About Me

I’m a queer and neurodivergent licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of clinical experience. I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY where I conducted research and clinical training at the University of Louisville’s Pain Management Clinic and have continued to treat clients with chronic pain in my own private practice. I make it a point to always keep up to date on the latest evidence-based research and clinical practice to best support my clients with chronic pain.

I also specialize in sex and gender-affirming therapy. Throughout my training I have conducted research on best ways to support and address the mental health needs and minority stressors of the LGBTQ+ community, focusing on mindfulness and self-compassion interventions. I have completed post-doctoral training in Sex Therapy with a special focus on women’s sexual health, and have completed specialized training in Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming(TGNC) Healthcare to be able to best support the underserved needs of this community. I am trained to provide letters of support according to WPATH guidelines for folx seeking out gender-affirming medical interventions.

My approach to therapy is always client-centered and tailored to the unique needs of the individual. I have training in various evidence-based treatments and therapeutic frameworks, including:

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)

• Emotional Awareness and Expressive Therapy (EAET)

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Attachment Theory

• Mindfulness and Self-compassion interventions

EDUCATION

• Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, University of Louisville, KY

• Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, University of Louisville, KY

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Maryland, MD

TRAINING

• Post-doctoral Fellowship, Strong Integrated Behavioral Health, Eugene, OR

• Pre-doctoral Internship, Clinical Psychology, VA Salt Lake City Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT

• Pain Management Center, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, KY

• Noble H. Kelley Psychological Services Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Ellsworth, M. E. (2018). Fostering positive emotion through self-compassion in individuals with chronic pain. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Louisville]. The University of Louisville’s Institutional Repository. https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd/3009

• Williams, M. T., Sawyer, B., Leonard, R. C., Ellsworth, M., Simms, J., & Riemann, B. C. (2015). Minority participation in a major residential and intensive outpatient program for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 5, 67-75.

• Williams, M., Sawyer, B., Ellsworth, M., Singh, S., & Tellawi, G. (2017). Obsessive‐compulsive and related disorders in ethnoracial minorities: Attitudes, stigma, and barriers to treatment. The Wiley handbook of obsessive compulsive disorders, 2, 847-872.

• Benningfield, M. M., Blackford, J. U., Ellsworth, M. E., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., Martin, P. R., Cowan, R. L., & Zald, D. H. (2014). Caudate responses to reward anticipation associated with delay discounting behavior in healthy youth. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 7, 43-52.

PRESENTATION TOPICS

• Resilience Factors in the LGBTQ+ population

• Self-Compassion in the Resilience of Shame

• Mindfulness

I am originally from Maryland, but I have loved the outdoor activities that living out West has to offer. I like to travel around in my converted van, kayak, paddleboard, hike, practice meditation and go to heavy metal concerts. I’m pretty nerdy as well and love Star Wars, X-Men and Rennaissance Festivals.