For senior vision therapist Brian Delfosse, January marks 20 years of service here at The Vision Therapy Center. In honor of his anniversary, we asked him to talk about his experience as a vision therapist.

Can you explain what you do as a vision therapist?

Each patient has an initial examination with one of the optometrists to see if vision therapy is needed. If it is, I work directly with the patient to help teach and guide them through exercises that the doctor and I determine will best address their specific vision needs. It can be an ever-changing process dependent on how the patient responds to treatment. 

What has been the most rewarding part of working at TVTC for 20 years?

Over the course of therapy, patients go from being absolutely frustrated to being ecstatic about the new life they have. Seeing them flourish after having struggled so much with their functional vision problems is really rewarding.

What has surprised you the most about your experience with vision therapy?

I’m not so much surprised, but I am continually struck by just how effective vision therapy is. So many parents and adult patients begin the process with some skepticism, and by the end they’re amazed at the transformation.

What advice would you give to patients (or parents of patients) who are about to begin vision therapy? 

Trust in the process and stick with it. You may want to give up when things get tough, and it may seem like you're not getting anywhere at times. But when you just keep at it, the outcome will be so worth it. 

What life lessons have you learned from your experience as a vision therapist? 

You never know what you’re capable of until you try. That's true for my patients, and it's true for me as well. I used to think I was meant to work with kids only, and then I started working with adults and loved it. I thought I wasn’t cut out to work with Special Olympics athletes, and now it’s one of my favorite things to do thanks to the Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes program.

I’ve also come to appreciate how much my patients help me—it’s not a one-way street. I never expected I’d be doing this for 20 years, but now I can’t imagine doing anything else.