The Rooted DC- Reclaim Your Legitimacy

There was no box for us. On a survey from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches, every health profession had a checkbox except mine. I clicked “other,” typed in Doctor of Chiropractic, and couldn’t stop thinking about what that tiny moment says about where we stand as a profession. We survived a medical establishment that formed a committee to destroy us. We won Wilk v. AMA. And we sti...

This episode unpacks the identity crisis many chiropractors face: feeling squeezed between Western medicine’s expectations and the original chiropractic philosophy. Dr. Alex draws parallels between Indigenous cultural revitalization and chiropractic’s need to reclaim its unique voice—rather than trying to mimic medicine for legitimacy. She explores how bureaucracy, insurance systems, and professio...

Dr. Alex digs into a core problem many chiropractors face: a fractured professional identity built reactively in response to critics, insurance systems, and contextually charged and confusing (but not lacking merit) language like “subluxation.” Using personal stories—from her son’s toe injury to building and losing a clinic—she contrasts reactive identity (shaped by outside pressure and fear) with...

This episode challenges chiropractors to let go of the need for external validation—particularly Western medicine’s version of ‘evidence’—and to reclaim their original purpose: supporting the body's ability to heal. Dr. Alex draws on her PhD work in the humanities and research methods to critique the gold-standard obsession, explain qualitative versus quantitative approaches, and highlight creativ...

Dr. Alex explores why chiropractors often turn on each other—rooted in long-standing identity wounds, scarcity mindsets, and external skepticism. She connects personal stories (including a chaotic early-career job in Alaska) with current institutional stressors—school closures, accreditation shifts, and merger news—that threaten the profession. Drawing on her academic work in positive psychology,...

We learned the iceberg in chiropractic school as a way to picture the nervous system: symptoms above the surface, root cause below. What most of us were never told is that the model didn't start there. It started in organizational change theory, and it maps almost exactly onto why our practices keep circling back to the same problems no matter how many times we try to fix them. In this solo episod...

A chiropractor I've never met posted on Facebook this week: she's done. Not looking for how to fall back in love with the profession — just how to leave it. Over two hundred comments later, it was clear she isn't alone. This episode is about what that post cracked open in me, and what I believe we actually have to do if we want our profession to stop losing good people to burnout. What you'll hear...

How you price your practice is not a business decision. It's a worth decision. Most chiropractors don't see it that way — and that's exactly the problem. We dress up our scarcity in generosity. We call it patient-centered. We call it accessible. But underneath the frustrations with insurance, fears around charging cash, big care plans or heavily discounted rates is programming our whole profession...

There's a chiropractor in a parking lot hut in Maui who told a second-year chiropractic student to get out. She wrote him off at the time. Twenty years later, she understands exactly what he meant. This is the first episode of a new season — and a new focus. Dr. Alex is done talking around the elephant: chiropractors are carrying a legitimacy wound that has shaped how we build our practices, set o...

You passed the boards. You opened the practice. You adopted the “fake it till you make it” approach to practice everyone told you to do in school. You did everything right. And still — there’s this voice that follows you everywhere. It says you’re not quite legitimate. You have to prove something. That you have to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously. That you’re a third rate doctor wh...

In the concluding episode of the first season, Dr. Alex Swenson Ridley delves into the concept of the 'practice beneath the practice.' She reflects on her personal challenges of overcoming hustle culture and the associated anxiety, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's business practices with personal values for true fulfillment. Highlighting the transformation needed for personal and profe...

In this episode of the Rooted Health Practice Podcast, Dr. Alex Swenson Ridley explores the complex interplay between organizational legitimacy and identity within healthcare practices. She delves into how practitioners often face the dilemma of conforming to societal norms to appear legitimate while striving to maintain personal and organizational values. Highlighting her experiences as a chiropr...

IIn this episode, Dr. Alex explores how your relationship with yourself, your team, and your patients directly impacts your energy, leadership, and sustainability as a practice owner. What You’ll Learn: Why over-responsibility leads to burnout How boundaries shape sustainable leadership The difference between caring and losing yourself in the process How your internal patterns show up in external...

Dr. Alex Swenson-Ridley delves into the often unacknowledged struggles faced by healthcare professionals who venture into entrepreneurship. This episode sheds light on the contradiction of seeking to help others while feeling constrained by the business models inherited from previous mentors. The discussion revolves around the concept of 'reinventing the wheel' in healthcare, promoting creativity...

In this episode of the Rooted Health Practice Podcast, Dr. Alex Swenson Ridley explores the concept of self-worth and the challenges it presents in business ownership. She delves into the idea of the 'upper limit problem' from Gaye Hendricks' book 'The Big Leap,' discussing four fundamental fears that often inhibit our growth and success. These fears include feeling fundamentally flawed, being a b...

In this episode of the Rooted Health Practice Podcast, Dr. Alex Swenson Ridley shares her compelling journey from an unexpected pregnancy and a tumultuous job in Alaska to opening her own chiropractic practice. Despite facing significant challenges, including a chaotic and traumatic work environment and a high-stress pregnancy, she persevered to build a successful business. This story underscores...

In this episode, Dr. Alex Swenson Ridley delves into the complexities of leadership for healthcare entrepreneurs. Exploring insights from the book 'The Six Types of Working Genius,' she highlights the importance of aligning work roles with personal strengths to prevent burnout. Dr. Alex shares her personal journey of discovering her creative strengths, emphasizing the significance of understanding...

What happens when you do everything “right”—and still burn out? In this first full episode of The Rooted Practice Podcast , Dr. Alex Swenson-Ridley introduces the core idea behind the show: the practice beneath the practice —the internal foundation that shapes how we lead, work, and sustain ourselves, often without being named or supported. This episode explores why so many capable, committed prac...

What happens when success no longer feels sustainable? The Rooted Practice Podcast is a space for practice owners and purpose-driven leaders who are successful on the outside—but quietly exhausted, disconnected, or questioning the way they’ve been taught to lead. In this short trailer episode, host Dr. Alex Swenson-Ridley introduces the core idea behind the show: the practice beneath the practice...

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the show! In this first episode of 2025, I shared my personal journey of overcoming burnout, a topic I've discussed extensively on this podcast. After celebrating my 40th birthday and spending quality time with my family, I felt it was important to revisit this subject, especially as I've recently reached the other side of burnout after a six-year struggle. I ou...

In this episode, we welcome Catherine Brooks, a professor emeritus from the University of Fairbanks, Alaska, and author of the new book "Sirens." Dr. Alex and Catherine discuss her journey of writing the book, reflecting on how it has served as a healing process and a way to follow her heart. Catherine shares insights about the challenges of finding time to write and the importance of carving out...

In this episode of the podcast, host Dr. Alex welcomes Sanja Ralevic, a mental resilience mentor and advocate for emotional intelligence and resilience in the corporate world. Sonja shares her unique perspective on navigating the complexities of business while emphasizing the importance of emotional self-regulation and intelligent personal energy management for sustainable success. They discuss th...

In this episode, we reflect on the theme of gratitude following Thanksgiving in the U.S. Dr. Alex shares personal insights about the varying perspectives on gratitude, particularly from her step-sons aged 19 to 22, who seem to approach the concept with skepticism. She emphasizes the tendency for gratitude to become superficial, often reduced to mere phrases without genuine emotional connection. Dr...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of welcoming my dear friend Paulina Równy, a burnout coach originally from Poland, now living in Edinburgh. We shared our personal journeys of healing and self-discovery, particularly focusing on the theme of rewriting our stories of worthiness. Paulina opened up about her experience with burnout in the corporate world and how she took a year off to reflect and...

In this episode, I share some exciting personal updates and invite you to reflect on your own life changes. After starting a master's program in positive psychology and reactivating my chiropractic license, I’m thrilled to return to practice part-time. This journey has been transformative, especially after experiencing burnout in my previous decade of practice. As I navigate these changes, I’ve de...