference in the lives of others.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most powerful examples of resilience in my journey came during a season when I felt like everything around me was falling apart while I was still expected to be strong for everyone else.

After experiencing the end of my first marriage, I spent several years rebuilding my life, raising my children, pursuing my education, and continuing to serve in ministry. Eventually, I remarried and believed I was entering a new chapter. For a time, things seemed stable, but over the years I found myself navigating infidelity, betrayal, emotional pain, disappointment, and the challenges that often accompany mental health struggles within a relationship.

What made that season especially difficult was that I was simultaneously serving others through ministry and working in the mental health field. People came to me for encouragement, prayer, guidance, and hope, yet privately I was carrying burdens that few people knew about. There were moments when I felt emotionally exhausted, brokenhearted, and uncertain about what the future would hold.

I remember reaching a point where I realized I could either allow my circumstances to define me or allow God to transform me through them. I chose healing.

That decision was not made overnight. It required prayer, counseling, self-reflection, forgiveness, and the willingness to face difficult truths. There were days when getting up and moving forward required tremendous faith. There were nights when all I could do was pray and trust God for the strength to make it through another day.

What I learned during that season is that resilience is not pretending to be strong. Resilience is continuing to move forward even when you feel weak. It is choosing hope when disappointment is knocking at your door. It is believing that your current situation is not the final chapter of your story.

Through that journey, I experienced a second divorce after a 13-year relationship and 12 years of marriage. While it was one of the most painful experiences of my life, it also became one of the most transformative. Instead of allowing bitterness to take root, I committed myself to healing, growth, and rediscovering who I was outside of the pain.

Today, that experience allows me to connect with people from a place of genuine understanding. When I speak about healing, restoration, resilience, and faith, I am not speaking from theory alone—I am speaking from lived experience. The very season that could have broken me became the season that strengthened me and clarified my purpose.

If there is one lesson I would share from that experience, it is this: resilience is not about never falling. It is about getting back up every time life knocks you down. Sometimes your greatest setback becomes the foundation for your greatest comeback. My story is proof that even after heartbreak, loss, betrayal, and disappointment, healing is possible, purpose is still alive, and there is life after the storm.

What I survived did not destroy me—it prepared me to help others survive and thrive as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.tangelalstoot.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtangela.stoot?igsh=MTY1dHp1dHFwMG14Mg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BeJ8Rduty/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tangela-stoot-3388687?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios