Melissa Ellsworth, Ph.D. | Clinical Psychologist

Hello! My name is Dr. Melissa Ellsworth, and I am a specialized pain psychologist, sex and gender-affirming therapist. - Pain Psychology - My primary specialty is helping individuals with chronic pain using evidence-based psychotherapy treatments that include neuroplastic healing, emotional awareness and expression, trauma processing, mindfulness and compassion. The main treatment approaches I use that incorporate these modalities include Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET). Read more about the benefits and science behind PRT here: https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com - Sex Therapy - I also specialize in working with individuals and couples with relationship and intimacy issues, help with sexual identity and exploration, and provide a supportive environment navigating polyamorous, kink and other sexual identity and lifestyle domains. Specific areas include mismatched sex drives, low libido, sexual shame/trauma, spirituality and religious impact on sexual identity, female sexuality and women's health, physical concerns impacting sexuality (e.g. vulvodynia, IC and other urogenital disorders), infidelity, kink/BDSM exploration, navigating non-monogamous relationships and identity intersectionality (e.g. faith transitions, gender, sexuality). - Gender-Affirming Therapy - I specialize is supporting all aspects of gender affirming-therapies, including gender exploration and validation, developing coping strategies, building social support and resources, addressing other mental health challenges like anxiety and depression and offering education and support for partners and families. I also provide support and resources for medical gender transitioning interventions, including letters of support for HRT and gender-affirming surgeries, in accordance with WPATH guidelines.