I work to increase psychological well-being in individuals, marriages, families, and workforces by dealing with the global effects of stress in their situation. All change is stressful--even a looked-forward-to vacation of rest. The more work involved in making the change, the more stressful it becomes. Stress can be rated on the paper and pencil inventory developed by Dr. Thomas Holmes. He found that a person experiencing 150 points of stress in a year was under considerable stress, and needed to take immediate steps to address the problems involved. A person with over 300 points was in danger of serious illness.
Stress affects the eyes. Both eyes must focus on an object before the message can be sent to the brain by the optic nerve. Only in the back of the brain does a person “see” and learn. But, the eyes may not focus on the object; instead they may turn out, and the person may not be aware of the process.
When the brain does not receive the message due to stress, a person can’t understand what they see or read. Eyes that do not focus are the basis for many learning disabilities, and sometimes the basis for low grades in school and/or work for people who have a good mind. They may find themselves accused of not trying hard enough or of being lazy when, in fact, they are giving 200 percent with little to show for it. When a person is not fully seeing their world, depression and other mental health problems may also result, as well as conduct problems in children.
I learned of this during my internship in Washington D.C., from developmental optometrist Dr. Emil Franke. Unlike other optometrists and ophthalmologists who examine each eye separately for corrective lens, a developmental optometrist, in a visual analysis, also checks to see if both eyes are working together. If they are not, they are trained to do Visual Therapy to increase perception.
I wrote Dr. Franke for the name of someone in Pittsburgh who was also a developmental optometrist. He directed me to Dr. Merrill D. Bowan, as he knew his work from their presenting together at conferences.
Clients typically are very stressed, If I suspect their eyes might not be working together, I give them the Rutger’s drawing test, a screening tool for perceptual problems. With their permission, I then fax the test to Dr. Bowan for standardized scoring. If the score warrants, I refer them for an evaluation with Dr. Bowan.
There are some things that you need to know about the process. If I am a provider for your insurance company, with any referral I am required to give you three names within network. Dr. Bowan is the only developmental optometrist that I know, and he is not a provider for insurance companies. That means that you must self pay the cost of the session at each visit and then submit your receipt to your vision plan, if you have coverage. Some plans require that you get authorization before hand, even to go out of network. That way, they will pay something of the visit.
Dr. Bowan shares office space with Schneider & Tellin, 210 Norman Center, 1720 Washington Rd, Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15241. 412-831-5255. He is across Rt. 19 S from Village Square Mall. Dr. Bowan has office hours in the South Hills Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. To talk to Dr. Bowan personally, leave him a message on the office answering machine or on his voice mail [724-274-8315].
Check his web site www.simplybrainy.com .
I get no "kick-backs" from Dr. Bowan, just the joy of watching the miraculous changes in the lives of people of all ages that I have referred to him. I have found that when eyes can physically see, the emotional eyes can see as well, and therapy is shortened. Many times, the presenting problem bringing a person to therapy is better served by visual therapy, and therapy is terminated.
If you have no vision insurance, and are not able to afford glasses, contact Lenscrafters. They have a “Gift of Sight“ program for which you may be eligible.
[Disclaimer: Dr. Mardee Alff, Psy.D. uses the information about Dr. Bowan's work with his permission. Dr. Mardee Alff, Psy.D. is not endorsed by or affilitated with any aspect of Dr. Bowan's practice. Dr. Bowan neither endorses the materials used by Dr. Mardee Alff, Psy.D, nor the other references used by Dr.Mardee Alff, Psy.D. In the same way, Dr. Mardee Alff, Psy.D. does not endorse or have affiliation with any aspect of Dr. Bowan's practice.]
