Dr. Cheri Levinson, Ph.D., HSP

Dr. Cheri Levinson, Ph.D.

Clinical Director

Dr. Cheri A. Levinson,  is a licensed psychologist, health service provider, and clinical supervisor at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville, where she directs the Eating Anxiety Treatment Laboratory and is principal investigator on several research studies focused on developing novel treatments for eating disorders.

Dr. Levinson treats adults and adolescents with eating disorders. She specializes in the treatment of comorbid disorders (eating disorders, OCD and anxiety disorders) using empirically supported cognitive-behavioral techniques. Dr. Levinson has worked in all levels of eating disorder care, including outpatient, partial-hospitalization, residential, and inpatient care.

Before moving to Louisville, Dr. Levinson trained at the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED). While at CEED, she trained in cognitive behavioral therapies, dialectical behavior therapy, family based therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness therapies for eating disorders. Dr. Levinson was also a therapist at McCallum Place Eating Disorder Clinic and Webster Wellness Outpatient Clinic, where she treated patients using DBT, CBT, mealtime therapy, and ran several groups, including a perfectionism in the eating disorders group. She also worked at the St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute, where she trained in intensive exposure therapy for anxiety disorders and OCD.

Dr. Levinson has conducted clinical trials on the effectiveness of using exposure therapy and perfectionism treatment for the eating disorders. She has received several awards for her work from the Academy for Eating Disorders, including winning the 2015 Outstanding Scientific Contribution in the Eating Disorders Award. She also serves on the Academy for Eating Disorders Advocacy Committee.

Prior to moving to Louisville, Dr. Levinson was a post-doctoral fellow at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, where she developed technology based treatments for eating disorders. She completed her clinical internship at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. She received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in the psychology department at Washington University in St. Louis. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology and history at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Levinson’s research focuses on (a) developing novel, personalized eating disorder treatments, (b) understanding the high levels of comorbidity between eating and anxiety disorders and (c) creating technology based treatments for eating disorders. Dr. Levinson has published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and chapters and has been the primary investigator on several national grants and awards.

Dr. Levinson is licensed in Kentucky and also has the Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) in these states under the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT).

Dr. Levinson provides training, supervision, and consultation for therapists and students in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. She lives in Louisville, KY with her husband and two daughters.