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Joseph Charles Brandenburg
About
Howdy! I’m Dr. Joe Brandenburg, a licensed psychologist who specializes in autism assessment for adults, all done virtually, from the comfort of your own space. Maybe you’ve spent years wondering why things that seem easy for others take so much out of you. Maybe you’ve been told you “can’t be autistic” because you make eye contact, hold down a job, or have friends. If so, you’re in the right place. Many adults, especially those who learned to mask, were missed the first time around .I like to think of an assessment as solving a mystery together. Your history, your experiences, and the way your mind works are the clues, and my job is to put them together carefully. I take your whole story seriously, give you a clear and honest answer, and make sure you leave understanding your strengths as well as your challenges. Whatever the outcome, you’ll be heard and respected. I also believe you deserve to know exactly what to expect. Before we start, I’ll walk you through every step, how long each part takes, and what happens with the results. No surprises, no vague instructions, and breaks whenever you need them.
A little about me: I’m a true nerd at heart. I’ve rolled more dice in Dungeons & Dragons than I can count, I love many things fantasy, and I play the saxophone and enjoy lofi and jazz. When I’m not working, you’ll find me running, playing tennis, or out in nature. If you want to info-dump about your special interests, I’m here to listen.
I grew up around adults who were autistic and never knew it. That generation wasn't given the language, so they went through life labeled difficult or odd, or were simply left to struggle quietly. Support existed in theory, but it never reached them because no one connected the dots. That's what drew me to this work.
Since then, I've worked directly with autistic and neurodivergent people. What strikes me most is how often real strengths get overlooked because everyone focused on what was "wrong." I want to be the person who connects the dots. That means offering real insight, practical guidance for the parts of life where it matters, and genuine recognition of what you already do well. The adults I grew up with never got that chance. My clients will.
It starts with a simple reversal. Most people come to me knowing exactly what others think is wrong with them and very little about what's right. So that's where we begin: what you're good at, what already works, and what you know about yourself that no one bothered to ask. Challenges are part of the picture, but I treat them as mismatches to problem-solve, not defects to correct.
In practice, that means:
communicating in whatever way works best for you
never treating the ways you self-regulate as symptoms
naming your strengths specifically rather than vaguely
I'm not here to make anyone more neurotypical. I'm here to help you understand and build on who you already are. My guiding principle is to be human first and work from strengths upward.
