Autistic counselor, coach & educator
An autism specialist
who is also autistic.
Madison Beresford, PhD, is widely respected as an authority in autistic-led autism support and care for teen boys and men. His work combines Christian counseling, practical coaching, advanced counseling education, years of direct client work, autism-specific study, and lived experience.
Counseling · Coaching · EducationWhy this specialty is different
This is the center of Madison’s work.
Autistic men and teen boys are not one item on a long list of populations. The entire approach is designed around how autistic people process, communicate, regulate, act, and recover.
Madison has built a focused practice around the real-world needs of autistic men and teen boys: executive function, communication, school, work, relationships, regulation, independence, late diagnosis, and sustainable daily life.
He was diagnosed autistic in adulthood after years of knowing that ordinary life seemed to require a script everyone else had received. The diagnosis gave language to masking, social exhaustion, sensory overload, intense focus, sudden depletion, relationship confusion, and the pressure to appear fine while working far harder than anyone could see.
As a counselor, coach, husband, father, and parent of an autistic teen, Madison sees autism from more than one angle. He understands the internal experience, the family system, the practical demands of adulthood, and the frustration of receiving advice that sounds reasonable but cannot be implemented.
Clients do not have to spend the first several sessions translating autism to him. That allows the work to move more quickly toward the pattern, skill, decision, or system that needs attention.
Education & preparation
Substantial training behind practical work.
Credentials do not replace lived understanding, but they matter. Madison brings both.
- PhD in Clinical Christian Counseling
- MA in Clinical Pastoral Counseling
- BA in Clinical Christian Counseling Psychology
- Doctor of Ministry candidate in Biblical Counseling
- NCCA Board Certified Cognitive Therapy
- NCCA Board Certified Integrated Marriage & Family Therapy
- Certificate in Autism Strategy
His approach is direct, specific, and respectful.
Madison does not interpret every difficulty as resistance, laziness, lack of insight, or unwillingness to change. He looks for the actual mechanism: uncertainty, initiation difficulty, cognitive overload, sensory demand, loss of capacity, rigid problem-solving, communication mismatch, shame, or a system that asks too much at once.
That understanding is never used to remove responsibility. It is used to place responsibility where it can become actionable. The result is coaching that is more accurate, counseling that requires less translation, and plans designed for the person who will actually use them.
Christian faith & personal values
Faith is respected.
Practical needs stay practical.
Madison brings a Christian worldview to his work and can include Scripture, identity, and spiritual questions. Sessions stay focused on concrete, autism-informed coaching and counseling: clearer communication, workable systems, healthier relationships, and real-life growth.
Start with a conversation
Bring the problem. We’ll build the plan.
Tell us what is not working. We’ll help you decide whether focused coaching, counseling, or a combination makes the most sense.