Living with Visual Snow – a Therapist’s Perspective with Dr. Paula Hechinger
“My approach to Visual Snow Syndrome was born from my own journey from being a depressed and isolated mother of two to becoming a resilient psychoanalyst. Today, I not only help individuals navigate VSS but also support those facing a wide range of mental health challenges, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, trauma, and more. What once felt like a limitation became the foundation of my purpose to guide others toward healing with empathy, depth, and lived understanding.” -Dr. Paula Hechinger
Join us for a special presentation with Dr. Paula Hechinger, a psychoanalyst who is living with Visual Snow Syndrome. She shares her personal journey, insights, and practical tips for managing VSS. Click here to view her personal testimony and presentation.
For a list of resources on Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), click here.
AnCan Founder Rick Davis Discovers He Has VSS in Video Support Group
Here’s an interview with AnCan founder, Rick Davis. Watch Rick talk about the moment he realized he ALSO has visual snow syndrome – AFTER the group’s formation. In Rick’s own words, “It’s crazy how these things come together!”
Davis believes he has lived with Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) since childhood, but learned to accommodate. His personal symptoms – seeing a “veil” of small dots, floaters, and light sensitivity – have given him deeper insight into the VSS support group. Davis strongly advocates for the medical community to formally recognize VSS and research a cure, while affirming AnCan’s role in providing a crucial, judgment-free virtual community where VSS sufferers realize they are not alone.
CNTV’s recent video features an interview with AnCan founder, Rick Davis. He explains that he started AnCan after his own diagnosis in 2007, after realizing inadequate support options, especially for those in remote areas. AnCan aims to eliminate barriers to entry for its various support groups, which range from cancer to chronic diseases. AnCan empowers patients to “Be your own best advocate” by providing them with the knowledge to speak confidently with their healthcare providers and offering peer-to-peer support.
AnCan Foundation, the innovator of virtual support groups, is coming to our 10th Anniversary in less than 10 months. We’ve grown – about one-third of US nonprofits fail in that time, and we have flourished. Starting with 3, or was it 4, meetings, AnCan now boasts 33 virtual monthly events for 16 different conditions. If that’s not evidence enough, annually we serve around 7,000 live; approx. 33,000 through our recordings, and we have close to a half-million who make contact with the AnCan logo somehow or other annually. That’s a lot. Watch out for our new Impact Report that’s in the works.
It’s certainly more than one person can handle. In fact, it’s more than myself, a volunteer, plus 4 contract people and an outside bookkeeper can handle. I’m not the only volunteer. I am so honored and privileged to say it’s more than around 100 volunteers can handle, and we could not manage without your efforts – much gratitude.
For some time, the executive function has been too much for me to manage alone, even with the help of our volunteer Executive Board made up right now of Bill Franklin, David Muslin and Stuart Jordan – btw, we’re looking to add to that too. We’ve been looking to hire executive help and the perfect solution has presented itself.
Some of you may be aware of the term, Fractional Executives – The Charity CFO just ran a podcast. AnCan has been fortunate enough to find one who knows us intimately. Courtesy of the USAF and subsequently, extensive consulting experience at The Mitre Corporation, our Board President, Bill Franklin, is voluntarily reducing his hours at Mitre to take on a contract position of 16-20 hours a week with lil’ ol’ AnCan.
As our Board President since August 2021, Bill knows all the ins and out, he’s seen us grow, and most significantly he’s willing to work with me! Bill’s also looking to phase out of Mitre and find new challenges as he approaches retirement. AnCan provided a great solution and we welcome him as our new Chief Operating Officer.
Bill will continue as Board President as well as assuming oversight over many of the operating and administrative duties, from finance and control to insurance, compliance and many special projects – viz. the Impact Report !?! To be honest, Bill’s been doing a lot of this informally but can now spend legitimate time a couple of days a week to help us put our ship, or maybe we should say ‘our bird’, in better order.
Personally, I am thrilled and excited. There’s no one I can think I would rather work with. I welcome him sharing this job with me, and keeping me on the straight and narrow as he has done since joining the Board many years ago. One other person to thank – another aviator, Bill’s wife Misa. If she hadn’t gotten on his case for spending many volunteer hours with AnCan, Bill wouldn’t have come up with this great solution.
Welcome aboard, Sarge… or should I say, Mr. Prez! AnCan welcomes Air Relief
Visual Snow Ask the Expert Dr. Sui Wong, April 8th, 2025
Don’t miss this special edition of the AnCan Foundation and The Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) presentation featuring the extraordinary Dr. Sui Wong! In addition to this exciting event, our regular support group meetings are now held twice a month.
Dr. Sui Wong, an award-winning neurologist (24 years experience), bestselling author, and BBC expert, generously shared her insights, answered participant questions, and provided updates on her groundbreaking research, including her pioneering work on mindfulness in neurology. Her mission is to empower people with quality brain health and well-being information, evident in her over 130 medical publications.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Sui Wong and her research.
AnCan Foundation, the innovator of virtual support groups, is coming to our 10th Anniversary in less than 10 months. We’ve grown – about one-third of US nonprofits fail in that time, and we have flourished. Starting with 3, or was it 4, meetings, AnCan now boasts 33 virtual monthly events for 16 different conditions. If that’s not evidence enough, annually we serve around 7,000 live; approx. 33,000 through our recordings, and we have close to a half-million who make contact with the AnCan logo somehow or other annually. That’s a lot. Watch out for our new Impact Report that’s in the works.