About

Matthew is the owner of Lunsford Behavioral Consulting & Yoga and he is licensed in Virginia as a behavior analyst, supervisee in clinical social work, and special education, history/social sciences, and English teacher. He holds board certifications in behavior analysis and special education in addition to certifications as a yoga therapist (C-IAYT), advanced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), children's yoga teacher (RCYT), and Assistive Technology Professional (ATP).  Matthew holds an MSW in clinical social work from the University of Kentucky, an M.Ed. in special education from the University of Mary Washington, and an MS in psychology focusing on developmental neurobiology and forensic psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. Matthew is currently working towards full LCSW licensure and his Doctor of Social Work in clinical social work. He specializes in anxiety disorders, phobias, neurodivergence, OCD, pediatric and adult gender dysphoria, intellectual disability, adjustment to disability, and trauma. He has lived experience with cerebral palsy, neurodivergence, legal blindness, and mild hearing loss. His primary research interests are neurodivergent culture and representation of disability in media.

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Matthew's approach to treatment is multifaceted and holistic. He draws primarily from behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), but also psychodynamic therapy and yoga therapy principles such as meditation and breath work depending on the individual case. Furthermore, he places an emphasis on understanding the "why" behind behavior and will provide psychoeducation on subjects such as biopsychology and case conceptualizations from different schools of psychology to assist you in understanding how you got where you are and what's needed to move forward. 

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Matthew enjoys giving back to the community and offers supervision to individuals seeking board certification in behavior analysis at the BCaBA and BCBA levels to individuals that are interested in mental health applications of behavior analysis. He is also willing to supervise individuals in BSW and MSW practicums. Matthew is especially passionate about offering supervision to future clinicians with disabilities. In addition, he is  a volunteer with the GALAP Project and currently sits on the DEIA committee for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) where he advises  on matters related to disability, neurodivergence, mental health, and statistics as they relate to increasing the accessibility of yoga therapy itself and the education of future yoga therapists.​ Additionally, Matthew teaches a free weekly accessible yoga class for the ARC of North Central Virginia via Zoom as well as serving as the current Director of Special Education Learning and Development for the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). 

Matthew has  appeared as a guest on the Autism Roundtable Podcast where he spoke about growing up with multiple disabilities and his thoughts on how to best help individuals with disabilities live as fulfilling a life as possible (episode release pending). He has also been interviewed on the My BCBA Life podcast where he spoke about the importance of understanding neurobiology to have a comprehensive understanding of behavior and gave a brief lecture on neuroanatomy.

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