Toniqua Lawrence, a Western New York native, earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with honors from the University at Buffalo (UB) in 2021. During her undergraduate years, she was active in organizations that promoted student interest in graduate education. She, notably, was a Ronald E. McNair Research scholar and a Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) scholar. Additionally, she worked as a research assistant in the UB Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology and at the University’s Research Institute on Addictions. Toniqua also contributed to her university community as an academic coach, tutor, peer mentor, and teacher’s assistant.
Through research, volunteer, and mentorship experiences in the Western New York area, she gained a passion for mental health, specifically for addressing disparities in marginalized communities. Due to these experiences, Toniqua hopes to support and create systems that reduce mental health stigma and increase culturally competent care in the Western New York Area.
Currently, Toniqua is a doctoral candidate in counseling and school psychology. Her dissertation research examines the intersection of religion and race to help support the mental health needs of Black college students. She is also actively involved in community projects, including serving as a founding member of the Buffalo Global Shapers and providing rehabilitation psychology services at the Erie County Medical Center. Additionally, she was accepted into the University of Rochester’s Counseling Center for her final capstone internship year. She looks forward to training to become a compassionate health psychologist.
Toniqua is committed to providing quality mental healthcare and aims to achieve her entrepreneurial goals by establishing her own private practice. She maintains her professional development by actively participating in the American Psychological Association, the Society of Counseling Psychology, and the Psychological Association of Western New York. She is eager to help grow and diversify the mental health field of the Western New York area.