Barbara received her degree as an anaplastologist-ocularist in 1980, through a specialized program created jointly between Stanford University Medical Center and the State of California. Through this program, she received advanced training in creating facial and body prosthetics. Prior to this, she was fortunate to have apprenticed with her father, Walter Spohn, who was director of the program at Stanford, and previous director of the Anaplastology/Eye Clinic at the San Francisco VA Hospital.
Through years of training and experience, Barbara has developed the skill to create artificial eyes and silicone prostheses that produce a natural and realistic appearance. She is Board Certified and a charter member of the American Anaplastology Association, which is an international organization that keeps its members informed of the most current innovations in the field, and provides opportunities for continuing education. She has served on their board, and as president, and continues to be actively involved.
Barbara has also had unique opportunities to help those less fortunate by making her services available through charitable organizations within the Rocky Mountain Region, and through medical mission trips around the world.
Prosthetic Illusions' goal is to re-create a more normal appearance that allows patients to feel at ease with their physical differences, so that when they walk into a room, people listen to what they say, and are not distracted by how they appear.