Ashlee Reid, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist (PSY35059)
Child & Adolescent Specialty Practice Clinician
Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
Hello and welcome. I’m Dr. Ashlee Reid, a licensed developmental psychologist and the Director of Early Childhood and Maternal Mental Health Services at the Institute for Girls’ Development. I specialize in supporting young children, their families, and neurodivergent individuals across developmental stages. My approach is rooted in relationally focused and developmentally informed principles, and I’m dedicated to helping individuals and families thrive through a deep understanding of themselves and the power of meaningful relationships.
I am a trauma-informed provider and am trained in evidence-based trauma treatments including Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and EMDR. My work supports healing from early adversity, attachment disruptions, medical trauma, and other distressing experiences that impact emotional development and relationships.
Early Childhood Services
I offer therapy services and support for children ages 0–5 and their caregivers. As a rostered clinician in CPP, I specialize in dyadic therapy that nurtures the parent-child relationship. My work addresses a wide range of concerns, including trauma, emotional or behavioral challenges, attachment disruptions, and significant life transitions such as separation, divorce, relocation, trauma, and loss. I use a play-based, relational approach to help caregivers understand their child’s behavior through a developmental lens, empowering them to respond with empathy, connection, and confidence. My services include assessment, therapy, and parent coaching, all tailored to support secure relationships and healthy development in the early years.
Developmental Services
I support autistic children, teens, and adults in therapy, with a special focus on autistic adult women. I also conduct early childhood assessments for autism and developmental concerns, offering a unique and comprehensive evaluation process. My approach integrates the DIR-Floortime model across all my work with neurodivergent clients, particularly young children, emphasizing relational connection, emotional regulation, and developmental progress within nurturing relationships.
I facilitate therapy groups for autistic individuals, including Teen Connections for neurodivergent teen girls, Launching Connections for autistic women, and a parent support group called Foundations First for parents of newly diagnosed autistic children. These groups and services are designed to help neurodivergent individuals navigate a neurotypical world, addressing unique challenges that affect mental health. My therapy groups involve developing personalized systems and strategies that align with each individual’s authentic self, rather than pushing conformity to external expectations.
Through dyadic and family-based DIR-Floortime services, I help clients and their families understand and support their unique developmental journey. In therapy, I aim to foster engagement, connection, and regulation within the context of nurturing and supportive relationships.
Perinatal Mental Health
In addition to my work with young children, I provide perinatal mental health services, addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, and the complexities of infant-parent attachment and bonding during pregnancy and after birth. I support families facing medical challenges, including those who have experienced infant loss or pregnancy termination for medical reasons. Drawing on my extensive experience in NICU and fetal medicine settings, I offer compassionate care to help parents navigate the perinatal period with resilience and support. For more information on maternal mental health services, please read my Flourish bio.
My Philosophy
I believe that understanding development and nurturing secure relationships can help children, teens, and adults reach their full potential. I empower families to better understand and connect with one another, fostering growth, resilience, and emotional well-being. My goal is to provide comprehensive care that helps families and individuals thrive.
Specialties
I provide support for growth in the following areas:
- Concerns related to toddlerhood and early childhood (e.g., tantrums, feeding/eating, developmental skills building)
- Parenting concerns related to infants, toddlers, and young children
- Traumatic experiences in early childhood
- Anxiety and depression in children
- Children coping with chronic illness or medical conditions/hospitalizations
- Parent-infant attachment and bonding
- Perinatal conditions (anxiety and depression)
- Neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders (ADHD and Autism)
- Psychological assessment (developmental)
- Coparenting and navigating family transitions
Treatment Modalities
I utilize the following modalities regularly in my practice:
- Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
- Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- DIR-Floortime
- Client-Centered Play Therapy
- Mindfulness and Somatic Practices
Certifications, Training, and Approach
- Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
- DIR-Floortime
- Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Maternal Mental Health
Other Current Professional Activities
- American Psychological Association – Division 53
- Global Association for Interpersonal Neurobiology
- American Psychological Association (APA)
Prior Experience
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)
- USC’s Fetal Maternal Center (FMC)
- USC’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)
- Western Youth Services, Orange County
- Rooted+Vitality Health Collaborative
- Merced County Office of Education
- Gary Cannon Psychological Services Center (PSC)
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
- Master of Arts in Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, California State University Fresno
Mission: My mission is to strengthen relationships between children and the adults who care for them by fostering understanding, attunement, and emotional connection. I am committed to advocating for children and families by improving the systems that serve them. Through compassionate care and support, I strive to help children and parents build strong, lasting relationships so they can enjoy and appreciate one another to the fullest.
Email: AReid@IFGD.care
Phone: 626-585-8075, ext. 135