Mel Mason, Ph.D., LPC, NCC

(THEY/Them)

Languages: English

* Welcome *

Our bodies, like houses, hold more than flesh and bones: they store memory, emotion, and the sacred wisdom of lived experience. Across especially trying seasons of living, many of us find ourselves lingering longer on the front lawn, while our house sags under the weight of the years - its paint peeling, windows clouded, walls fractured - whispering stories of unattended wounds into the silence of an eroding structure.

Our therapeutic work begins with a gentle invitation to step back inside: to listen to the sensations and rhythms we’ve overlooked, to notice what has been worn down by trials of pressure and pain, and to imagine what it might feel like to move back in again. Therapy here is not about restoring the house to match the neighbors’ – it’s about cultivating a home where you can live, rest, create, and belong, on your own terms.

* My Focus *

I am passionate about serving the misfits, outcasts, creatives, academics, and activists, and offering therapy that affirms difference, self-expression, and autonomy. Many of the folks I work with have spent years feeling misunderstood, cast aside, and pressured to contort themselves to fit within systems that were never built with them in mind. My focus is on creating a therapeutic space where clients can show up as they are, explore what authenticity and sustainability look like for them, and move toward lives that feel more aligned and nourishing. I specialize in working with queer, trans, and disabled clients navigating concerns such as identity discovery, grief and loss, sensory sensitivity, social and systems navigation, burnout, and trauma recovery.

* My Approach *

My therapeutic approach is grounded in liberation psychology and informed by queer and feminist perspectives, centering clients’ lived experiences within the broader social, cultural, and relational contexts that shape their lives. Relational Cultural Theory (RCT), narrative therapy, and existential therapy primarily guide my clinical work, and I adapt my approach to each client’s therapeutic goals, needs, and strengths. I partner with clients to deconstruct oppressive narratives, cultivate embodied wisdom, and move toward more authentic, empowered ways of being. Drawing on my training and clinical experience in play therapy, I infuse creativity, imagination, and joy into the therapeutic process, especially for those who benefit from more experiential forms of expression. At the heart of my work is a conscious commitment to relational healing as a force of resistance and as a pathway for clients to step into their own power.

* My Philosophy on Therapy *

I center my practice around intersectionality, disability justice, collective care, and decolonization to honor the sacred complexity of each client’s identities, values, and experiences. I engage in the therapeutic process with an intentional awareness of power dynamics, seeking to foster a collaborative, affirming, and mutually respectful therapeutic alliance first and foremost. To me, good therapy is about creating a spacious, accountable relationship where clients feel seen, believed, and supported in reconnecting with their own wisdom. I believe healing happens in context and community, not in isolation, and I integrate embodiment and play as pathways to liberation, honoring the body as a site of knowledge, creativity, and relational connection. Through curiosity, gentleness, and moments of experimentation, I support clients in building insight, self-compassion, and sustainable tools for navigating internal experiences and the broader systems that shape their lives.

* Credentials & EXPERIENCE *

• LPC in Illinois

• Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision, Adler University

• M.Ed. & Ed.S. in Counselor Education, University of Florida

Before arriving at Practical Audacity, I developed my professional work across three interrelated identities: therapist, counselor educator, and social scientist. As a therapist, I have provided care in a wide range of clinical settings, including university counseling centers, inpatient units, non-profit agencies, community mental health clinics, and crisis centers. I have particular expertise in supporting queer and trans+ folks across the lifespan, especially those who are in active crisis and those who identify as disabled or neurodivergent.

I earned my Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision and completed a research fellowship at Northwestern University’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, where I conducted research on LGBTQIA+ health equity. I have delivered presentations and trainings on trans+ care at national and international conferences, and I currently teach graduate students in master’s counseling programs, in tandem to my therapeutic work.

* MORE ABOUT ME *

I am your friendly neighborhood lil buddy, likened frequently to Paddington Bear and/or Theodore Seville (the chipmunk). I am queer, nonbinary, disabled, and neurodivergent, and I proudly bring my whole self into this work. Aside from being a therapist, I’m a community activist, an avid horror reader, a year-round butch softball player, a writer, and a twin. I share my cozy home in Chicago with my spouse and our Scooby Doo-esque staffy named Murphy. I am a lover of gluten, stuffed animals, queer history, classic rock, hiking, everything Tour de France, and Dunkin iced coffee.