Hardin L. K. Coleman is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Coleman joined the faculty in 1991. His primary teaching and training focus is the development of school counselors. He also teaches family therapy, supervision, advanced clinical courses, and spirituality in counseling. His clinical focus is lower-income African American families with a particular interest in adolescents. His current research foci are the non-cognitive factors that effect minority student achievement in K-12 educational settings and interventions that enhance cultural identity development. He is a graduate of Germantown Friends School, Williams College, University of Vermont, and Stanford University.

 

 

Dr. Hardin Coleman, a graduate of Williams College, received his Masters in Counseling from the University of Vermont in 1980 and his doctorate in Counseling from Stanford University in 1992. He joined the Department of Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin as an Assistant Professor in 1992. Throughout his professional career, Dr. Coleman has been interested in the mental health needs of adolescents and their families. He has focused on meeting those needs within educational settings and community mental health agencies.

Before returning to school for his Ph.D., Dr. Coleman spent 10 years as a high school religion teacher and school counselor in Quaker schools. During that time, he started several religious education programs and developed a counseling program for the Westtown School in Pennsylvania. He was also a presenter of workshops at secondary school conferences on religious education, peer counseling, and adolescent counseling. Since starting his Ph.D., Dr. Coleman has been involved in multicultural counseling training for counselors and educational tutors.

Dr. Coleman's primary area of research is the strategies adolescents use to cope with cultural diversity, particularly in how they affect school and job performance. He is also investigating the effect of cultural factors on the counseling process. As a clinician, Dr. Coleman works with adolescents and their families. In addition, he acts as a consultant with community agencies and schools on issues related to ethnic diversity and counseling. His primary teaching responsibilities include classes on multicultural counseling, family therapy, and supervision of school counselors. He has published articles appearing in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, The School Counselor, The Psychological Bulletin, and Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.

 

 

Statement of Research Interest

My primary research interest is in the development of school based interventions that facilitate the academic achievement of culturally diverse youth. My other areas of interest are in the process of cultural identity development, and in the factors that contribute to resilience, primarily in culturally diverse youth. I have published multiple articles and book chapters on these topics as well as on multicultural counseling. I have numerous research projects in various stages of development (see description of Research Seminar) I am also engaged in several writing projects that highlight my interests. Currently, I am working with Christine Yeh on a Handbook of School Counseling that will be published by Erlbaum Press. In the immediate future, I intend to prepare book length manuscripts on a model of Afrocentric treatment, Strategies for Enhancing Cultural Identity, and Interventions with Culturally Diverse Youth.

Statement of Teaching Interest

I have taught a wide range of courses (see curriculum vitae), but my primary focus is in training of school counselors to work in a culturally diverse society. Together with Kimberly Howard, I teach the proseminar practicum in school counseling during alternate years. In the alternate year I teach the family counseling course and either the practicum in supervision or a special topics course. During the summer I often teach a course on spirituality and counseling. As with my research, I use an ecological perspective to organize my teaching. This means understanding the material from 3 perspectives; societal, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. My goal for students is for them to feel efficacious about their own social critical voice and ability to engage in a self-reflective practice that integrates scholarship and passion.

Statement of Professional Development Interest

A substantive part of my professional activities includes a focus on the professional development of teachers and counselors. I am particularly interested in helping educational and mental health professionals increase their ability to effectively serve the needs of culturally diverse youth. As part of these activities I am working with the Office of Education Outreach to provide two certificates of completion. One certificate focuses on the psychosocial factors that influence student achievement. The other certificate is helping entry level counselors acquire their licenses as professional counselors. I am also working, in my capacity as an Associate Dean, to provide professional development activities for teachers at Wright Middle School and others teachers who are working in Madison Professional Development Schools.

In addition to these activities, I work with a variety of school districts to provide professional development workshops on such topics as; Motivating Children and Adolescents, Coping with Cultural Diversity and Minority Student Achievement, Negotiation Cultural Differences, or Resilience in Children and Adolescents. I also provide trainings at mental health agencies on topics such as; Ecological Case Formulation or Cultural Specific Treatment Approaches.