Speakers Bios

2020 SPEAKERS

Nancy Torgerson

Dr. Nancy Torgerson’s passion is to help those that struggle needlessly in school, work, sports and/or life because of visual difficulties. Those that are gifted are many times overlooked because they are able to make it by in spite of hidden visual problems. She works extensively with children and adults who have challenges in learning or vision information processing, special needs and/or brain injuries.

Alderwood Vision Therapy Center, in Lynnwood, Washington celebrated its 30th year of serving patients in the Seattle area in 2014. With an emphasis in developmental and rehabilitative optometry and vision therapy, her practice strives to live up to its motto of “Transforming Lives Through Vision”. Her team of vision therapists, patient care coordinators and doctors love the challenges that come with treating children and adults with learning related vision problems and special needs. Alderwood Vision Therapy has a satellite office in Redmond, Washington collaborating with pediatric ophthalmology.

Dr. Torgerson is a graduate of Pacific University’s College of Optometry and is a Fellow and past President of the international College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). She has been the chairman of the Washington State Board of Optometry and the Optometric Extension Program’s National Chairman of Regional Clinical Seminars. She has received numerous awards for her work, including COVD’s Presidents Award and Outstanding Young Woman in America Award and 2015 Optometrist of the Year by the Optometric Physician of Washington State. An adjunct professor at Pacific University College of Optometry, and Western Optometry School, she is a frequent lecturer and consultant to educators, rehabilitation and therapy providers, sports teams and other eye care professionals.

Jared Torgerson

Jared Torgerson has been a Vision Therapist at Alderwood Vision Therapy Center for nine years. He received COVT certification in 2013 from the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.

Jared has worked with children for 20 years, helping with childcare, teaching drums, and working as a vision therapist. Treating every patient with kindness, empathy and humor, alongside a passion for learning the inner-workings of the visual system and teaching it in easy-to-understand terms have helped him achieve great success with a broad and varied range of diagnoses and personalities.

Jared lives in Everett, Washington. He enjoys playing music, playing video games and making art.

Linda Sanet

Linda holds an A.S. degree in Art and Science from Westchester Community College and a B.A. degree in Philosophy (magna cum laude) from The New College of Hofstra University. She was awarded a Certificate of Clinical Proficiency from the State University of New York College of Optometry and Optometric Center of New York, and holds Certification as a Vision Therapist from the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. She is a past Assistant Director of the Optometric Extension Program Foundation Division of Paraoptometrics, and serves on the Journal Review Board of the journal, Optometry and Visual Performance. She has recently completed a 6-year term on the International Examination and Certification Board (IECB) of COVD.

Linda has lectured both nationally and internationally, and her publications have been translated into Italian and Spanish. For two years she served as Professor of Vision Therapy at the Centro de Optometría Internacional, in Madrid, Spain, and has worked in the Vision Therapy clinic at Domus Nova, Ravenna, Italy. She has served as a volunteer and translator for the Healthy Athletes “Opening Eyes” program of Special Olympics. She is currently a Vision Therapist at the Centro de Optometría Pilar Vergara in Albacete, Spain.

Linda has been awarded The Lora McGraw Award for Outstanding Achievement, Commitment, and Contribution to Developmental Optometry, The Jewel Young Award, and was the first recipient of the C.O.V.D. Certified Optometric Vision Therapist of the Year Award. In 2007 she was awarded the COVD President’s Award, and in 2016 BOAF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Patricia Fink

Dr. Fink is a graduate of the New England College of Optometry in Boston, MA (1995). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the McMaster University in Hamilton, ON (1991). She has been in private practice for over 24 years. Her passion in vision therapy led her to make in-office vision therapy a prominent part of her practice.

Dr. Fink’s vision therapy education includes all curriculum courses from the OEP as well as completing her FCOVD (2014). Dr. Fink is the first Canadian to be called to the OEP Board of Directors and is actively involved with international vision therapy education at ICBO, KISS, and CCVC. Dr. Fink is also one of the founders of the non-profit Canadian National Vision Therapy Group COVT&R (Canadian Optometrists in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation).

Dr. Fink offers her Vision Therapy space at no charge to host lectures to permit affordable education to more Canadian doctors. She was instrumental in acquiring the Vision Therapist Accreditation program for Canada via the Australasian College of Behavioural Optometrists. Spreading vision therapy across Canada for the benefits it provides to patients is of paramount importance to Dr. Fink.

Dr. Fink is involved in lecturing for different groups which include Eye Recommend, The Ontario Association of Optometrists, Behavioral Optometry Academy Foundation and individual Allied Health Professional Associations. Dr. Fink is also a certified coach and mentors doctors, therapists, and patients with this unique skill set.

Dr. Fink also has certifications as a Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Huna Energy, and Limbic Balance Method (emotional healing). These add depth and variety to her vision therapy treatments.

Her main directive is to enlighten practitioners, parents and educators about the benefits of vision therapy in remediating and enhancing, as well as preventing issues stemming from the visual system.