The Foundation Fighting Blindness mental health initiative is guided by a mental health advisory council (MHAC) which includes five expert therapists (four of whom are blind or have low vision), a retinal specialist who has treated patients facing severe depression and anxiety, and a Foundation Board Member affected by vision loss who organized a local mental health support group.
Rebecca Alexander, LCSW-R, MPH, RYT* – Council Chair
Therapist, author, speaker, group fitness instructor, and disability rights advocate; affected with Usher syndrome.
Scott M. Bea, PsyD*
Scott is a Clinical Psychologist Emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic. Additionally, he is an Assistant, Professor, Emeritus of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Bea has experienced progressive vision loss as a result of retinitis pigmentosa throughout his adult life and his entire professional career.
Gary Cusick, PhD
Recently retired after providing therapy for low vision patients for decades; Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) expert and North American contact for Esme’s Umbrella (a CBS support group).
Janine Nixon*
Janine is co-founder and Chief Giving Officer of the Nixon Visions Foundation, a family foundation that targets initiatives that support education, scientific research and community enrichment. A native of Southern California, Janine is a former marketing executive in healthcare and technology who currently serves on the board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. As an individual affected by an inherited retinal disease, Janine is passionate about the value and access of mental health and wellness services for people experiencing progressive vision loss and blindness. While following her own path with inherited retinal disease, Janine is dedicated to advocating for the IRD community, supporting scientific research in the U.S. and abroad, and creating connections among people living with vision loss.
Kim Stepien, MD
University of Wisconsin; retina specialist, principal investigator for clinical trials of novel IRD therapies; one of Dr. Stepien’s greatest challenges is the mental health of her patients.
Melissa Stevenson, LMFT, MS Family Therapy
Leads a support group of low vision individuals that are members of the Foundation’s San Diego chapter.
Ann M. Wagner, PhD, LP, ABPP
Dr. Ann Wagner is a Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist. She worked for 26 years on the PTSD Clinical Team at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and has expertise in empirically supported interventions for the treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related problems. Though retired, she is professionally active as a consultant and invited guest speaker. She particularly enjoys presenting on a variety of topics related to vision loss; on Narrative-Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (N-IRT), a protocol for the treatment of nightmares she developed around 2006; and on integrating principles of Narrative Therapy and brief psychodynamic therapy. She is a fierce proponent of the importance of loving kindness and opening to core self, and likes to use the words “village moments” when two or more people sharing authentically can feel belongingness in the span of a moment. She treasures such moments.
Dr. Wagner is blind due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited eye condition known for progressive loss of peripheral and night vision. She has delivered local and national presentations for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the American Macular Degeneration Foundation on the topics of grief and loss, anxiety, depression, and resiliency related to vision loss or serving in a helper role. She welcomes curiosity and questions about RP. Dr. Wagner finds joy in spending time with her husband, her dog, her grandson and other family members. Hugs and baking for others are some of her love languages.
*Personally affected by vision loss.
