For many of those who walk through our doors, my assessment is the first time they’ve really heard about Vision Therapy. We’re not on every street corner, we’re not typically an overly loud bunch and we tend to be rather humble about the positive changes we have been making in our communities for decades. For some, this may imply falsely that the ideas, treatments and direction of our clinics are somehow dependent solely on the minds of each individual clinician. That our results are isolated, our treatments are not mainstream and our findings inherently anecdotal. This, fortunately, is far from the truth.

Thanks to the continued work of the acronyms above, the tides in this arena are starting to change.

Vision Therapy Clinics Across Canada United Together

The COVT&R (Canadian Optometrists in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation) and COVD-Canada (College of Optometrists in Vision Development – Canadian Chapter) are organizations whose directives are to coordinate, educate and build a united cohort of clinicians across our country. We meet, we share, we network, we research and we discuss how best to serve our various communities. We may be spread out, but are far from isolated.

There are literally hundreds of clinicians – growing by the week – who are members of these organizations, all in frequent communication about our services and treatments. We host hundreds of hours of continuing education across the country every year and offer resources to encourage a consistently high level of patient care from all members. If there is a case that we at Okanagan Vision Therapy would like input on, we can have responses from clinics across Canada within minutes. It truly is a beautiful and beneficial network.

As we move forward with providing care – and get a bit louder about what we do – it’s important that potential patients are made aware of this structure. While we are all free to adjust our approaches independently, we are guided by the collective knowledge and insights of these, and many other international groups.

So as we continue to move forward, shaping the landscape of Vision Therapy in Canada, prepare to hear more from us – or better yet, join us! These organizations are truly creating something that is wonderful to be a part of.

Until next month,

Paul Rollett, OD, FCOVD