VT Works

When Dr. Bob Sanet refers to a concept as “huge” in his model of vision, it’s usually a good idea to sit up and pay attention; at least that has been my experience. OK, wait, that is not right. My reality is more along the lines of “what did he just say?” as my brain works overtime to grasp both the gravity and the altitude of the high level concept he is discussing. And just so you know, that smoke you smell is likely originating between my ears.

As mentioned in a previous post, my path through the Vision Therapy world has led me back to San Diego. Back to the city where both my kids were born. Back to the city I called home for close to six years. Back to sit and listen for three days to the man who, more than any other doctor I have met, has single-handedly molded, modeled, and templated the very way I understand and deliver Vision Therapy. His passion for his craft and his awareness of the potential impact he has on others is nothing short of infectious and inspiring. You may not write down everything he says, you may not be able to implement all of his suggestions, and you may not even understand every concept he discusses; but there is one fact that remains undeniable about his message and his energy – when it comes to understanding Vision Therapy, he is a tour de force.

In a word, day one of his five part seminar series delivered. For me, the most powerful moment was near the end of the day, in discussing Skeffington’s circles. I’ve heard, and even been engaged in, several discussions about this model of vision and how we can “use” it to better understand how skills are intertwined. I’ve heard of the mismatch between our body awareness and object awareness. I’ve heard of the need for good accommodation so we can better identify objects in our world. I’ve even (full credit to Dr. Sanet for teaching this to me years ago), learned about the value in helping patients to volumize their visual space as a tool in understanding how to utilize their peripheral awareness and organizing their visual spatial world. This one simple concept has truly been such a game changer for me in the VT room; more on that in a separate post. Truly though, I’ve never considered the Skeffington Circles as anything more than a visual model. Could they be an existential model? Could they be a model for relationships and connection? If they are a model for vision, and vision is the driving force in our lives, why not? This is a level of thinking Dr. Bob Sanet brings to the table and challenges his audience to consider, and as usual, I walked away from day one full of fascination and wonder. It has been a long day and my brain is overloaded and tired, but the excitement for day two is already building.

One hundred years from now, doctors and therapists will likely sit in a lecture hall discussing the theories and ideas of the legendary Dr. Bob Sanet, probably with the same reverence, adoration, and admiration he displays when discussing Skeffington, Schrock, and Wachs. I’m fairly convinced this will happen.

Wait, that’s not right, either.

People already do.