Oak Creek, WI – 11/17/2025 – Lead: In a direct challenge to the devastating stigma surrounding mental health in the faith community, media innovator and mental health journalist Marcus Hart convened a panel of experts on his "The Transform U! Live Show" to confront a dangerous misconception: that "prayer alone" is the only valid path to healing from anxiety.
The discussion’s most groundbreaking moment came from Rev. Dr. AShellarien Addison, a U.S. Army Chaplain and spiritual trauma practitioner. Addressing the deep shame many believers face, she issued a powerful declaration of validation.
"One of the challenges we have in the faith community is giving ourselves spiritual permission to not be okay," Dr. Addison stated. "There are times when you can have Jesus and you can have a therapist. You can have a prayer and you can have a pill. We just have to break down the stigma and say that we can't limit God on how God heals us."
This call to integrate faith with clinical practice was a central theme. The panel, which also included parent leadership expert Richard Ramos and author Jen Brooks, systematically dismantled the idea that peace is a passive state. They reframed it as an active, authoritative "battle plan" that must be executed. Richard Ramos provided a tangible framework for "renewing the mind," urging listeners to "catch the thought, change the thought, and then verbally replace it with a verbal affirmation, I AM."
The discussion was hosted by Marcus Hart, a combat veteran, ordained minister, and founder of the Transform U Media Network. Hart, whose brand is built on "gritty faith tales and urban truth," is positioning his network as a primary resource for those navigating the intersection of spiritual exhaustion and real-world trauma.
"We are failing our people if we offer them platitudes when they need a prescription, or a sermon when they need a strategy," said Hart. "My mission is to bring the raw, unfiltered truth to the surface. This panel wasn’t just a talk; it was the start of a revolution in how we, as a faith community, handle the mental health crisis. We're giving people the tools to fight back."
The panelists’ candid approach—combining scriptural authority with the validation of professional, licensed mental health care—signals a growing urgency to address the burnout, anxiety, and trauma crippling "hope-seekers" nationwide.
The full, unedited panel discussion, "Anxiety vs. Authority: Your Biblical Battle Plan for Peace," is available now on the "Transform U! Live Show" YouTube channel and all major podcast platforms.
