Dr. Mel Whalen
PhD, LP · Licensed Psychologist · MI, TX, NY
"You do not have to have it figured out to begin. That is what we are here for."
Culturally Deaf, nonbinary psychologist with over 14 years of clinical experience. I built Forest Ferns because the therapy world needed a practice designed from the ground up for people who live at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities — and I happen to be one of them.
Therapy grounded in lived experience
About Forest Ferns
Every clinician at Forest Ferns came to this work after first careers and real life. We know what it means to navigate hard transitions — after divorce, career change, identity shifts, loss. We bring that understanding into every session, alongside rigorous clinical training.
We specialize in helping people navigate the in-between: the moments when the old story no longer fits and the new one hasn't arrived yet.