Private Vision Improvement Lessons

• Information on Private Appointments with Elizabeth Abraham
• Information on Private Appointments with Rosemary Gaddum Gordon

Private Lessons with Elizabeth Abraham

Elizabeth Abraham   (Read Bio)
Vision Education Centre
339 Bloor Street W. #215
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1W7
(416) 599-9202
elizabeth@visioneducators.com

Private lessons are individually designed to suit your needs. During the course of the one-on-one 90 minute lessons, we explore your vision history and goals, discover how you are using your eyes in various situations, and what you need in order to right the imbalance in your visual system.

I am a teacher, not an eye doctor. I do not look into the back of your eyes, diagnose, or prescribe glasses. My aim is to help you understand how the way you are currently using your eyes might be contributing to your vision difficulties, and to teach you healthy, relaxed vision habits that can enable you to see more comfortably and clearly no matter what your vision condition.

What happens in the lessons?

My approach to vision improvement is based on the work of Dr William Bates, who found that healthy vision is relaxed, dynamic and vibrant, and that eyes that see clearly move freely and are connected to a curious, interested mind.

Habits of strain in the eyes and mind are unconscious and often deeply engrained. My role as a teacher is to help you see your current habits and to support you while you learn to use your eyes in a dynamically relaxed way during all your waking hours.

As well as the Bates Method, I find other modalities helpful depending on the particular needs of the student.

Perhaps your eyestrain or blurry vision is related to neck tension or tightness in other parts of your body. In this case I might help you relax with some gentle bodywork and exercises, or teach you some acupressure techniques you can do for yourself.

The mind plays a huge role in vision and needs to be receptive in order for vision to be clear. Anxiety and stressful thoughts play havoc with the body by upsetting the chemical balance and disturbing natural functioning. As part of your journey toward clear vision we might need to find ways to calm and centre your mind/body. I teach a process called Focusing (www.focusing.org), which helps facilitate the mind/body connection. I also teach The Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com) to help release stressful thoughts that might be interfering with clarity in your vision and in your life.

How many lessons will I need?

It takes time to discover what works for you, then dedication to continue to put into practice what you have learned. During private lessons we explore all aspects of vision improvement and discover where you need to focus in order to help you improve your vision. Then I support you in your process. Since each person is unique, it is not possible to know in advance how long the process will take.

Private lessons and/or group classes

Many people prefer the privacy and flexibility of individual lessons, and others learn best when they can share experiences with classmates. Whether you decide on private lessons or group classes or workshops will depend on your schedule, your finances, and on your own learning style. Please click here for the Events and Workshops page of this website.

Lessons for children are for 60 minutes. They learn through games and activities, and do well one-on-one. I also work with the parents and teach them how to encourage their children in good vision habits that will serve them for a lifetime.

Private Lessons with Rosemary Gaddum Gordon

Rosemary Gaddum Gordon, DBO, MA   (Read Bio)
Lightwater
43 Mast Cove Road
Eliot, Maine USA 03903
(207) 439-9821

And at:
Cambridge Health Associates
335 Broadway
Cambridge Massachusetts 02139
(617) 354-8360
rosemary@visioneducators.com
cambridgehealthassociates.com

My vision improvement work is firmly rooted in the fundamental premise of the Bates Method - good vision is relaxed vision. When the eyes are relaxed they move freely and easily and see more clearly.

The first lesson is usually one and a half hours long. We will explore the history of your vision and evaluate how you are using your eyes. I will propose a plan and teach you some techniques helpful to your particular vision issues. My aim is for you to leave with a sense of this work and how it might be relevant to you and your goals.

I am not a doctor. I do not look in the back of your eyes, diagnose illnesses or prescribe glasses. I am interested in how you use your eyes, your mind and your body in your usual visual activities and what stressful habits you have adopted that are impacting your vision. If you decide to pursue Holistic Vision Improvement, the subsequent sessions are generally ninety minutes long. All children's lessons are one hour long. The number of sessions you may need will depend on your goals and other factors which we can discuss.

I find that other techniques are extremely beneficial in accelerating the process of recovering good eyesight. The four that I use most frequently are: CranioSacral Therapy(1) to bring more space to the body, especially the head and spine; Acupressure to allow the Chi to move more freely through the meridians and bring direct relief to the eyes from strain and fatigue; Self Regulation Therapy(2) as a way to relieve stress; Focusing(3) to dialogue with the body and explore more of the content behind the stress. During other lessons we may review your office furniture and its arrangement or walk outside to optimize and incorporate your new visual habits. The aim of the lesson is always the same: clearer, more comfortable vision.

Seeing from the Core(4) is another integral aspect of my approach. What I've noticed is that people's bodies change as they effort to see. It appears as a coming forwards, as if they are reaching out with their eyes. Sometimes they actually lean forward with the whole body, or they reach out with their chins; sometimes the body change seems to be on a more energetic level, as if there is energy coming out through the eyes. As people learn to relax this no longer happens. Eyes that are comfortable and not straining appear to sit easily in the head. They appear more settled, more alive and connected to something deeper inside. This is Seeing from the Core and helps you gain the felt sense of relaxed, clear vision so you can better integrate it into your daily life.

1. www.upledger.com
2. Self Regulation Therapy
3. www.focusing.org
4. The Reptilian Brain, Dissociation and Seeing from the Core by Rosemary Gaddum Gordon.

Self Regulation Therapy

What is Self Regulation Therapy?
SRT is a compassionate approach to dealing with trauma. Many of us experience traumas and injuries that leave an imprint on our bodies and nervous systems. This has an enormous impact on how we live our lives. Our natural response to danger is to run away or fight. If the danger is overwhelming, we freeze. This is trauma. If the excess, protective energy that was generated in the nervous system remains frozen, it can lead to chronic, painful physical and emotional patterns. SRT helps your nervous system and body release the imprint left by the trauma, allowing you to recover both physically and emotionally.
 
SRT has its roots in the fields of neurobiology and psychophysiology. The imprints of trauma are only resolved when we feel safe enough. In this work we begin developing this safety by finding the memories and /or sensations in the body that help you feel secure. We call these your 'resources'. Once your resources are established, we can work with the symptoms and areas of concern in your life. By connecting resources with what is troubled, the body naturally goes into a state of 'discharge', thus restoring your system to health and balance.

Benefits of Self Regulation Therapy

Physical and Emotional Symptoms:
• Unexplained fears, anxiety, panic attacks or phobias
• Physical pain and tension
• Feeling overwhelmed in the face of stress
• Depression and helplessness
• Headaches, Migraines, Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, back and neck pain
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Difficulty sleeping
• Extreme sensitivity to light and sound
• Shyness and confidence issues

Relationship and Behavioral Symptoms:
• Trouble with commitment and unsuccessful relationships
• A feeling of not being safe
• Difficulty with bonding and feeling loved and nurtured
• Not experiencing a sense of joy in life
• Being very wound up and unable to relax

What to Expect from Your First Session
Because SRT is a gentle approach to healing trauma, you can expect to feel a sense of control and a general sense of well-being at the end of a session. During the session you may experience a discharge of excess energy in the nervous system through heat, tingling or trembling. As SRT helps to bring balance to the nervous system, you can expect to feel more alive, and more able to manage the unavoidable stress in daily life.

How Many Sessions Will It Take?
It is likely that you will begin to feel better after a few sessions. It is important to talk with your therapist about your goals, both short and long term, so that your progress can be assessed and an endpoint be established. Typically, both improvement of symptoms and completion of treatment are attained in significantly less time than conventional therapies.

For more information, please go to www.cftre.com .