Dr. L. A. McCrae, DMin, NThD, LCADC, FOT

Liberation-focused clinician, educator, and public health scholar advancing trauma-informed, abolitionist care.

Dr. L. A. McCrae is a psychotherapist, public health practitioner, and abolitionist scholar whose work sits at the intersection of trauma recovery, substance use treatment, and community-rooted liberation practices. A licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor (LCADC) in Maryland, Dr. McCrae integrates somatic, expressive, and anti-oppressive modalities in therapeutic and academic practice, with particular emphasis on queer and trans healing, Black liberation, and recovery justice.

Dr. McCrae is currently completing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Carceral Epidemiology at Morgan State University, where their research focuses on the impacts of structural violence, trauma, and mass incarceration on substance use and recovery trajectories in marginalized populations. They hold dual doctoral degrees: a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Public Engagement from Wesley Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Theology (NThD) in Street Theology and Recovery Studies from The New Theology School, where they serve as the Stokely Carmichael/Kwame Ture Professor of Street Theology.

As Chief Clinical Officer at Orange Oasis Healing, Dr. McCrae leads program development in trauma-informed addiction recovery and community-based behavioral health. Their practice is informed by training in focusing-oriented therapy, polyvagal theory, narrative therapy, and expressive arts, alongside certification as aFocusing Oriented Therapist, Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist and Recovery Coach Professional.

A passionate educator and advocate, Dr. McCrae has designed and facilitated curricula on trauma, abolition, peer recovery, and culturally responsive care. They bring to the classroom a liberation-oriented pedagogy grounded in lived experience, interdisciplinary scholarship, and a commitment to centering marginalized voices in clinical and policy settings.

Dr. McCrae identifies as a Black, queer, transmasculine healer, and maintains an active private practice serving queer and neurodivergent adults navigating trauma, addiction, and identity-based harm. Their teaching and scholarship challenge colonial legacies in mental health while fostering spaces of accountability, creativity, and collective care.