Welcome to the Oasis of the Prophetic & the Profound.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin
Let’s Get Well, Y’all.
If you are a seeker, a sojourner, or a weary soul looking for a place to put your burdens down, you have found your way home. I am Dr. L A McCrae, LCADC, FOT, affectionately known as “Doc.” I do not show up to our sessions as a sterile clinical observer. I show up as a Black liberation theologian, a scholar rooted in the Black prophetic tradition, an ordained pastor, a poet, and a community organizer. My work is not merely about “symptom management”—it is a dedicated Project of Liberation.
The Prophetic Meeting the Therapeutic
For those of us navigating a world built on our exclusion, therapy must be more than a conversation; it must be an act of resistance. My practice is informed by years of activism and street theology. I understand that your “disordered” relationship with substances, your anxiety, or your trauma are often survival strategies born out of systemic harm.
As a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), I reject carceral and shame-based models of recovery. Instead, we lean into the prophetic—the belief that another way of being is not only possible but is your birthright.
How We Heal: Modalities for the Whole Self
In my Catonsville office, we engage the senses and the spirit to reach the places where traditional talk therapy cannot go:
In-Person Sandplay Therapy: For the neurodivergent and the traumatized, we use the tactile world to speak the unspeakable.
Bibliotherapy & The Power of the Word: As a writer and poet, I integrate literature and radical texts—from Baldwin to Lorde—to help us find the language for our own transformation.
Somatic & Focusing-Oriented Care: We get out of the “head trash” and into the body, utilizing polyvagal regulation and the “felt sense” to ground your healing.
Relational Liberation: I work with queer, transmasculine, non-binary, and poly/kink couples to dismantle oppressive patterns and build love that is truly free.
Who Am I?
I am a Black, queer, transmasculine, and neurodivergent healer who has walked the very roads I now guide others through. Whether I am preaching from a pulpit, organizing on the streets, or sitting across from you in the sandtray, my mission remains the same: Raising consciousness and increasing political and personal autonomy.
You are invited to show up as your full self—unapologetically, authentically, and without hesitation.
Let’s walk this road of wellness together, friend.
Ready to Begin?
To ensure the highest level of care and clinical organization, my scheduling and intake are managed through my group practice, Orange Oasis Healing.
Please contact me to schedule a free initial consultation.
2402727640 | Send Email
I look forward to walking with you in this healing journey — this project of liberation.
THE 2026 ROADMAP Now accepting waitlist inquiries for the Georgia Black and Queer communities. Launching Spring 2026.
The Work: Navigating the Deep End
Healing at the Big Orange Oasis is an act of reclamation. As a Professor at Columbia University and a clinician rooted in the Black prophetic tradition, I partner with those who have been marginalized by standard clinical boxes. Whether we are utilizing the tactile language of Sandplay, the somatic wisdom of Focusing, or the radical texts of the Bibliotherapy shelf, our work is always moving toward your autonomy.
Our Specialized Pillars
Somatic Sanctuary: Moving beyond talk therapy to address PTSD and Complex Trauma through the body using Sandplay and Focusing.
Testimony & Text: For the writers and deep thinkers. We use poetry and radical texts as a mirror and a scalpel to rewrite your narrative.
Radical Addiction & Recovery: Direct, plain-spoken support for substance use, gambling, and sexual addiction through an anti-carceral, harm-reduction lens.
Relational Liberation: Specialized counseling for monogamous/heterosexual couples and LGBTQ+, Poly, and Kink relationship structures.
Neuro-Liberation: Navigating the “unmasking” of ADHD and Autism, and providing specialized cognitive reclamation for TBI survivors.
“I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am, also, much more than that.” — James Baldwin
The Benefits of a Prophetic & Liberated Therapy Journey
In this space, “progress” is not measured by your level of compliance with societal norms. Instead, we define success by your increasing autonomy, your depth of self-understanding, and your ability to live authentically in a world that often demands your fragmentation.
1. Reclaiming Your Narrative (The Prophetic Edge) Through Bibliotherapy and critical dialogue, you move from being a character in a story written by oppressive systems to becoming the author of your own life. You gain the intellectual and emotional tools to deconstruct the “head trash” of white supremacy and internalized shame, replacing them with a narrative rooted in the Black prophetic tradition.
2. Embodied Regulation & Safety For the neurodivergent and the traumatized, “just talking” is rarely enough. By engaging in In-Person Sandplay and somatic focusing, you provide your nervous system with a tangible sense of safety. You learn to move from a state of constant survival into a state of “regulated resistance,” where you can finally catch your breath.
3. Autonomy Over Addiction (Harm Reduction) As an LCADC with lived experience, I help you move away from the “all-or-nothing” shame cycles of carceral recovery. The benefit here is Agential Recovery: you learn to make choices about substance use that prioritize your actual safety and quality of life, rather than performing “sobriety” for a judge or a supervisor.
4. Relational Liberation & Authenticity In our work with couples and diverse relationship structures, the benefit is the dismantling of inherited power imbalances. We move toward Liberated Love, where communication is adapted to your neurotype and your partnership becomes a site of mutual sanctuary and truth-telling.
5. The Integration of the “Whole Self” By bringing together the roles of pastor, poet, organizer, and clinician, I help you integrate the disparate parts of yourself. You no longer have to leave your spirit at the door of the clinic, or your identity at the door of the sanctuary. The ultimate benefit is Wholeness.
Why Psychotherapy Works and My Approach (Methods)
Psychotherapy can be an effective tool in providing you with the necessary support and training to overcome the challenges you face. By seeking therapy, you are taking responsibility and action to change what no longer works in your life. Many studies have shown throughout the years that psychotherapy is an effective form of treating and managing mental illnesses and other emotional disorders.
As an experienced licensed professional counselor, it is my honor to assist you in exploring your core issues and move toward a healthy, fulfilling life. Utilizing a variety of approaches including Adlerian Therapy, Art Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Contemplative Psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Drama Therapy, Eclectic Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Existential / Humanistic Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Feminist Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Imago Relationship Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Jungian Therapy, Multicultural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian), Play Therapy, Psychodrama, Psychodynamic Therapy, Psychoeducational Therapy, Reality Therapy / Choice Theory, Sandplay Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Transpersonal Therapy, I will work with you to create a treatment plan that is customized to meet your unique circumstances.
With honesty and compassion I will work with you to create an open channel of communication. The goal of our therapy sessions together, will be to help you develop the mental fortitude needed to lead a successful life. Additionally, we will work on the skill of self-compassion, which will allow you to move more easily through difficult times in the future, as wells as become a more productive and happier person.
“Healing is the highest form of resistance. We do not engage the sand, the story, or the struggle simply to ‘cope’ with a world that seeks our erasure. We do so to reclaim our breath, to honor our ancestors, and to build an oasis where the prophetic imagination becomes our lived reality. We are not just surviving; we are coming home to ourselves.”
