From Clinical Care to Tech Innovation: Behavioral Science and Compassionate Change with Dr. Allison Grupski

In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, we sit down with Dr. Allison Grupski, a clinical health psychologist and former VP of Behavioral Science at WeightWatchers, to explore what it really takes to support healthy behavior change at scale.

Allison shares her journey from providing direct care to over 3,000 clients to leading digital and coach-led interventions that have impacted millions. With deep empathy and scientific precision, she unpacks the messy realities of eating behaviors, weight stigma, and the myth of motivation—and explains why some of the most powerful behavior change tools are surprisingly human.

We also dive into how behavioral scientists can stay relevant in an AI-driven world, and how Allison’s clinical lens helped ground product decisions in real-life complexity, not just data.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How clinical insights translate to scalable digital interventions
• What product teams often get wrong about motivation
• Why weight stigma still shows up in digital health—and how to avoid it
• The power of modeling nonjudgmental language in product copy and coaching
• What happens when behavioral scientists are not in the room
• Why planning is powerful—but not a cure-all
• How to cultivate empathy for users and cross-functional teammates

Featured Guest: Dr. Allison Grupski

Allison is a clinical psychologist and behavioral science leader with expertise in eating behavior, exercise, and mental health. She’s a fierce advocate for reducing weight stigma and helping people build healthier relationships with food, movement, and themselves. She's also a certified group fitness instructor and avid baseball fan—having visited nearly every major league stadium!

Connect with Allison
Instagram: @allison_g_phd