Understanding Stress Changed
Everything For Me
I’m Ashlyn Schwartz, PhD, a public health scientist and speaker. What started as a personal loss became a career focused on helping others regulate stress, improve how they show up, and create more intentional ways of living and working.
My work is deeply personal. After losing my brother to an opioid overdose, I was left with questions I couldn’t ignore. Why did this happen? And more importantly, how do we make it stop? That experience didn’t just shape my life. It shaped the direction of my work.
It led me into public health, research, and a deeper exploration of how stress, trauma, and mental health impact the way we live, cope, and make decisions. Over time, I began to see that so many of the patterns we struggle with are rooted in how we experience and respond to stress.
What started as a search for answers became a career dedicated to understanding those patterns and helping others navigate them in a more intentional, sustainable way.
Today, that work has evolved beyond research. I translate what we know about stress and the nervous system into practical tools that help people regulate in real time, reconnect with themselves, and move through life with greater clarity and agency.
My Why
Ashlyn brings a unique blend of academic research, teaching experience, and real-world application, with a focus on stress, mental health, and behavior change.
Selected Credentials & Experience
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PhD in Public Health Sciences (minor in Epidemiology)
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Fulbright Research Scholar (20-month international research award)
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15+ peer-reviewed publications in mental health, trauma, and substance use
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50+ presentations across academic, corporate, and community settings
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Former Assistant Professor, Trinity College Dublin
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Led and contributed to grant-funded research initiatives in mental health and substance use
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Founder, The Collective Om
Additional Training
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Yoga Alliance 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher
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Breathwork & Ayurveda Certification
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Reiki (Levels I & II)
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Sound Healing (Level I)
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Touch for Health (Level I)
In Conversation
Featured In
My Core Values
My work is grounded in creating spaces that are compassionate, accessible, and inclusive for diverse individuals and communities.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability creates space for deeper, more meaningful connection. At our core, we all want to be seen and heard, and allowing ourselves to be open is where real change begins.
Authenticity
Through vulnerability, we find authenticity. When we show up as we truly are, we move through the world with more alignment, clarity, and confidence.
Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most powerful perspectives we can hold. It grounds us, shifts how we experience challenges, and remains something no one can take from us.