I am Stephanie Hardison, LCSW (she/her) — a queer, first-generation daughter of immigrants offering virtual, affirming therapy for BIPOC, queer, fat, and neurodivergent adults and teens across California, Colorado, and Connecticut.
As a queer therapist myself, I bring both lived experience and clinical expertise to my work with the LGBTQ+ community. I understand firsthand the unique weight of navigating identity in spaces that weren’t built for you — the pressure to code-switch, shrink, or explain yourself just to feel safe. In my practice, none of that is required. You are welcomed exactly as you are.
I specialize in working with 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals who are navigating generational trauma, body shame, burnout, anxiety, depression, and identity exploration. I have particular expertise supporting queer BIPOC and first-gen clients who carry the intersecting pressures of cultural expectations, racial identity, and queer identity simultaneously — often without community validation or family support.
My clinical approach is trauma-informed, affirming, anti-racist, and anti-carceral. I am a trained Brainspotting Practitioner, which allows me to work somatically with clients to process and release trauma that talk therapy alone cannot always reach. I also incorporate fat liberation into all of my work, actively rejecting diet culture and body shame — a particularly important lens for queer and trans clients who face compounded body-based oppression.
I am committed to ongoing LGBTQ+ affirming education and regularly pursue continuing education in queer-affirming care, fat liberation, and culturally responsive practice. I am a proud member of the Latinx Therapy and OutCare communities, and I am listed as an affirming provider on OutCare, Latinx Therapy, and Psychology Today.
Whether you are exploring your identity, healing from religious trauma, navigating family rejection, processing the intersection of your queer and cultural identities, or simply looking for a therapist who gets it — I would be honored to walk this path with you. Virtual sessions available Monday through Friday. Free 15-minute consultation offered.