Kristen Hynes is a registered social worker in Newfoundland and Labrador with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work. She is currently a PhD student, a full-time instructor, and an active social work practitioner in her community.

With over 15 years of experience, Kristen has worked in diverse practice settings, including the provincial and federal government, as well as non-profit organizations. She currently provides social justice-informed counseling services at a locally owned small business.

In addition to her clinical practice, Kristen has been teaching social work since 2018. She has taught at both Memorial University and Wilfrid Laurier University in their social work programs and has conducted research on threshold concepts in social work education. She has presented this research at local and national conferences.

Kristen remains an active member of both the Memorial University community and her broader community. She serves as a Director on the Board of a local non-profit organization, supervises students in BSW and MSW programs, and is a peer reviewer for a social services journal.

As a PhD student, Kristen’s research focuses on the experiences of parents whose children are transgender. This work has long been a passion of hers, but in today’s sociopolitical climate, it has taken on even greater urgency and significance.