Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) 2026 Conference

Dr. Lisa Y. Collins, Ed.D.
Author • Educator • Trauma Practitioner • Environmental Advocate

Dr. Lisa Y. Collins is an author, educator, trauma practitioner, and environmental advocate with more than 30 years of experience in teaching, leadership, and healing-centered work. Her career bridges education, nature, and storytelling—revealing how the natural world supports human resilience and restoration.

As an Assistant Professor at Lewis & Clark College and founder of Education Through Engagement, LLC, Dr. Collins designs trauma-informed frameworks that promote wellness, equity, and belonging in organizations and communities. Her academic foundation in psychology and education—from California State University Long Beach, National University, and Lewis & Clark College—anchors her evidence-based approach to healing and learning.

A passionate advocate for conservation and outdoor access, Dr. Collins serves on the Board of Directors for the Alaska Wilderness League, where she helps protect the Arctic’s lands, people, and wildlife. She also works as a Wellness Coach with Love Is King, a nonprofit committed to advancing inclusion and belonging leaders in the outdoors. In Oregon, she has collaborated with advocates supporting the River Democracy Act, introduced by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, to expand protection for the state’s treasured waterways.
Her field experiences—from Alaska’s backcountry and Gwich’in villages to Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands—inform her writing and storytelling on the intersection of trauma, nature, and resilience.

Dr. Collins is the author of Love of Light: A Guide to Peace and Oneness and The Truth About Trauma: Break Patterns, Build Resilience, Restore Joy (Llewellyn, 2025). Through her previous podcast, Love and Light with Dr. Lisa: Everyday Living in Peace, and her upcoming podcast, The Truth About Trauma, as well as her creative works as a playwright and filmmaker, she explores how reconnecting with nature can heal the mind, body, and spirit.
At her core, Dr. Collins believes that nature is both a mirror and a mentor—teaching us to restore balance, embrace vulnerability, and rediscover joy. Her work invites audiences to explore the wilderness within and beyond, finding deep harmony between healing and the natural world.