Why I started My Family Chiro

For many years, while practising in South Africa, I practised chiropractic in the way I had been taught. It was the approach I knew, the philosophy I had been trained in, and at the time, it felt like chiropractic to me.

​

Then I moved to Adelaide.

​

Suddenly, I found myself exposed to a very different side of chiropractic. The philosophy, the way care was delivered, the expectations around patient management, and even what it meant to be a chiropractor could be very different from what I had known in South Africa.

​

At first, it made me question where I fitted within chiropractic.

​

Over time, though, I realised that I didn't need to choose one side or the other. My experience in South Africa had given me an appreciation for the things I valued in terms of assessing, understanding, diagnosing, treating and supporting patients, while my time in Adelaide has opened my eyes to different ways and philosophies about the various traditional chiropractic approaches.

​

Slowly, I found my own middle ground.

​

I realised that the chiropractor I wanted to be wasn't defined by a particular philosophy or limited to a particular way of practising. I wanted to take the things I genuinely valued about chiropractic and combine them with a broader approach to patient care — one that allowed me to look at the individual in front of me and tailor my approach to what they actually needed.

​

That philosophy has continued to evolve over the years, but I can probably sum it up in a few words:

More than the adjustment.

​

I still love adjusting people, and I believe there is an extremely important and vital place for spinal manipulation in chiropractic care. But I don't believe that care has to start or finish there.

​

Sometimes an adjustment is exactly what someone needs. Sometimes they may benefit from soft tissue work, mobility exercises, rehabilitation, education or practical advice. And sometimes, they simply need more time to understand what's going on and have someone genuinely listen to them.

​

People aren't just spines, and I didn't want my practice to treat them that way.

 

This was a big part of why I decided to open My Family Chiro.

​

I wanted to create the kind of clinic I would want to walk into as a patient — somewhere I wouldn't feel rushed, where I could ask questions, where I understood why I was being treated a certain way, and where my care was tailored to me rather than following a predetermined formula.

​

That also means I don't believe in locking people into long-term contracts or rigid care plans.

 

I believe patients should have the information and options they need to make informed decisions about their own care. For some people, that might mean just a handful of visits. For others, ongoing care may be something they choose because it helps them achieve or maintain their goals.

​

Either way, that decision should be made together, based on the individual — not because they've signed up to a predetermined plan.

​

Ultimately, opening My Family Chiro gave me the opportunity to practise chiropractic in a way that feels true to me.

It's still chiropractic. I still value the adjustment.

​

But it's more than just the adjustment.

​

It's about taking the time to understand the person, using the tools that are appropriate for them, explaining what we're doing and why, and helping them take an active role in their own health.

​

That's the kind of chiropractor I wanted to be. And that's the kind of clinic I wanted My Family Chiro to be.