About Dr. Ellsworth, Licensed Psychologist
Hi, I’m Melissa (she/her) and I’m so glad you’re here.
I’m a licensed clinical psychologist with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of chronic pain, nervous system regulation, and neurodevelopmental differences in adults.
Much of my work focuses on adults who are insightful, capable, and exhausted by years of symptoms that never fully made sense — whether that shows up as persistent pain, burnout, attentional differences, sensory sensitivity, or long-standing nervous system threat patterns. Many of the people I work with are high-masking, late-identified, or have spent years adapting to systems that were never built for them.
My approach is grounded in contemporary neuroscience and centers on understanding how the nervous system learns, adapts, and gets stuck over time. Rather than separating “mind” and “body,” I work from the perspective that pain, attention, emotion, and regulation are all expressions of the same underlying system.
I specialize in:
Chronic pain therapy grounded in pain neuroscience
Adult ADHD therapy focused on emotional regulation, burnout, executive functioning and relationship challenges
Adult ADHD and autism evaluations, particularly for late-identified and high-masking adults
Consultation and training for clinicians working with complex nervous system presentations
How I Work
I draw from evidence-based frameworks including Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), and Internal Family Systems (IFS), while avoiding rigid protocols in favor of collaborative, individualized work.
Whether I’m providing therapy or conducting an evaluation, my goal is clarity — helping people understand why their nervous system is responding the way it is, and what actually supports change. This often includes careful differential diagnosis, psychoeducation, and attention to how trauma, chronic stress, identity, and adaptation intersect with pain and neurodevelopment.
I also bring lived experience with both chronic pain and neurodivergence, which informs how I prioritize pacing, autonomy, and nervous system safety in my work.
Training & Background
I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville, where my research and clinical training focused on chronic pain and neuroscience-informed care. I completed clinical training in hospital-based pain management and integrated behavioral health settings and have continued to specialize in chronic pain treatment in private practice.
My doctoral research examined self-compassion in chronic pain, and I remain actively engaged with current research and evolving best practices in pain science.
In addition to my therapy work, I have extensive experience conducting psychological and neurodevelopmental evaluations across a wide range of clinical settings. During my training, I completed hundreds of hours of assessment with adults and children, including evaluations for ADHD, autism, and complex co-occurring conditions.
My assessment work has included neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric evaluations for individuals seeking diagnostic clarification, disability determinations, and academic or workplace accommodations. I also conducted comprehensive neuropsychological assessments within the VA system, working with veterans presenting with cognitive decline, dementia, PTSD, and complex medical conditions.
In medical settings, I completed pre-surgical psychological evaluations for individuals with chronic pain pursuing implantable devices, requiring careful differential diagnosis and integration of psychological, neurological, and physical factors.
As a result, I bring a strong foundation in assessing highly complex, comorbid presentations and differentiating neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, trauma-related, and medical contributors to symptoms — an approach that directly informs my current work with adult ADHD and autism evaluations. This background allows me to approach adult ADHD and autism evaluations with nuance, rigor, and respect for the complexity of real nervous systems.
View CV / Publications
Outside the Therapy Room
I’m originally from Maryland and now call the Pacific Northwest home. Outside of work, I spend time kayaking, hiking, traveling in my van, playing video games, and going to heavy metal shows. I’m also unapologetically nerdy and love Star Wars, X-Men, and Renaissance festivals.
