Allison A Holgerson

Allison A Holgerson, Ph.D., ABPP

Director Of Clinical Training, Clinical Associate Professor

Department: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
Business Email: aholgerson@phhp.ufl.edu

About Allison A Holgerson

Dr. Holgerson joined faculty in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology in 2018. She completed her graduate training at Virginia Commonwealth University, pre-doctoral internship at the University of Florida Health Science Center, and post-doctoral fellowship at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Holgerson is Director of Clinical Training for the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology’s Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. In this role, she oversees the clinical training and evaluation of the department’s graduate students (approximately 85), leads the introduction to clinical psychology course, helps prepare students for their first practica and for pre-doctoral internship applications, and manages many other aspects of graduate students’ progression through the program towards their doctoral degree.

Dr. Holgerson directs the Bariatric/Weight Management service with UF Health Psychology Specialties. She conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations for patients being considered for bariatric procedures and intervention. She is a member of the UF Health Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center team, offering a comprehensive treatment approach to weight management. She also sees adults for behavioral weight management and disordered eating concerns, as well as patients who present with broad concerns related to the intersection of mental and physical health.

Dr. Holgerson supervises trainees enrolled in the APA-Accredited UF Clinical Psychology graduate program, APA-Accredited UF Health Sciences Center Psychology Internship, and APPIC-Directory Listed Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Accomplishments

Hugh C. Davis Excellence in Clinical Supervision Award
2020 · University of Florida Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
Psychology Research Summit Award- Behavioral Medicine Category
2017 · Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry
Outstanding Counseling Graduate Student
2015 · Virginia Commonwealth University
Elizabeth A. Fries Memorial Scholarship
2014 · Virginia Commonwealth University

Teaching Profile

Courses Taught
2019-2025
CLP6946 Advanced Practicum in Applied Medical Psychology
2019,2022-2025
CLP6947 Practicum in Intervention
2022-2025
CLP6943 Core Practicum in Clinical Psychology
2023-2025
CLP7949 Internship
2023-2025
CLP7934 Special Topics In Clinical Psychology
2023-2025
CLP6945 Advanced Practicum in Neuropsychology
2024-2025
CLP6940 Supervised Teaching

Board Certifications

  • Clinical Health Psychology
    American Board of Professional Psychology

Clinical Profile

Dr. Holgerson conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations for patients being considered for bariatric procedures and intervention. She is a member of the UF Health Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center team, offering a comprehensive treatment approach to weight management. She also sees adults for behavioral weight management and disordered eating concerns, as well as patients who present with broad concerns related to the intersection of mental and physical health.

Specialties
  • Psychology
Subspecialties
  • Clinical Health Psychology
Areas of Interest
  • Bariatric Surgery
  • Obesity

Research Profile

Dr. Holgerson’s research involvement can be categorized into three main areas: (1) psychological factors affecting bariatric surgery candidacy and outcomes, (2) eating patterns, and (3) clinical interventions for obesity prevention and treatment of binge eating disorder.

Dr. Holgerson has investigated psychological factors and the potential impact on bariatric surgery readiness and outcome, execution and evaluation of large clinical trials for childhood obesity prevention and treatment of binge eating disorder, weight stigma, the impact of cultural factors on attitudes surrounding eating and food, and the potential connections between stress, impulsivity, and weight

Areas of Interest
  • Bariatric Medicine
  • Binge Eating Disorder
  • Weight Management

Publications

Academic Articles
2023
Variation by race/ethnicity in the utilization and weight loss following metabolic bariatric surgery
Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases. 19(12):1391-1404 [DOI] 10.1016/j.soard.2023.06.007.
2021
Symptoms of bipolar disorder are associated with lower bariatric surgery completion rates and higher food addiction.
Eating behaviors. 40 [DOI] 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2020.101462. [PMID] 33307467.
2018
Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Food Addiction to Bariatric Surgery Completion and Weight Loss Outcome.
Obesity surgery. 28(11):3386-3392 [DOI] 10.1007/s11695-018-3370-1. [PMID] 29982973.
2017
A Pilot Intervention Targeting Dietary Intake in School Cafeterias.
Health behavior and policy review. 4(3):256-264 [DOI] 10.14485/hbpr.4.3.6. [PMID] 32864385.
2017
Guiding Patients Toward the Appropriate Surgical Treatment for Obesity: Should Presurgery Psychological Correlates Influence Choice Between Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy?
Obesity surgery. 27(10):2759-2767 [DOI] 10.1007/s11695-017-2876-2. [PMID] 28815388.
2016
Culturally-Based Communication about Health, Eating, and Food: Development and validation of the CHEF scale.
Appetite. 96:399-407 [DOI] 10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.024. [PMID] 26409643.
2016
Development and preliminary effectiveness of an innovative treatment for binge eating in racially diverse adolescent girls.
Eating behaviors. 22:199-205 [DOI] 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.06.014. [PMID] 27299699.
2016
Does this Tweet make me look fat? A content analysis of weight stigma on Twitter.
Eating and weight disorders : EWD. 21(2):229-35 [DOI] 10.1007/s40519-016-0272-x. [PMID] 27068174.
2015
Young Adults’ Food Selection Patterns: Relations With Binge Eating and Restraint
Journal of College Student Development. 56(5):493-498 [DOI] 10.1353/csd.2015.0051.
2014
Adolescent Girls and Their Mothers Talk About Experiences of Binge and Loss of Control Eating.
Journal of child and family studies. 23(8):1403-1416 [PMID] 25400491.
2014
Comparing online and face-to-face dissonance-based eating disorder prevention.
Eating disorders. 22(3):244-60 [DOI] 10.1080/10640266.2013.874824. [PMID] 24456277.
2014
Food Cue Reactivity, Obesity, and Impulsivity: Are They Associated?
Current Addiction Reports. 1(4):301-308 [DOI] 10.1007/s40429-014-0038-3.
2013
LIBER8 design and methods: an integrative intervention for loss of control eating among African American and White adolescent girls.
Contemporary clinical trials. 34(1):174-85 [DOI] 10.1016/j.cct.2012.10.012. [PMID] 23142669.
2013
The stress process and eating pathology among racially diverse adolescents seeking treatment for obesity.
Journal of pediatric psychology. 38(7):785-93 [DOI] 10.1093/jpepsy/jst042. [PMID] 23853156.

Grants

Mar 2024 ACTIVE
WISE II – Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes: Bariatric Surgery Effects on Brain Function
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK

Education

Board Certification in Clinical Health Psychology
2020 · American Board of Professional Psychology
Postdoctoral Fellowship – Medical and Health Psychology
2016-2018 · Mayo Clinic
Predoctoral Internship – Medical and Health Psychology
2015-2016 · University of Florida
Doctorate in Psychology – Health Psychology
2010-2016 · Virginia Commonwealth University

Contact Details

Emails:
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
1225 CENTER DR STE 3151 OFC
GAINESVILLE FL 32610