Imari Hardon
My Story
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I'm Imari! I hold a limited permit as a Mental Health Counselor and completed my Master’s at New York University. Additionally, I am on the journey to becoming a Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama (musical theater concentration) from Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to my foray into the mental health field, I worked professionally in stage, television, and production, including performing for five years in the Tony Award Winning Production of Avenue Q and acting as associate producer for Broadway Sessions. After years of mental health advocacy, I have found the perfect marriage of my passions for theatre and helping people in my pursuit of mental health counseling. I blend my entertainment background with my psychology and counseling training to create a dynamic and experiential counseling style.
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How I workI feel that a therapeutic relationship based on collaboration, trust and respect is essential for an effective journey towards psychological healing, growth and well-being. Utilizing the same philosophy I used to develop a theater character’s back story, my clinical approach is to work with my clients to develop a culturally conscious understanding of how you got to where you are, and to co-construct a plan for how you want to get where you want to go. My approach is an eclectic integration that includes psychodynamic techniques, psychodrama, drama therapy, narrative therapy, Internal Family Systems therapy, and yoga. Carl Roger's said, "The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination." Let's find yours.
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Who I work withI work with individuals who struggle with interpersonal issues, social anxiety, self-image/esteem issues, depression, anxiety, trauma recovery. As an artist and woman of color myself, I specialize in issues specific to professional entertainers, as well as those who live in marginalized bodies. As a Black woman in America, and a proud misfit, I understand first hand what it is like to be misunderstood, and the importance of being heard and seen authentically.
Currently only seeing patients virtually who are located in NY or LA. I accept Cigna, BCBS, Oxford, Horizon. I'm also available as a consultant for productions, drama ensembles, and I provide group workshops for entertainers. |
My trainers
In addition to my BFA in Drama for Carnegie Mellon University, and my MA in Mental Health Counseling and Wellness from New York University, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by and supported by a brilliant group of clinicians and trainers. My direct supervisor is JoAnne Singh, LMHC who is certified in CBT, IFS, and EMDR. I also work closely with Kimberly Hershenson, LCSW who specializes in working with artists (and has a background in the dance world as well as entertainment law), as well as eating disorders, addiction, body image, mood disorders and grief. In addition, my primary trainer is Dr. Nina Garcia, one of the foremost psychodrama educators who was trained by the mother of psychodrama herself, Zerka Moreno.
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