Background
Latoya Haynes-Thoby, PhD, NCC, LPC, is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut focused on trauma, resilience, and thriving. Haynes-Thoby began her career working in child protective services in the city of Philadelphia, before serving as a domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking coordinator, and later a family services coordinator working with homeless men, women, and families. “In all of the work that I did, I can now look back and see that there was always a common thread of trauma that impacted so many of the families that I encountered,” says Haynes-Thoby. Her professional experience working with children and families, homeless individuals, and other under-served individuals and communities motivated her to seek solutions to best serve children and families impacted by trauma. This journey led her to expand her clinical skills to counselor training, in an effort to positively impact the lives of people who have faced adversity. She later completed her doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision at the Pennsylvania State University, with a focus on trauma, resilience, and thriving.

Haynes-Thoby believes that research can be a tool of advocacy and a mechanism that brings about positive change. Her research focuses on individual and community healing from trauma and she aims to support individual, family and community level thriving. “At the heart of my work is the well-being of children,” she says.

Haynes-Thoby approaches her research through a mixed methods research design, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methods. She centers her research around the question “How do we support the thriving, success, and promotion of resilience for marginalized populations?” Haynes-Thoby has found that trauma-informed approaches benefit all individuals, and notes that the research supports the idea that even those who have not experienced trauma benefit from trauma-informed care. Similarly, she has found that when we ensure that under-served populations are able to access services equitably, everyone benefits.

In addition to her role at UConn as a research faculty member, Haynes-Thoby works as an approved clinical supervisor, certified clinical trauma professional (level 2), certified domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking counselor, and facilitator for child sexual abuse prevention. At UConn, she now works as a faculty member in the counselor education program with master’s students training to become school counselors who will work in school districts across the state of Connecticut. As part of counselor preparation, she looks at how to support the development and competence of new counselors that includes multicultural competence, trauma-informed counseling, and cultural responsiveness. In her research, Haynes-Thoby also uses Afrofuturism, which explores the intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation, to support the facilitation of dreaming beyond current constraints for individuals who have experienced trauma. “Pointing back at what’s been done in history can help us build resilience and resistance necessary for the future, and to be able to thrive today”, she says.

Involvement with CSCH

Haynes-Thoby is excited to have the opportunity to collaborate and expand her work with other CSCH affiliates who do work in schools, addressing things such as trauma, child well-being, and child maltreatment. The opportunity for connections across this dynamic network is one of the major factors that drew Haynes-Thoby to become an affiliate of the Collaboratory. Haynes-Thoby is currently working on projects that explore socio-emotional learning interventions, counselors’ perceptions of resilience for K-12 students, and factors that contribute to well-being

You can learn more about Haynes-Thoby and her work through both her personal website and her UConn Faculty page.

Fun Facts

Haynes-Thoby enjoys connecting with nature through hiking and gardening. Aside from outdoor activities, she also loves taking road trips, catching great shows, and exploring local history.

Undergraduate Researcher Elena Roberts interviewed Latoya Haynes-Thoby and wrote this profile.