Meet the Optometrists

Catherine A. Kennedy, OD, FOVDR is a 1978 honors graduate of the New England College of Optometry and has been providing Vision Therapy services in metro Boston for over 35 years. She is a developmental and behavioral optometrist with extensive experience in learning related vision problems, 'lazy' eye, developmental delays, vision rehabilitation, and vision enhancement therapy for efficiency at work and sports.

Dr. Kennedy received training in behavioral optometry at the Gesell Institute of Human Development in New Haven. She is a Fellow of the Optometric Vision Development and Rehabilitation Association, formerly College of Optometrists in Vision Development, an organization devoted to assure the provision of quality behavioral vision care, and past member of the International Examining and Certification Board. Dr. Kennedy is an associate of the Optometric Extension Program Foundation, chairs its annual Northeast Congress of Optometry educational meeting, and leads a study group for optometrists looking to further their knowledge of Vision and Vision Therapy. She is adjunct clinical faculty of the New England College of Optometry, a member of the Sports Vision Section of the American Optometric Association and is past member of the executive board of the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists.

Dr. Kennedy has presented seminars for parents, teachers, occupational therapists, and doctors of optometry on Children's Vision, Vision and Learning, Optometric Vision Care, and Vision Therapy.

Gabrielle C. Nivar OD, MS completed her Doctorate in Optometry at The Ohio State University. As a student she was a member of the optometric honor society Beta Sigma Kappa. In conjunction with her Optometry degree, she also completed a Master’s degree in Vision Science for which she conducted a study evaluating the effects of vision problems on the eye movements associated with reading. Following graduation Dr. Nivar went on to complete a Pediatrics, Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation residency at Appelbaum Vision in Bethesda, MD in association with the Southern College of Optometry.  She is also a Case Western Reserve University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in physics.  Dr. Nivar  completed her fellowship for the Optometrists in Vision Development and Rehabilitation Association in 2025.

Dr. Nivar is passionate about helping her patients better understand their visual system as well as how vision impacts learning. She enjoys helping patients gain confidence in exploring their visual world through improving visual skills.