DR. MELODY ASHWORTH, PH.D., C.PSYCH.

SUPERVISOR IN CLINICAL AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY  FOR CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND PARENTS

(She/Her)

Dr. Ashworth is registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and provides psychological services to children, adolescents, parents, and families. She has dual registration in child and adolescent psychology as well as school psychology. She works with school age children and adolescents and also supports adolescents as they transition to adulthood. She grounds her work in the research on child and adolescent development and attachment.

She received her doctorate degree in School and Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Toronto in 2014. She obtained her clinical and research training in Toronto working in community mental health, school, and private clinic settings including Surrey Place Centre, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre (now SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health), the Toronto District School Board, and The Willow Centre.

Dr. Ashworth specializes in individual and parent therapy for children and adolescents with a wide variety of presenting concerns. Therapy may involve individual, parent or family sessions depending on the needs and goals of her clients. Her areas of expertise include common challenges such as child temperament (emotionally sensitive or rigid), emotion regulation (includes self harm), parent-child attachment, family dynamics, parenting challenges, coping with stressful life transitions, trauma, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.

 Her therapeutic approach is tailored to the unique strengths, needs, and temperament of each child/adolescent. When working with children and adolescents, she considers how family and community systems (parenting, sibling, peer group, school, culture) impacts individual well-being. She uses an integrative approach to intervention incorporating a variety of evidence-based approaches including relational and attachment based therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).  She uses play, games, and art-based modalities with children. 

Dr. Ashworth also provides diagnostic/social emotional and psychoeducational assessments for children and adolescents. These can include testing for learning disorders, giftedness, mental health disorders, ADHD, developmental concerns, intellectual disabilities, and assessments for post-secondary school.

Please note that our associates work with many presenting issues, some of which are not listed in this biography. Please speak to our intake team at 416-767-7091 for more information.