Dr. Shelley Rachal (nee Clark) is a Neuro-Optometrist who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of functional vision disorders. After achieving her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin, she went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston College of Optometry.
Her passion for vision therapy inspired her to complete the intensive one-year Irwin B. Suchoff Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation residency at the State University of New York College of Optometry, where she gained experience in the treatment and management of a variety of functional vision disorders including acquired brain injury, strabismus (crossed-eye), amblyopia (lazy eye), learning-related vision problems, and difficulties with visual-perceptual processing.
Throughout her education, Dr. Rachal has received multiple honors and awards including FERV Reber Scholarship recipient, Beta Sigma Kappa honor society member, UHCO General Scholarship Award, and Clinical Letter of Excellence recipient. She is a member of the College of Optometrist in Vision Development (COVD), Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA), American Optometric Association (AOA), and the Colorado Optometric Association (COA).
Dr. Rachal believes in quality patient care, which to her means that each patient should be treated as an individual with a treatment plan customized to his or her concerns and needs. It is important to her that her patients feel heard, comfortable to ask questions, understand their diagnoses, and are an active part of their treatment plan.
Dr. Rachal has been told by patients that she has a friendly and professional demeanor, completes thorough evaluations, and that she explains conditions in a way that is easy to understand.
In her free time, Dr. Rachal loves exploring Colorado’s beauty with her husband, whether it be snowshoeing, snowboarding, skiing, or camping. She also loves to cook, travel, and go to music and comedy shows.
She is excited to add a dog to her family in the near future, as she absolutely adores animals!