Faculty Directory
Latoya Attis

Latoya
Attis

Clinical Associate Professor, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Ph.D., Wurzweiler School of Social Work
MSW, Wurzweiler School of Social Work
MS, Iona University, Marriage and Family Therapy
BA, Marymount Manhattan College, Psychology
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Brown University

Dr. Latoya Attis is a Clinical Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy and Field Placement Coordinator for the Marriage and Family and Mental Health Counseling Programs at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. With expertise as both a Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Master Social Worker, Dr. Attis combines relational techniques with a community-focused, advocacy-driven approach to mental health, fostering both individual and collective healing. She serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work and is a Doctoral and Master’s Mentor for the Council on Social Work Education’s Minority Fellowship Program, which supports the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s mission to train professionals who serve underrepresented and underserved communities, with the goal of reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness.

 

Dr. Attis is recognized as a Brandeis-Harvard SPIRE Center Substance Use Disorders Systems Performance Scholar, whose research focuses on college student mental health and mental health treatment and service delivery. She is Principal Investigator of a SPIRE Center study examining nonmedical prescription opioid and alcohol use behaviors among Black/African American college students with parental substance use disorder histories. Dr. Attis also leads a funded interdisciplinary project evaluating school-wide self-advocacy training programs for students with high-incidence disabilities; and is a co-investigator on another funded interdisciplinary project examining cultural competence training for marriage and family and social work practitioners. She contributes to a variety of studies and publications focused on improving mental health service delivery. She has held key leadership roles at Yeshiva University, including Associate Director of Academic Advising and Student Advocacy and Program Administrator at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, where she demonstrated exceptional leadership in supporting students’ well-being and shaping their academic experience. In recognition of her significant contributions to the learning community, she was honored with the Ph.D. Leadership Award. She has also been a predoctoral fellow in the CSWE-SSWR-GADE Social Work Doctoral Student Policy Forum which connected her research and policymaking in Washington, DC. At Ferkauf, she pioneers innovative clinical training, such as the Gottman Intervention Practice Lab in her Couples in Crisis course for MFT students, providing them with invaluable hands-on training in Gottman Therapy Levels 1 and 2, equipping them with essential clinical skills for effective relationship interventions.

"Teaching graduate students in psychology is about more than sharing knowledge—it's about inspiring critical thinking, fostering empathy, and equipping future professionals to be agents of change. In my Couples in Crisis course within the Marriage and Family Therapy program, students gain hands-on experience through my newly developed Gottman Intervention Practice Lab, where they receive specialized training in Gottman Therapy Levels 1 and 2. This practical training not only deepens their understanding of relationship dynamics but also enhances their marketability, making them more competitive in the therapy field. By mastering evidence-based modalities like Gottman Therapy, students are better prepared to meet the diverse needs of their clients and succeed in their careers."

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