Hi, my name is Ariel Silberman, I am 20 years old and come from Santiago, Chile. I can't thank Dr. Getzell enough for how much he has helped me overcome my vision difficulties. 

Throughout the pandemic, I had been noticing some deficiencies in my distance sight, but thought it was nothing serious.

But, Dr. Getzell proved that I not only had this vision problem but it was affecting my body as a whole, how I walked, how I learned, how I received feedback from everything that surrounded me.

He prescribed daily glasses and another pair for driving, and visual training, both office work and homework. This has radically changed my life. 

Finally, Dr. Getzell is not only a genius, having a unique approach to this issue, but he's also a great person. He is kind, funny and patient, willing to teach you and help you throughout your journey.

I can't recommend him enough and he is worth every single penny. One of the best doctor's I have ever had in my life and definitely has been one of the doctors that has changed my life the most.

-Ariel Silberman 2021

 

 

" I have been a patient of Dr. Getzell since the summer of 1995. His first prescription for behavioral lenses changed my view of the world and made working at a computer a breeze. My typing and comprehension took a huge leap.

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I recently saw Dr. Getzell while in Chicago for a visit. I was surprised that my normal one hour examination stretched to two hours. There was a lot of discussion on how to read, how to walk and how to focus my eyes while walking.

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Once back in Florida, upon getting the new lenses, I noticed a difference immediately. After getting home I found I could read text on the TV from ten feet away for the first time – with a weaker prescription. Little did I know, I was only scratching the surface of changes to come.

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That night, I slept for twelve hours as my body began adapting and relaxing from the new RX. Five days later I began experiencing a kind of light hotheadedness and changes with my stomach. Was this muscle tension? No, the opposite. My body was undergoing profound change as the result of being able to relax both mentally and physically. My typing improved along with comprehension further still. I was informed by Dr. Getzell that my RX had changed radically and he warned me that there would be an adjustment period.

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Today marks two straight days of major shifting with my body as I adjust to the new lenses. As first happened during the examination, I was able to let go, to relax and as a result, I began seeing the world differently. As a result, I am now processing what my eyes take in marked change to before.

The lessons I have learned so far as how to walk and how to see both far away as well as up close are serving me very well. My vision has become fluid instead of static. My eyes now follow movement and flow naturally instead of staring at fixed objects.

Dr. Getzell remarked recently that the changes that are occurring normally take place as the result of vision therapy. But he said that in rare instances this can also happen with the right lenses.

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In closing, I hesitated to write this testimonial after only one week. Because I know that in the coming weeks and months, additional changes from the impact of this RX are sure to follow.

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I would strongly recommend and encourage anyone faced with the challenge of child learning disabilities including ADD looking for a non prescription cure -at the source. I would also invite anyone who works at a computer to learn of the benefits offered by the correct RX for “performance” lenses."

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-Eric Field. 2019

 

 

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"As a pediatric occupational therapist, I thought that vision therapy would help me be a better clinician, so when Dr. Getzell suggested that I could benefit from it, I signed up.  I was excited to learn strategies to help my clients, and maybe decrease my stress a bit by using his techniques.  I had no idea that vision therapy would impact me on such a personal level. It has truly been an amazing change.
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My first session was rough and I remember leaving the office emotionally and physically exhausted.  I was suddenly aware of how hard I had to work to complete "simple" exercises that children were completing in the office.  I was unaware of the visual effort that I was putting forth for daily activities, and started to realize why I was stressed out all the time.  I was pretty hard on myself, but the vision training process started to change my emotional outlook and expectations while it also changed my physical body and my vision.  It was a parallel process.  

Through the vision training process, I noticed huge changes with my peripheral vision, which translated to a calmer sense of self.  I showed changes in my balance and spatial awareness as I showed less clumsiness and more control.  I found myself organizing my thoughts better, my written work being neater on the page, and my public speaking became more fluid as I expressed my ideas with confidence.  I generally showed less anxiety and fatigue with daily routines. I started to plan and think ahead, rather than just making it through the day.   I started to see 3 dimensionally in a way that I had never experienced.  Walking outside became a new experience as I looked at the bark on the trees or the snow flurries dancing around me.     

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The training process, although challenging and sometimes surreal, helped me to become a more well rounded individual.  My eyes changed, my perception changed, my thoughts changed, and this has allowed me to be more present and experience life more fully.  (And, yes, this has made me a better clinician!) Thank you Dr. Getzell!"

 

- Kathy F.
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"It started at the end of 2012 – headaches, dizziness, no appetite, vision issues, going from being an honor roll student to struggling with regular classes and not being able to hold down a job. I saw over 20 doctors in 2013 and they all said “You look fine.” In October of 2013, I started seeing a Physical Therapist who determined that my symptoms were from go-kart racing and whiplash. At the end of 2013 I was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome and for the next 2 years I was in and out of doctor’s offices, hospitals and clinics and saw about 45 professionals. Still they all said “You look fine” and all they wanted to do is give me prescription drugs which made me even sicker.

 

I knew there was something wrong and started going crazy because nobody believed me. Then, on October 31st of 2015 I walked into Dr. Getzell’s office and finally, a doctor could explain to me why I was having all of these symptoms. It all related to my vision.

 

For the past 5 months, I have been doing vision therapy with exercises and lights (the technical term is Syntonics) and I am already seeing improvements. My brain isn’t angry anymore, I have my sense of humor back and I don’t lash out at people closest to me. On the rare occasion I have a headache or I am dizzy, it usually resolves on its own within minutes and I am not stuck in a chair for days on end like before. My life is more carefree and less planned out because I am not afraid of getting sick. My most recent improvement is overcoming my tunnel vision.  I can make out what is in my peripheral vision and actually process it without getting dizzy or sick to my stomach. My world is opening back up again!

 

Dr. Getzell doesn’t take it personal when I get tired during my therapy and a little cranky because he understands why it is happening. He has customized his programs for me because I can’t handle as much as others can yet. He always asks about my life and gives his advice to help me see the big picture and be aware of what is around me.
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Dr. Getzell’s treatment is giving me my life back. I am grateful to him and appreciate everything he has and is doing for me."

- Kenlen M.

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 Reflection on Vision Therapy 

"Vision therapy has changed me in ways that I never imagined. When Dr. Getzell finished my initial evaluation, he observed, “You have worked hard to be in the world”. I knew that he  understood me and how I function at a very fundamental and important level.

 

The significant changes began about 6 months later, when I noticed greater confidence and a distinct feeling that I could move forward in my life. My thoughts organized easily and succinctly, and confusion was significantly less. I had a sense of life flowing with ease.

 

A few months later, many more changes were evident. I felt less anxious and overwhelmed as my confidence continued to increase. Making decisions came more easily. That sense of flow increased and at times I felt like I was able to move through the world effortlessly, able to manage life events with grace, kindness and poise. As a result, I felt deep gratitude and was inspired to be of greater service to others. My ability to plan, organize and complete tasks came easily, in a way that I never experienced. Multitasking did not always come with the familiar feeling of being overwhelmed.

 

Changes in my ability to communicate are huge. I track what is being said and what I say much more easily and clearly. I have a better understanding of when to seek clarification, and knowing that the confusion in a conversation is not mostly my inability to perceive. This has given me the opportunity to observe the communication more objectively and without feeling anxious that I’m missing something. There is a strong awareness of internal communication about external events that steadies me and gives me this clarity.

 

Finding my voice and expressing myself appropriately and compassionately has given me a better sense of boundaries, and the ability to identify what are- and are not my responsibilities. This has resulted in a huge leap in letting go of what is not mine to manage and in vastly improved self-care.

 

Changes in my body have been tremendous. I became more comfortable in my body, moving with greater ease and confidence. I even began to feel graceful for the first time. This has given me the ability to know my physical limits and honor them, rather than push against them as I’ve done in past, sometimes causing injury and pain. Specific changes that I’ve noticed in my body include a decrease in neck tension, improved sleep, breathing deeper and more freely. A major shift in my pelvis and how I carry weight there resulted in more flow with movement and walking. At the time of this writing, I am aware of upper body tension being released that I never thought possible. All of these changes have allowed me to deepen and expand my practice with mindfulness and body movement forms, and to be able to spend more time with self-care. This has allowed for a greater balance in the demands of life.

 

When I hit a snag and familiar old patterns recur, I recognize this as tunnelling my vision in various ways. This might be seeking a solution no matter what I need to do to get it done, shallow breathing, clenched jaw and other parts of the body, finding fault, running late, foggy thinking, confusing communication (internal and external), fatigue, even nausea and headache. I know now that the tools that I learned in vision therapy helps me to manage and begin to think more clearly. I hang on to space, even in my mind. I go for a walk and engage my peripheral vision. I stand and breathe and do some of the pelvic shifting exercises I learned. Any of the activities that I practiced in vision therapy can help me to shift from this anxious place to one of flow, even though the issue is not resolved and still requires my attention.

 

I am very grateful for this amazing work and the wisdom and patience of Dr. Getzell and the guidance and companionship of Cortney. I no longer work so hard to be in this world!"

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-Lori Smith, 2018   

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I found Dr. Getzell through a few doctors (Atlas Orthogonal and a TMJ Dr.). I had been working with to treat my vestibular migraines

and Meniere"s disease.  My symptoms were nausea, headaches, vertigo, and I had a hard time concentrating for long periods of time on my computer which was a big part of my job.

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What we discovered through my first evaluation with Dr. Getzell  was that I exhibited tunneling and fragmenting. (Tunneling is centering on an object and not paying attention to surroundings. E.g., panic attacks in busy environments, missing things in the environment, walking into people alongside self, or going off on tangents in conversations. Fragmenting is reading slowly or one or two words at a time.)         

 

After a series of tests, with my wife present there to observe, Dr. Getzell recommended performance lenses which had changed my fluidity in writing and walking.

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After having my prescription filled for the glasses. I then wore the prescribed glasses for 6-8 weeks and could sense the difference. On my walks with my wife or drives in the car, I could now see much more of everything around me and I felt more comfortable in my stride.  The fluidity carried into my story telling, previously I would go off on tangents. I was now staying on track.

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The headaches I had experienced from driving and on the computer went away, along with the feeling of nausea. I have not had a vertigo episode in six months which is fantastic and feel much healthier.

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I am a firm believer that this experience can be life changing for everyone as it was for me.

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Thank you, Dr. Getzell.

 

Mike Bleuher

September 30, 2022

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