His 1980 article on theistic values[2] was groundbreaking in the field and elicited over 1,000 responses and requests for reprints,[3] and including those from Carl Rogers and Albert Bandura.

He went to high school in Spokane, Washington, and began college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The school had four Latter-day Saints in its student body that year, one of whom was Bergin's roommate and another of whom, Marian Shafer, he began dating.

Through interactions with BYU professor and Reed alumnus Robert K. Thomas, Bergin learned more about Mormonism and in March 1955 was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) by Thomas.

He then became a professor in the clinical psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

While on the Columbia faculty, Bergin lived in New Jersey and served as a bishop for the LDS church and later as a counselor in the Eastern States Mission Presidency.

It was also while at Columbia that Bergin co-edited the Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change with Sol Garfield; the book was named a social science citation classic.

[4] In 1972 Bergin joined the faculty of BYU in part as a result of the encouragement of Thomas.

During his years there, he also served in LDS Church positions as a Bishop, a Stake President, and member of the Church-wide Sunday School General Board.

He and his wife, Marian, later served a Church Education Mission at the Lajolla, CA.

He received the "Distinguished Professional Contribution to Knowledge Award" from the American Psychological Association in 1989, the "Oskar Pfister Award in Religion and Mental Health" from the American Psychiatric Association in 1998, and the "William James Award in the Psychology of Religion" from Division 36 of the American Psychological Association in 1990.

He has acknowledged the significant influence of colleagues who have collaborated with him, particularly Sol Garfield, Hans Strupp, Michael Lambert, and Scott Richards.

Eric Swedin wrote, "The American Psychological Association awarded him the prestigious Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge award in 1989, citing him as a 'leading expert in psychotherapy research' and for challenging 'psychological orthodoxy to emphasize the importance of values and religion in therapy.'"

[5] Bergin also has a special place in the history of psychologists and researchers who were members of the LDS Church, who traditionally work hard to harmonize scholarship and religion and to reconcile any differences between the truths discovered in science with the truths they believe to be revealed by God.

Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change: An empirical analysis 2nd edition.

Eternal values and personal growth: A guide on your journey to spiritual, emotional, and social wellness.

"Bringing psychotherapy research to life" Wash, DC: American Psychological Assn.

"Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change" 5th & 6th editions.