Dr. Sara Hamilton, PsyD — Director of Clinical Services

Dr. Sara Hamilton, PsyD — Director of Clinical Services

Clinical Focus

Dr. Sara Hamilton is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Director of Clinical Services at the Bariatric Counseling Center in San Antonio, where she leads the clinical program that earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval in 2023.

Dr. Hamilton’s work sits in a field most psychologists never enter: bariatric psychology — the behavioral treatment of people whose relationship with food has become the central problem in their health. Her clients are adults, pre-surgical, post-surgical, and many who have never had bariatric surgery and never intend to.

Her doctoral dissertation examined mindful eating, and that thread runs through the program she now directs. It’s the reason a Registered Dietitian stands next to clients in a teaching kitchen and on guided grocery store tours rather than handing them a meal plan — the skill has to be practiced somewhere real to survive contact with an ordinary Tuesday.

As a bariatric psychologist, she works with the pattern underneath the eating rather than the eating alone: the emotion regulation, the self-criticism, and the coping machinery that no surgery and no medication touches.

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Approach and Modalities

Under Dr. Hamilton’s clinical direction, the Bariatric Counseling Center’s Intensive Outpatient Program uses:

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Radically Open DBT
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and CBT-E, adapted for eating disorders
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Group, individual, and family or couples therapy
  • Mindful and intuitive eating practice
  • Cooking classes and guided grocery store tours

The program is IOP only — not inpatient, not residential, not partial hospitalization. Most clients attend two to three times per week for about three months, roughly 30 sessions, progressing through three levels: insight, change, and maintenance with discharge preparation.

She leads a multidisciplinary team: Licensed Mental Health Professionals (Clinical Psychologists and LPCs), Registered Dietitians with eating disorder training, a Registered Nurse, and a professional chef. Nancy Albus, LPC, CEDS-S serves as the center’s Clinical Advisor. The center does not prescribe medication; its Registered Nurse coordinates with clients’ prescribing providers.

Working With Dr. Hamilton’s Team

The Bariatric Counseling Center is located in the San Antonio Medical Center area and delivers the same program via telehealth across all of Texas. It’s the only program of its kind in Texas.

The center is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Tricare, Humana, UMR, Carelon, Oscar, Imagine Health, Sana, MultiPlan, Meritain Health, ComPsych, Curative, 90 Degree Benefits, and Healthcare Highways. CareCredit is accepted, and the center files insurance appeals at no cost. No formal diagnosis is required to begin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Dr. Sara Hamilton?

Dr. Sara Hamilton, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Director of Clinical Services at the Bariatric Counseling Center in San Antonio, where she leads the Joint Commission-accredited Intensive Outpatient Program.

What is a bariatric psychologist?

A bariatric psychologist is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the behavioral and emotional side of weight — including pre-surgical psychological evaluations, post-surgical adjustment, binge eating, and compulsive overeating. It’s a narrow specialty; most psychologists don’t practice in it.

What treatment approaches does she use?

The program she directs uses DBT and Radically Open DBT, CBT and CBT-E, and ACT, combined with mindful eating practice, cooking classes, and guided grocery store tours.

Can I work with the team if I live outside San Antonio?

Yes. The center’s telehealth program serves all of Texas with the same clinicians and program structure as the in-person track.

Talk to Dr. Hamilton’s Team

If your relationship with food has become the thing standing between you and your health — before surgery, after surgery, or with no surgery in the picture at all — call the Bariatric Counseling Center.

We’ll verify your benefits and tell you honestly whether our program is the right fit.

Written by Dr. Hamilton

Dr. Hamilton writes regularly on the psychology of eating and weight for the BCC blog. Browse all of Dr. Hamilton’s articles, or start with these: