Mental Health Resource Center

Mental Health Advisory Council

The Foundation Fighting Blindness mental health initiative is guided by a mental health advisory council (MHAC) which includes five expert therapists (three 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

    Rebecca Alexander, LCSW-R, MPH, RYT

    Mental Health Advisory Council Chair

    Rebecca Alexander, LCSW-R, MPH, is an award-winning author, psychotherapist, keynote speaker, and disability advocate. Trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)...

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  • Scott M. Bea, PsyD

    Scott M. Bea, PsyD

    Mental Health Advisory Council Member

    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...

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  • Gary Cusick, PhD

    Gary Cusick, PhD

    Mental Health Advisory Council Member

    Gary is a recently retired licensed psychologist committed to supporting individuals with Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) and their caregivers. Motivated by the limited resources available in the ...

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  • Janine Nixon

    Janine Nixon

    Mental Health Advisory Council Member

    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. ...

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  • Kim Stepien, MD

    Kim Stepien, MD

    Mental Health Advisory Council Member

    Kim is a clinical scientist with research interests in inherited retinal degenerations and use of novel high-resolution retinal imaging to characterize the earliest retinal changes associated wi...

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  • Melissa Stevenson, LMFT, MS

    Melissa Stevenson, LMFT, MS

    Mental Health Advisory Council Member

    Melissa brings over 18 years of experience supporting individuals and couples through both short-term challenges and long-term healing. Known for her integrative approach that honors the mind, b...

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  • Ann M. Wagner, PhD, LP, ABPP

    Ann M. Wagner, PhD, LP, ABPP

    Mental Health Advisory Council Member

    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 ...

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