1)What is your story?
I am a second generation Doctor of Chiropractic. My father was a Chiropractic Physician for over 50 years before retiring. I have 3 brothers that are also D.Cs. We have been checked for proper spinal alignment and healthy nervous system function literally since birth and I attribute this to my overall well being. The birthing process can be very traumatic to the newborn’s spine and dysfunction to this area can lead to a myriad of issues. I will be forever grateful to my parents for understanding this and having me checked and adjusted as needed my whole life. The passion my parents had for Chiropractic led me to my decision to become a Doctor of Chiropractic. My own 3 daughters have also been checked since birth and working with children my entire 16 years in practice and seeing the impact Chiropractic has on their livelihood and development has lead me to pursue my Specialty in Pediatric Chiropractic.
2) How did you get to where you are? (see above) How did you accomplish this?
I have a Bachelors of Science Degree in both Zoology and Biology and then completed my four additional years of Chiropractic School. What were your goals when approaching your current career? I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be a family practitioner and that I wanted to be more than a Headache and Back pain Doctor. I watched my father work with entire families from infancy to the very elderly and the impact that this work had on their health. I got to experience him working with athletes as well and how helping them maintain proper spinal alignment and joint mobility affected their level of athleticism. I learned from a very young age that Chiropractic was so much more than pain care and I have always found it fascinating. It wasn’t until my 15th year though in practice that I decided I wanted to specialize in pediatrics and pregnancy. In my opinion it is an underutilized field of care and that’s mainly because the general public and even much of the medical profession still doesn’t understand the true potential of having Chiropractic as part of their lifestyles even from the first moments of life. It’s my job to educate the public and that’s why I’ve chosen to take time out of my very busy work and home life to get an extra two years of education for this speciality.
3)What obstacles did you overcome to get where you are today?
Chiropractic is still a male dominated world so initially I had to overcome the challenge of patients thinking I wouldn’t or couldn’t be as “good” at adjusting as my Dad, brothers or any other male doc for that matter. Through hard work and dedication to my craft I have broken down those stereotypes and have a very successful practice that I am extremely proud of. Another large obstacle that still remains is the lack of understanding and appreciation for what we do as Doctors of Chiropractic. I’ve deal with being told that I am not a “real doctor”, people not realizing the extent of my education, a lack of respect at times from other persons in the medical profession and people thinking I only treat back pain and headaches. Those not always easy, I’ve chosen to rise above these things and make it a priority to take the time to educate my patients, my community, my friends and my fellow colleagues in the medical field. One can’t blame someone when it simply comes down to a lack of understanding. I’ve worked very diligently for almost 17 years now to gain the respect of everyone in my community. I am very proud of my reputation and believe that I have the respect of many persons in all fields around me. I have medical doctors, surgeons, pediatricians, occupational and physical therapists who all refer to me. I also have the pleasure of working with athletes and dancers from area high schools, colleges and many local dance studios
4) What is your greatest accomplishment so far?
I am a Lover of God, a happy wife, mother of 3 beautiful daughters, and a business owner. I view the accomplishment of being able to juggle all of these things successfully quite an achievement.
5) Who is your role model?
My mother. She taught me from little up that the only thing in life that could stop me from achieving what I wanted was me. She told me that I could do anything I put my mind too. She instilled a supremely high work ethic in everything I do and I believe all of that is why I have been able to achieve everything I have today. She always had a can do attitude and expected nothing less from her 5 children. She is an amazing woman and at 82 she is still going like the energizer bunny! She’s amazing, plain and simple!
6) What is your advice for girls?
Nothing should ever stop you from being whatever you want to do. No matter what you choose to do with your life, do with a grateful and abundant heart and you will succeed. I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband, children, work and church family. God is the center of my life and because of that all things are possible! Set your goals and go after them. Don’t expect others to do it for you. Don’t make excuses, life is too short for that. If you make a mistake, pick yourself back up, learn from it and move on! Life is too short to just have a “job”. Explore different fields, ask to spend time with different professionals, spend time with a stay at home mom. Find out what you love to do and you will never “work” a day in your life.
7) Do you have a personal mantra/favorite quote?
One of my favorite verses:
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
