How I work: As your therapist, my first priority is creating a supportive, non-judgmental and collaborative environment where you can feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and feelings openly. My approach to therapy is also rooted in behavioral science, and involves applying evidence-based strategies that are supported by research to help you change your life for the better. I also believe in the value of regularly measuring your progress throughout treatment, and setting specific goals for changes that you will attempt outside of sessions.

Focus areas include:

• Weight Management (surgical, medical)

• Chronic Pain & Illness

• Insomnia & Sleep Disturbances

• Preparation for/adjustment following Surgical Procedures (e.g., bariatrics/transplants)

• Substance/Alcohol Use

• Illness Anxiety

Our first few visits together will be dedicated to reviewing the problems that brought you to therapy, exploring the challenges that have made it hard to overcome these problems on your own, and building motivation to start making lasting changes in your life. Treatment may last anywhere from 10 to 20 sessions in total, depending on your progress and needs. By the end of treatment, my hope is that you will not only achieve symptom relief, but also a clearer picture of the factors that initially caused the problem, and a set of action steps to maintain your gains from treatment. I can be reached directly at michael@nchpsych.com.

About Me: I am a clinical health psychologist with specialized training in cognitive-behavioral treatments for binge-eating, insomnia, chronic pain, depression and anxiety. I rely on approaches to therapy that are supported by science, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Binge-Eating, and Motivational Interviewing. These treatments all teach specific skills for adjusting health habits, breaking vicious cycles that perpetuate suffering, and addressing thoughts and feelings that make changing behaviors difficult.

I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University and completed both my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship training within the VA Healthcare System. Throughout my clinical psychology career, I have been actively involved in academic research on psychological treatments for weight loss, eating disorders and chronic pain, and have published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles on these topics.

Outside of work, I love spending time in nature, trying new foods, listening to (and occasionally playing!) music, and learning science and geography trivia. If you think we might be a good fit, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to meeting you, and learning how I can support you on your path towards better physical and mental health.

Licenses

Licensed Psychologist; Connecticut, New York

PSYPACT; Authorization to practice psychology via telehealth in 40+ states. See map here.

Education & Training

Post-Doctoral Fellowship: VA Connecticut Healthcare System (Clinical Health Psychology;APA-Accredited)

Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology): Drexel University

Master of Science (Clinical Psychology) : Drexel University

Bachelor of Science (Psychology): Yale University

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

Berry, M. P., Gunderson, C., Ein Alshaeba, S., Funaro, M., Holleck, J., Marhoffer, E. & Masheb, R. M. Effect of Behavioral Weight Management Interventions on Symptoms of Binge-Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis (in press). Obesity Reviews.

Huang, Z., Berry, M. P., Chwyl, C., Hsieh, G., Wei, J., & Forman, E. M. (2025). Comparing large language model AI and human-generated coaching messages for behavioral weight loss. Journal of technology in behavioral science, 1-12.

Lee, J., Lazaridou, A., Paschali, M., Loggia, M. L., Berry, M. P., Ellingsen, D. M., ... & Edwards, R. R. (2024). A randomized controlled neuroimaging trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for fibromyalgia pain. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 76(1), 130-140.

Berry, M. P., Taylor, L., Huang, Z., Chwyl, C., Kerrigan, S. & Forman, E. M. (2023). Automated Messaging Delivered Alongside Behavioral Treatment for Weight Loss:Qualitative Study. JMIR Formative Research, 7, e50872.

Forman, E. M., Evans, B. C., Berry, M. P., Lampe, E. W., Chwyl, C., & Zhang, F. (2023). Behavioral weight loss outcomes in individuals with binge-eating disorder: A meta-analysis. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 31(8), 1981-1995.

Forman, E.M., Berry, M.P., Butryn, M.L., Hagerman, C.J., Huang, Z., Juarascio, A.J., LaFata, E., Ontañón, S., Tilford, J.M., & Zhang, F. (2023). Using Artificial Intelligence To Optimize Delivery of Weight Loss Treatment: Protocol for an Efficacy and Cost Effectiveness Trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 124, 107029.

Berry, M.P., Chwyl, C., Metzler, A.L., Sun, J.H., Dart, H., Forman, E.M. (2022). Associations between behavior change technique clusters and weight loss outcomes of automated digital interventions: a systematic review and meta-regression. Health Psychology Review, 1-29.

Berry, M. P.,Adams, M. A., Butryn, M. L., Kerrigan, S., & Forman, E. M. (2022). Efficacy and mechanisms of a brief adaptive goal-setting intervention for physical activity: A randomised pilot trial. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5, 894-916.

Berry, M. P., Sala, M., Abber, S. R., & Forman, E. M. (2021). Incorporating automated digital interventions into coach-delivered weight loss treatment: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 40(8), 534.

Forman, E. M., Chwyl, C., Berry, M. P., Taylor, L. C., Butryn, M. L., Coffman, D. L., ... & Manasse, S. M. (2021). Evaluating the efficacy of mindfulness and acceptance-based treatment components for weight loss: Protocol for a multiphase optimization strategy trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 110, 106573.

Chwyl, C.*, Berry, M. P.*, Manasse, S. M., & Forman, E. M. (2021). Rethinking emotional eating: Retrospective and momentary indices of emotional eating represent distinct constructs. Appetite, 167, 105604. *Co-first author

Berry, M. P., Seburg, E. M., Butryn, M. L., Jeffery, R. W., Crane, M. M., Levy, R. L., ... & Sherwood, N. E. (2021). Discrepancies Between Clinician and Participant Intervention Adherence Ratings Predict Percent Weight Change During a Six-Month Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11(4), 1006-1014.

Paschali, M., Lazaridou, A., Vilsmark, E., Lee, J., Berry, M.P., Grahl, A., Anzolin, A., Loggia,M., Napadow, V., & Edwards, R.R. (2021). The Impact of Chronic Pain on the Self. BMCMusculoskeletalDisorders, 22(1), 1-9.

Lee, J., Andronesi, O. C., Torrado‐Carvajal, A., Ratai, E. M., Loggia, M. L., Weerasekera, A., Berry, M.P., Ellingsen, D.M., Isaro, L., Lazaridou, A., Paschali, M., Grahl, A., Wasan, A.D., Edwards, R. R., & Napadow, V. (2021). 3D magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging reveals links between brain metabolites and multidimensional pain features in fibromyalgia. European Journal of Pain, 25(9), 2050-2064.

Cheng, J. C., Anzolin, A., Berry, M.P., Honari, H., Paschali, M., Lazaridou, A., ... & Napadow, V. (2021). Dynamic functional connectivity underlying temporal summation of pain in fibromyalgia. The Journal of Pain, 22(5), 603-604.

Ellingsen, D. M., Beissner, F., Alsady, T. M., Lazaridou, A., Paschali, M., Berry, M., Isaro, L., Grahl, A., Lee, J., Wasan, A.D., Edwards, R.R. & Napadow, V. (2021). A picture is worth a thousand words: linking fibromyalgia pain widespreadness from digital pain drawings with pain catastrophizing and brain cross-network connectivity. Pain, 162(5), 1352-1363.

Forman, E. M., Manasse, S. M., Dallal, D. H., Crochiere, R. J., Berry, M. P., Butryn, M. L., & Juarascio, A. S. (2021). Gender differences in the effect of gamification on weight loss during a daily, neurocognitive training program. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11(4), 1015-1022.

Lutz, J.*, Berry, M. P.*, Napadow, V., Germer, C. K., Pollak, S., Gardiner, P., Edwards, R. R., Desbordes, G., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2020). Neural activations during self-related processing in patients with chronic pain and the effects of a brief self-compassion intervention – a pilot study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 304, 111155.* Co-first author

Berry, M. P.*,Lutz, J.*, Schuman-Olivier, Z., Germer, C. K., Pollak, S., Edwards, R. R., Gardiner, P., Desbordes, G., & Napadow, V. (2020). Brief self-compassion training alters neural responses to evoked pain for chronic low back pain: A pilot study. Pain Medicine, 21(10), 2172-2185.*Co-first author

Lazaridou, A., Paschali, M., Schreiber, K., Galenkamp, L., Berry, M.P., Paschalis, T., Napadow, V., & Edwards, R. R. (2020). The association between daily physical exercise and pain among women with fibromyalgia: the moderating role of pain catastrophizing. Pain

Reports, 5(4), e832. Berry, M. P., Tanovic, E., Joormann, J., & Sanislow, C. A. (2019). Relation of depression symptoms to sustained reward and loss sensitivity. Psychophysiology, 56(7), e13364.

Lee, J., Protsenko, E., Lazaridou, A., Franceschelli, O., Ellingsen, D. M., Mawla, I., Isenburg, K., Berry, M.P., Galenkamp, L., Loggia, M., Wasan, A.D., Edwards, R.R., & Napadow, V. (2018). Encoding of self‐referential pain catastrophizing in posterior cingulate cortex in fibromyalgia. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 70(8), 1308-1318.