inSight Out

020 Personal Perspectives on Vision Loss with Jessie Wolinsky

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with Jessie Wolinsky, a clinical mental health grad student and long-time advocate with the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Jessie shares a raw and deeply relatable account of her life with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), focusing on the pivotal moments of her adolescence when her vision loss felt like a total "rug pull" on her future. She discusses the intersection of disability and mental health, detailing her personal battle with chronic depression and the traumatic moments that eventually led her to seek the transformative power of therapy. Listeners will gain insight into the practical and emotional hurdles of adopting mobility aids. Jessie speaks candidly about her initial resistance to using a white cane, fearing the stigma and perceived vulnerability it might signal to the world. She explains how she moved past those fears to reclaim her autonomy, eventually finding that the cane didn't just help her get from point A to point B physically, but also helped her move from a place of shattered confidence to one of self-assured independence. Finally, the conversation turns toward the importance of "occupying space" and the clean burn of empathy over anger when dealing with societal ignorance. Jessie offers a powerful message of hope for anyone early in their vision loss journey, emphasizing that confidence is not an innate gift but a cultivated practice. Whether you are struggling with a new diagnosis or looking for ways to deepen your own adjustment, Jessie’s perspective provides a roadmap for living a life of design rather than one defined by external messages. Topics Covered: Retinitis pigmentosa, adolescent diagnosis, depression and vision loss, self-harm and trauma, therapy for disability adjustment, the white cane and stigma, reclaiming autonomy, situational awareness and safety, self-advocacy in public spaces, the fuel of empathy, building confidence as a muscle, pursuing a career in mental health. ABOUT THE PODCAST inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor. Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community! CONNECT WITH US Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com [https://insightoutpod.com] Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod [http://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod] Email: mailto:insightoutpod@integralmhs.com [insightoutpod@integralmhs.com] Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod [youtube.com/@insightoutpod] Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml [https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml] Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/] Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod   ©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

019 Living as a Therapist wth Low-Vision with Jon Weaver LCSW

How do you continue to hold space for others’ mental health when your own world is fundamentally changing? In this episode, Matthew Reeves sits down with Jon Weaver, an LCSW living with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), to discuss the profound emotional and psychological shifts that accompany progressive vision loss. Jon shares his personal "backstory," from noticing flashes of light in grad school to the "surreal" experience of being the youngest person in a retina specialist's waiting room. The heart of this discussion centers on the "mental load" of disability—the exhaustion that comes from hyper-focusing on symptoms and the anxiety of losing one's independence. Jon explains how he initially used "rationalization" to explain away his symptoms, such as joking that his fiancee simply had "night vision" superpowers. He provides a candid look at the grieving process, specifically the heartbreak of giving up his motorcycle and the "exposure therapy" required to accept a new way of living. Listeners will gain practical mental health tools as Jon breaks down Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through a unique lens. Whether you are a fellow clinician, someone newly diagnosed, or a long-term member of the low-vision community, Jon’s insights on "practicing what you preach" offer a grounded, hopeful roadmap for navigating the plateaus and declines of vision loss with grace. Topics Covered: Retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis, Stargardt's disease, family history of vision loss, the "mental load" of disability, anxiety and hyper-fixation, grieving the loss of driving, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) triangle, grounding techniques, adaptive gaming and hobbies, the future of AR and AI in low vision. Contact Jon at jonathanweaverlcsw@gmail.com [jonathanweaverlcsw@gmail.com] or (585) 310-4170. ABOUT THE PODCAST inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor. Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community! CONNECT WITH US Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com [https://insightoutpod.com] Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod [http://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod] Email: mailto:insightoutpod@integralmhs.com [insightoutpod@integralmhs.com] Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod [youtube.com/@insightoutpod] Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml [https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml] Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/] Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod   ©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

018 The Complexities of Caregiving with Ronda Thorington LPC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with Licensed Professional Counselor Ronda Thorington to discuss the often-overlooked emotional landscape of caregiving. Ronda shares her powerful personal journey of navigating her daughter’s rare autoimmune diagnosis and the "aha moment" at the National Institutes of Health that led her to specialize in supporting caregivers. Together, they bridge the gap between general medical complexity and the specific experiences of families living with low vision and blindness. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of "vicarious trauma"—the emotional toll of witnessing a loved one’s struggle—and how to manage the "time offset" of grief within a family. Ronda provides a compassionate framework for moving past the labels that can rob us of our humanity, emphasizing that neither the caregiver nor the care recipient should be defined solely by a diagnosis. This conversation is a masterclass in maintaining individual identity while navigating a shared disability journey. The episode also introduces practical tools from Ronda’s "Resilient Parent Toolkit," including how to set micro-boundaries and reclaim a sense of "new normal" through structure and routine. Whether you are a parent of a child with vision loss, a partner providing support, or someone living with a diagnosis who feels like a "burden," this episode offers the language and the permission to prioritize your own mental wellbeing. Topics Covered: Caregiving, vicarious trauma, chronic illness, low vision, grief cycles, identity beyond diagnosis, family communication, curiosity in relationships, medical trauma, pediatric illness, resilient parenting, self-care, invisible disability, and mental health advocacy. Reach Ronda at (860) 533-0912 or rthorington@rtparentcoach.com [rthorington@rtparentcoach.com]. Download the Resiliant Parent Toolkit: www.resilientparentconsulting.com [http://www.resilientparentconsulting.com] ABOUT THE PODCAST inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor. Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community! CONNECT WITH US Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com [https://insightoutpod.com] Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod [http://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod] Email: mailto:insightoutpod@integralmhs.com [insightoutpod@integralmhs.com] Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod [youtube.com/@insightoutpod] Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml [https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml] Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/] Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod   ©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

017 Personal Perspectives on Vision Loss with Maxwell Ivey

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with Max Ivey, an author, speaker, and entrepreneur known as the "Blind Blogger". Max shares his unique upbringing in the East Texas carnival circuit, explaining how the high-stakes environment of the midway taught him creative problem-solving and the essential discipline of "making opening" regardless of life’s challenges. We delve into his transition to the digital world, where he taught himself HTML character-by-character to launch a business brokering carnival rides, eventually finding his "zone of genius" as a motivational storyteller and accessibility advocate. Listeners will gain insight into Max’s philosophy of "honest storytelling" and why he prefers the term "individuals with disabilities" to emphasize our unique lived experiences. Max offers a candid look at the frustrations of inaccessible technology—from the early days of dial-up to the modern struggles with platform back-ends—while maintaining a grounded, "determined positivity" that avoids the pitfalls of toxic optimism. This conversation is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of finding the "upsides" in any situation. Whether you are navigating a new diagnosis or have been living with vision loss for years, Max’s perspective provides a practical roadmap for moving forward. He challenges the audience to identify one small thing they can do today to improve their mental or physical health, reminding us that success and failure are deeply personal definitions. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to build a rich, gratifying life by embracing their individual journey and the challenges that come with it. Topics Covered: Retinitis Pigmentosa, Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, carnival culture and resilience, self-taught coding and accessibility, the Blind Blogger origin story, individual versus group identity in disability, determined positivity versus toxic positivity, honest storytelling, navigating digital inaccessibility, career transitions with vision loss. Contact Max Ivey at theaccessibilityadvantage@gmail.com [theaccessibilityadvantage@gmail.com] or 979-215-1770. View his site at https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com [https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com].   ABOUT THE PODCAST inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor. Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community! CONNECT WITH US Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com [https://insightoutpod.com] Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod [http://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod] Email: mailto:insightoutpod@integralmhs.com [insightoutpod@integralmhs.com] Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod [youtube.com/@insightoutpod] Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml [https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml] Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/] Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod   ©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

016 Cooking without Looking with Debra Erickson

Cooking is one of the most fundamental activities of daily living, yet for many experiencing vision loss, the kitchen can suddenly feel like a landscape of hazards and frustrations. In this episode, Matthew Reeves speaks with Debra Erickson, a blind culinary school graduate and the visionary behind The Blind Kitchen. Debra shares her personal story of adjusting to Retinitis Pigmentosa and how a vocational rehabilitation course eventually led her to professional culinary training and a mission to help others "cook without looking". Listeners will discover a wealth of practical strategies and specialized tools designed to ensure safety and consistency in the kitchen. From "bump dots" on flat-screen microwaves to "boiler alert discs" and cut-resistant gloves, Debra explains how simple modifications can prevent burns and injuries while fostering true independence. The discussion also delves into the social aspects of food, offering tips for navigating dark restaurants and using subtle cues with dining partners to maintain dignity and connection. Beyond the technical skills, this episode addresses the emotional weight of vision loss, such as the fear of losing one's role as the family cook or the isolation of staying home to avoid "groping around" in public. Debra’s insights provide a hopeful roadmap for anyone looking to transition from a "microwave popcorn diet" to preparing nutritious, delicious meals. Whether you are a lifelong foodie or someone just trying to manage the basics, you will find encouragement in Debra's message that your contribution to the world—and the dinner table—is far from over. Topics Covered: Retinitis Pigmentosa diagnosis , culinary school as a blind student , vocational rehabilitation and meal prep , The Blind Kitchen library , browning ground meat techniques , talking thermometers , dining out with vision loss , bump dots for accessibility , safety tools like cut gloves and boiler discs , the emotional impact of losing culinary independence , entrepreneurship with a disability , and the power of asking for help. Visit The Blind Kitchen [https://theblindkitchen.com/] ABOUT THE PODCAST inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor. Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community! CONNECT WITH US Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com [https://insightoutpod.com] Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod [http://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod] Email: mailto:insightoutpod@integralmhs.com [insightoutpod@integralmhs.com] Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod [youtube.com/@insightoutpod] Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml [https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml] Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/] Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod   ©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC