Hardin Coleman is a professor of counseling psychology at the Boston University School of Education, where he served as dean in the School of Education from 2008 to 2017. He graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Williams College, and in 1980 he received his master's degree in counseling from the University of Vermont. In 1992, Coleman gained a Doctorate in Counseling from Stanford University, where he later studied for a Ph.D. in counseling psychology, with a focus on multicultural counseling. Throughout his professional career, Coleman has been concerned with the mental health needs of adolescents and their families, with an emphasis on meeting those needs within educational settings and community mental health agencies.