My Approach to Helping People

M. Scott Peck begins his classic book “The Road Less Traveled” with a simple, yet profound statement: “Life is difficult”. When you don’t have the resources or skills to meet life's challenges – or maybe your motivation waxes and wanes – the human experience becomes even more difficult. One of the many ways therapy can be helpful is by cultivating your awareness, motivation, and skills to face life’s challenges head-on, all within a relationship of mutual respect, trust, and transparency. I look forward to talking with you about how you can use therapy to achieve your goals and improve your physical and emotional well-being.

I am a clinical researcher and psychotherapist specializing in substance use disorder treatment and recovery, including a special focus on young adults ages 18-29. As a scientist-practitioner, I strongly value the role of research when helping people clinically. In parallel, I strongly value real-world clinical experience when developing innovative ideas to be tested using scientific research.

I completed my psychology internship and an addiction psychology postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS). Before coming to Massachusetts, I spent my entire life in Florida, graduating with a B.S. at the University of Florida in Gainesville and completing my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. Even though the “Bay State” is now home, South Florida will always have a special place in my heart.

Clinically, I have experience on the front lines of addiction treatment, having worked as a staff psychologist in the MGH Addiction Recovery Management Service (ARMS), the hospital's outpatient addiction treatment program for adolescents and young adults. Rather than adhering to any single theoretical orientation, I use a comprehensive approach relying on the scientific evidence at hand as well as ongoing individual assessments of my patients’ needs and progress. I am a certified therapist in the delivery of the Adolescent-Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA), an evidence-based intervention for youth with substance use disorder. I also have extensive training in Community Reinforcement and Family Training, a set of strategies to help “concerned significant others” (parents, partners, etc.) of individuals with substance use disorder who are reluctant or outright refuse to seek help for their problem.

Regarding my clinical research, I am Associate Director of the Recovery Research Institute, affiliated with the Center for Addiction Medicine at MGH/HMS. Within the RRI, I have a growing independent program of research, while also playing a key role in the institute’s mission to translate and disseminate the latest science on treatment and recovery for substance use and co-occurring medical and psychiatric disorders. My research lies at the intersection of community-based recovery support services, social technology, and emerging/young adulthood. This webpage focuses on my non-scientist roles. For more information on my research and other academic roles, please visit https://scholar.harvard.edu/brandonbergman/.

Finally, professional service and advocacy is very important to me. I have multiple leadership positions in Division 50 of the American Psychological Association (Society of Addiction Psychology). I am on the boards of the National Foundation for Collegiate Recovery and Unity Recovery, a recovery community center in Philadelphia, PA.