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 [email protected] 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 Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod Email: mailto:[email protected] Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/ Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod   ©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC