The Therapist
Dr. Alexis Conason is a licensed psychologist in private practice in New York City. Her office is conveniently located on the border between the Upper East Side and Midtown East neighborhoods of Manhattan. She specializes in the treatment of overeating disorders, body image, and psychological issues related to bariatric surgery. She also treats people struggling with sexual functioning, depression, anxiety, adjustment problems, relationship issues, and other psychological issues. Please contact her to see if she can help you with what you are struggling with.
Dr. Conason's office on East 57th Street
The Researcher
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Conason is also a Research Associate at the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at Mt. Sinai-St. Luke's Hospital in affiliation with Columbia University. Her most recent research investigates substance use and psychopathology following bariatric weight loss surgery. In addition, she is currently working on research projects examining body image and sexual functioning following bariatric surgery, as well as investigating the effectiveness of a mindful eating intervention in the treatment of overeating behaviors. She has presented her research at a number of professional conferences and has been published/interviewed in scientific and mainstream media. She serves as the Research Chair for the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals- New York Chapter (IAEDP-NY), is on the editorial board of Frontiers in Eating Behavior, and serves as a peer reviewer for a number of medical and scientific journals including Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD) and Obesity Surgery.
The Author
Dr. Conason is the author of “Eating Mindfully,” a popular blog for Psychology Today. She also writes "The Anti-Diet" blog published on this website. She recently contributed a chapter to “Hedonic Eating,” an academic book targeted to professionals that will be published by Oxford University Press.
Currently, Dr. Conason is working on a book based on her Mindful Eating Group program. She hopes this book will help people develop a more peaceful relationship with food and their body by using techniques from mindful eating, enabling them to say farewell to dieting once and for all.
Training and Experience
After earning her doctoral degree from Long Island University, C.W. Post (accredited by the American Psychological Association) and completing an APA approved internship at The Karen Horney Clinic, Dr. Conason completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in affiliation with Columbia University. Part of this training included working closely with the Center for Bariatric Surgery at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital as part of the treatment team conducting pre-operative psychological evaluations, treatment plans, and leading their support groups. She did additional post-doctoral training to earn a certificate in eating disorders, addictions, and compulsions from the William Alanson White Institute and a certificate in psychodynamic psychotherapy from the American Institute of Psychoanalysis. Dr. Conason is trained in Mindfulness Based Eating Awareness Therapy (MB-EAT), an empirically validated treatment for binge-eating and other overeating disorders. She also has training in sex therapy. Dr. Conason is licensed to practice psychology by New York State. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA), the American Society for Metabolic Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), and American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), amongst other organizations.