Alexis Conason, Psy.D.

Alexis Conason, Psy.D. Clinical psychologist, researcher, and founder of The Anti-Diet Plan. Radically changing the way we think about food, health, and our bodies. Post.

Alexis Conason, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in the Midtown East neighborhood of New York City. Her practice specializes in the treatment of overeating disorders, body image, sexual functioning, and psychological issues related to weight loss surgery. She is a Research Associate at The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center (NYONRC) at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in

affiliation with Columbia University. She earned her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Long Island University, C.W. Following completion of her doctorate, Dr. Conason completed post-doctoral training at The Karen Horney Clinic and the NYONRC. She also earned a certificate in Eating Disorders, Compulsions, and Addictions from the William Alanson White Institute and a certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy from the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. Dr. Conason’s research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and she has presented at numerous scientific conferences. She is on the editorial board of Frontiers in Eating Behavior and has served as a peer reviewer for numerous scientific journals, including Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases and Obesity Surgery. She serves on the Board of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals-NY Chapter as their Research Chair and serves as the Advocacy and Outreach subcommittee chair of the Bariatric Surgery Section of The Obesity Society. She is an adjunct clinical supervisor at the Ferkauf School of Graduate Psychology. She is the author of the “Eating Mindfully” blog hosted by Psychology Today http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/eating-mindfully. She has been featured in the popular press including The Wall Street Journal/ Market Watch, Men's Health, Ladies' Home Journal, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Weight Watchers, Reuters, ABC News, Prevention, WebMD, EveryDay Health, US News & World Report Health Day, and Fox News.For more information, please visit www.drconason.com

Diet fads come and go so fast it can make your head spin. Macros. High protein everything. Biohacking. Powders and suppl...
05/19/2026

Diet fads come and go so fast it can make your head spin. Macros. High protein everything. Biohacking. Powders and supplements.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As an eating disorder psychologist, I could not care less about any of that.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What I do care about is your relationship with food and redefining what health means, not in terms of macros or calorie deficits, but in terms of emotional and physical wellbeing.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I care about whether food rules are running your life.
Whether your body thoughts are stealing your time and energy.
Whether you feel anxious, ashamed, or trapped around eating.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Because you deserve a life that feels bigger than tracking, optimizing, shrinking, and constantly trying to fix yourself.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱 If you are looking for support healing your relationship with food, DM or visit conasonpsychologicalservices.com to schedule a free consultation to see if one of our therapists can help you

What if the problem was never your body? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀So many of us have been conditioned to override hunger, ignore fullnes...
05/13/2026

What if the problem was never your body?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So many of us have been conditioned to override hunger, ignore fullness, and mistrust our bodies in the name of “control.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But your body isn’t the enemy—it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Fighting against our biology is usually a losing battle.
But when we approach our bodies with curiosity and acceptance, things start to shift.
It’s not always easy, but healing is so worth it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💬 What would it look like to approach your body with curiosity instead of criticism today?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you’re feeling stuck in the cycle of fighting your body, you don’t have to figure it out alone. At we offer weight-inclusive therapy to help you build a more peaceful relationship with food and your body.
✨ Link in bio to learn more or book a free consultation.

Today is  , but every day is a no diet day around here. We don’t need just one day off from diet culture. We deserve a l...
05/06/2026

Today is , but every day is a no diet day around here. We don’t need just one day off from diet culture. We deserve a life free from it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Dieting promises control, confidence, happiness, and all the things we’re told will finally make us feel like enough. But more often than not, it keeps us stuck in cycles of restriction, shame, and self-doubt.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The problem isn’t your body. It’s a culture that teaches us we have to be thin to be desired, valued, healthy, and respected.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That belief keeps us stuck hating our bodies, trying to shrink ourselves, and becoming smaller in ways we don’t always realize—insecure, quiet, and hesitant to take up space.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We deserve so much more than that. And the world needs our voices.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you’re ready to step off the diet cycle, this is exactly what I share in my book, The Diet-Free Revolution. It’s a compassionate, research-backed path to healing your relationship with food and your body. Available now wherever books are sold or at drconason.com
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You don’t need another diet. You need a radically different way forward.

05/03/2026
05/02/2026

My tween showing me how it’s done!

Thank you for sending these goodies for us to unbox. Stay tuned for our taste test in Part 2 when my daughter will inform me that actually I am not a cool mom 😂

Psychedelic-assisted therapy isn’t a cure all but the early research with eating disorders is promising. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀This w...
05/01/2026

Psychedelic-assisted therapy isn’t a cure all but the early research with eating disorders is promising.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This was a very small pilot study (N=5) with no control group, so the findings are very preliminary. Still, I believe psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has the potential to play an important role in how we treat eating disorders, especially when it’s thoughtfully integrated with evidence-based therapy.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of the things that draws me to PAT is how much it overlaps with mindfulness. Many of the experiences people describe in both mindfulness practices and psychedelic-assisted therapy include a sense of interconnectedness: with nature, with other people, and with something larger than ourselves.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
For many, that felt sense of connection can soften rigidity, reduce avoidance, and create space for compassion, both toward ourselves and others.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’m currently in training to become a psychedelic-assisted therapist. I believe we need approaches that help people reconnect with themselves and the world around them, rather than trying to control or suppress symptoms.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I suspect that, like mindfulness, PAT may impact a wide range of symptoms. When I work with clients on mindful eating, they often notice improvements in depression, anxiety, stress management, and other areas beyond eating behaviors. That’s because mindfulness doesn’t just address symptoms, it changes our relationship with ourselves. PAT may work in a similar way.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We need way more research.
We need ethical, regulated access.
And we need to stay grounded, curious, and cautious.

Curious to hear your thoughts. Does this kind of research feel hopeful, overhyped, or both?

04/29/2026

If you saw my post earlier this week about what to do after a binge,
this is one place to start.

After a binge, there’s often this urge to fix it.

To eat less.
To compensate.
To tell yourself you’ll “do better” tomorrow.

But that’s what keeps the binge cycle in motion. What your body actually needs in that moment is something very different.

No mater what you ate before, your body still needs nourishment. That’s why it’s so important to eat your next meal after a binge and to eat it with a focus on what’s enjoyable and what can help our bodies feel good, not on restricting or making up for the binge.

This might feel like the opposite of what you should do but it’s an important step in breaking the binge cycle.

If you’re stuck in this pattern, you’re not alone.
Healing is possible 🤍

🌱Looking for support with binge eating? DM or visit www.conasonpsychologicalservices.com to schedule a free consult call to see if one of our specialized therapists can help you.

🤝 Are you a professional looking for support with your difficult cases? I have space available in my supervision/case consultation group for eating disorder professionals. CEDS eligible. DM to learn more!

If you struggle with binge eating, you probably know all too well that the binge itself is only one part of the cycle.⠀⠀...
04/27/2026

If you struggle with binge eating, you probably know all too well that the binge itself is only one part of the cycle.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
For many, what comes next is just as painful—self-criticism, shame, and attempts to “make up for it” through restriction… which often leads right back into the cycle.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After a binge, small shifts can have a big impact.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Try self-compassion instead of self-criticism.
Nourishment instead of restriction.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
These moments won’t feel intuitive at first. But they’re how you begin to gently interrupt the cycle.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A binge isn’t a failure. It’s information.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Save this for when you need the reminder 🤍
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌱If you are struggling with binge eating, DM or visit conasonpsychologicalservices.com to see if one of our specialized therapists can help you.

Coping skills make so much sense on paper.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You can list them.You’ve talked about them in therapy.You’ve saved th...
04/21/2026

Coping skills make so much sense on paper.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can list them.
You’ve talked about them in therapy.
You’ve saved the posts.
You know what helps.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But then in the moment , when you’re activated, flooded, and spiraling…your mind goes blank and the tools feel impossible to access.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s not a personal failure.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When our nervous system is in survival mode, our thinking brain goes offline. The part of us that can reflect, choose, and remember what “works” gets drowned out by the primal part that just wants to protect us.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So if you’ve ever thought:
“Why can’t I just use the tools I have?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“I should be better at this by now…”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Nothing is wrong with you.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Your body is doing exactly what bodies are wired to do under stress.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is why nervous system regulation matters.
Not as another thing to be “good” at.
But as the foundation that makes coping skills accessible in the first place.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Start smaller than you think.
Take one breath to create space in a heated moment.
Ground yourself in the present by washing your hands or naming 3 things in the room before you problem-solve.
Practice when you’re calm, not just when you’re in crisis.
Use the tools on ordinary Tuesday stress, not only the big meltdowns.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Over time, it really does get easier.
It’s a lot like building a muscle, the more you use it, the more available it becomes.
Less effortful.
More like an instinct.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If coping has felt hard lately, this is your reminder:
It’s not about willpower.
It’s about the state of your nervous system.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What helps your nervous system settle, even a little? Tell me in the comments 💭💛

A “health journey” doesn’t have to be about before-and-after photos or shrinking our bodies.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Too often, health i...
04/17/2026

A “health journey” doesn’t have to be about before-and-after photos or shrinking our bodies.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Too often, health is reduced to weight loss.
And ironically, that belief can lead people to do objectively harmful things in the name of health.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There are so many ways to support our health in the bodies we have right now:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• eating foods we enjoy without constant stress or rules
• social connections and community
• preventative healthcare (which needs to be more accessible)
• nervous system regulation
• cuddling with animals (releases serotonin, dopamine, and lowers cortisol 🐾 — always grateful for visits with )
• a life that feels meaningful and values-aligned
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This version of health can’t be seen in before and after photos.
It’s less glamorous. It’s not about taking a magic pill, detoxing, or a complete lifestyle overhaul.
And there isn’t big money in selling it to us.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s about coming back home to ourselves and learning to work with our bodies instead of always fighting against it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can’t tell someone’s health by looking at them.
And defining a “health journey” as a shrinking body isn’t just misleading—it’s rooted in weight stigma.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What does a “health journey” mean to you?

🌱 If you are looking for support on your health journey (it includes mental health too!) DM to schedule a free consultation call to see if can help you! We specialize in mindful eating, eating disorders/disordered eating, body image, mood disorders, and more!

Address

505 Park Avenue
New York, NY
10022

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Alexis Conason, Psy.D. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Alexis Conason, Psy.D.:

Featured

Share