I am a licensed Clinical and School Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I have experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing a wide range of difficulties, including depression, anxiety, trauma, loss, adjustment, and family changes. I have provided therapeutic and assessment services in a variety of settings, including schools, community clinics, university counseling centers, therapeutic day schools, and residential treatment centers.  

I believe our sense of security, well-being, and identity develop within the context of our relationships. In psychotherapy, it is the supportive, accepting relationship between client and therapist that empowers change and enables healing. I resonate with Carl Rogers when he said, “When I accept myself as I am, then I can change.”  With a focus on acceptance in relationships, I draw on evidence-based therapeutic practices to create an environment in which change is possible.  

As an integrative psychotherapist with a grounding in attachment theory, I integrate principles and practices from humanistic, cognitive behavioral, and family systems frames to develop attuned and effective treatment.  I employ a process-oriented, trauma-informed, culturally responsive approach that affirms my clients’ lived experiences and helps them experience more adaptive ways of being. I also incorporate play and other expressive modalities in my work with clients and their families. I recently completed my doctoral training in a Combined-Integrated Clinical and School Psychology Program.

Certifications

I am a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) with over 10 years of experience supporting students, families, and teachers in school settings.

Education and Professional Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Marriage, Family, and Human Development
• Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology
• School Psychologist for Fairfax County Public Schools 
• Doctor of Psychology from the Combined-Integrated Clinical and School Psychology Doctoral Program (APA-accredited)
• Doctoral Internship at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (working with youth and their families in a residential treatment and public therapeutic day school)

Recent Publications and Presentations

• Stewart, A. L. & Hardman, S. (2021, November). I won’t go: The counselor’s role in addressing school refusal. A virtual presentation for The Virginia Counselor Association Annual Convention. 
• Hardman, S. & Stewart, A. L. (2021, October). Parental substance misuse and attachment in young adults. A virtual poster presentation for the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) Annual Convention. 
• Hardman, S. (2020, June). 2019 scholarship recipients share their conference experience. Play Therapy. 15 (2), 43.
• Beaton, C., Pogue, E., Hardman, S., & Savina, E. (2020, February). Promoting mental health and well-being in adolescent girls.  A presentation for the National Association of School Psychologists, Baltimore, MD. 
• Stewart, A., Hardman, S., Pogue, E., & Beaton, C. (2020, February). No child left inside: Enhance learning and emotional development through nature. A presentation for the National Association of School Psychologists, Baltimore, MD. 
• Hardman, S., & Stewart, A. L. (2019, October). The Opioid Crisis: The School Counselor’s Role in Supporting Students. A presentation for The Virginia School Counselor Association Annual Conference. Hampton, VA. 
• Pogue, E., Hardman, S., Beaton, C., & Stewart, A. L. (2019, October). I Won’t Go: The School Counselor’s Role in Addressing School Refusal. A presentation for The Virginia School Counselor Association Annual Conference. Hampton, VA.
• Stewart, A. L., Dobner-Pereira, J., Jarrett, H., Hardman, S., Decker, C., & Pogue, E. (2019, March). Nature, nurture, and play to support emotional development: giving children roots and wings through attachment-informed play. A presentation for The Association for the Study of Play International Conference, Harrisonburg, VA.

A Few of My Favorite Books

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
• The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel SilverStein
• Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell