Sarah Bergenfield
Making Sense of How We Experience the World
Exploring autism, uncertainty, emotion, and the different ways our brains and bodies make sense of experience.
Our brains and bodies are constantly trying to make sense of what is happening, anticipate what comes next, and respond to a world that is often uncertain and unpredictable.
My work explores why people experience that world so differently, and how neurodevelopment, sensory experience, emotion, relationships, and our histories shape what we perceive, feel, and do.
Drawing from autism research, neuroscience, predictive processing, Internal Family Systems, and embodied experience, I translate complex ideas into practical ways of understanding ourselves and one another.
I bring this perspective to my work as an author, educator, consultant, and practitioner.
Consulting, Training & Speaking
I work with clinicians, organizations, and other professionals who want to understand autism and neurodivergence beyond diagnostic criteria and descriptions of behavior.
My trainings explore the processes beneath behavior: how differences in prediction, uncertainty, sensory processing, arousal, emotion, and communication can shape an autistic person's experience of the world.
I offer professional trainings, workshops, organizational consultation, case consultation, and speaking engagements in the United States and internationally.
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Autism in Legal & Forensic Contexts
Autistic behavior and communication can be easily misunderstood in legal settings. Distress may be interpreted as evasiveness. Compliance may be mistaken for agreement. Literal communication, uncertainty, masking, and attempts to resolve ambiguity can take on meanings that were never intended.
I provide autism-informed consultation and subject-matter expertise to attorneys and other legal professionals, helping them understand how neurodevelopmental differences may affect behavior, communication, and decision-making in high-stakes situations.
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Individual Work
I continue to work with a limited number of individuals who want to better understand their own experience.
Our work may include autism and neurodivergence, emotional and sensory experience, relationships, identity, life transitions, or recurring patterns that have been difficult to understand or change.
I draw from neuroscience, predictive processing, Internal Family Systems, sensory and somatic awareness, and reflective inquiry. Rather than beginning with the question What's wrong?, I am much more interested in asking What makes this response make sense?
Wired to Feel
A new way of understanding autism
Co-written with Martha Sweezy, Wired to Feel brings together neuroscience, Internal Family Systems, and lived autistic experience to explore why emotions can feel so intense, confusing, or difficult to regulate, and what becomes possible when we understand the processes beneath them.
My Approach
I am an educator, consultant, author, and lifelong student of what it means to be human. My work draws from neuroscience, predictive processing, Internal Family Systems, neurodevelopmental research, contemplative traditions, and experience. I believe a common thread connects these perspectives: a deep curiosity about how we make sense of ourselves and our world.
I also believe that understanding is transformative. When we begin to see our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships in a new light, we create the possibility for greater compassion, connection, and choice. Whether exploring autism, parts of the self, emotional experience, or life's larger questions, my work is grounded in the belief that curiosity is a more powerful catalyst for change than judgment.
My approach integrates psychoeducation, reflective inquiry, and deep self-exploration. Together, we make sense of patterns, honor complexity, and create space for new possibilities to emerge. The goal is not to become someone different, but to develop a deeper relationship with who you already are.
Co-author of Wired to Feel
#1 New Release in Neuropsychology
