Kelly Costello Allison, PhD
Psychiatry
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 18 and up
Penn Psychiatry Market Street
Make an appointmentCall 866-301-4724
Penn Medicine Provider

About me

  • Director, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders
  • Professor of Psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

I provide cognitive behavioral therapy for disordered eating, weight management, and post-bariatric surgery issues in an outpatient therapy setting at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders. Presenting problems that I treat typically include binge-eating, night-eating, bulimia nervosa, and emotional eating.  These issues often are coupled with anxiety, mood, or other psychiatric issues that would also be addressed.  I also provide pre-bariatric surgery psychological evaluations at Penn Medicine's Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program.

Education and training

  • Graduate School: Miami University
  • Residency: UMass Memorial Medical Center

Insurance accepted

My Locations

Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Advanced Practice Provider
  • Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Advanced Practice Provider
Dr. Allison is a Penn Medicine provider.

Qualifications and experience

Treatments and Conditions

My research

LaFata EM, Worwag K, Derrigo K, Hessler C, Allison KC, Juarascio AS, Gearhardt AN. Development of the Food Addiction Symptom Inventory: The first clinical interview to assess ultra-processed food addiction. , Psychological Assessment, 36(11): 2024,654-664

Parks EP, Allison KC, Bruton Y, Khalil T, Mitchell JA. Gamification to promote physical activity in youth and mothers with obesity. , Pediatric Exercise Science, 1: 2024,1-8

Tajeu GS, Wu J, Tewksbury C, Spitzer JC, Rubin DJ, Gadegbeku CA, Soans R, Allison KC, Sarwer DB. Association of psychiatric history with hypertension among adults who present for metabolic and bariatric surgery. , Surgery for Obesity Related Diseases, 11: 2024,S1550-7289(24)00845-1

Allison KC, McCuen-Wurst C, Raevsky A, Holmes N, Goldbach M, Guerra CE, Rendle KA, Cadet TJ, Krouse RS, Tchou J. The Group-basEd Telehealth behavioral WEight Loss Program among breast cancer survivors: a pilot and feasibility study. , Obesity Science and Practice, 10(6): 2024,e70023

Liu Y, De Jesus E, Goldbach M, Krouse RS, Guerra CE, Rendle KA, Cadet TJ, Allison KC, Tchou J. Perceptions, facilitators, and barriers of participation for a behavioral weight loss group-based telehealth program for breast cancer survivors: a qualitative study. , Support Care Cancer, 32(12): 2024,808

Saumoy M, Kochman M, Allison K, Pickett-Blakely O, Cronholm P. Patient perception of endoscopic and medical therapies for weight loss. , Techniques and Innovations in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 26(2): 2024,201-204

Sarwer D, Wadden T, Ashare R, Spitzer JC, McCuen-Wurst C, LaGrotte C, Williams N, Soans R, Tewksbury C, Wu J, Tajeu G, Allison KC. Psychopathology, disordered eating, and impulsivity as predictors of weight loss twenty-four months after metabolic and bariatric surgery. , Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 20(7): 2024,634-642

Allison KC, Chao AM, Bruzas MB, McCuen-Wurst C, Jones E, McAllister C, Gruber K, Berkowitz RI, Wadden TA, Tronieri JS A pilot randomized controlled trial of liraglutide 3.0 mg for binge eating disorder. , Obesity Science and Practice, 9(2): 2023,127-136

Allison KC, Wu J, Spitzer JC, McCuen-Wurst C, Ashare RL, Tewksbury C, LaGrotte CA, Wadden TA, Williams NN, Sarwer DB Changes in eating behaviors and their relation to weight change 6 and 12 months after bariatric surgery. , Obesity Surgery, 33(3): 2023,733-742

Chao AM, Abene J, Allison KC, Pearl RL, Wadden TA, Williams NN, Tronieri JS Binge eating disorder and eating self-efficacy in adults seeking bariatric surgery. , Clinical Obesity, 12(4): 2022,e12531

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