I always knew I wanted to be a doctor – but not the traditional kind. The truth is, I wasn’t a huge fan of my medical doctor growing up. I was an athlete, a competitive figure skater and soccer player, and every time I had an injury I was told to “rest.” But this solution didn’t sit well with me.

I’ve always been a hands-on person, so the practice of chiropractic made sense to me. I was drawn to the spine, its influence on our health, and the different movements of the body. I’ve also always had an entrepreneurial drive – I even started a small business to finance my education at the New York Chiropractic College. In 2004, I decided to marry these two passions of mine, and Align Health Centre was born.

A lot has changed over the last two decades, but my core belief has always remained the same. We all have the innate ability to heal ourselves – but we have to be willing to put ourselves first.

Still, the hard truth is, I didn’t always practice what I preach. It took a cancer diagnosis turning my world upside down to realize that despite being so passionate about other people’s health, I had neglected my own. Not only was I dealing with the stress of cancer on my body, and the fear of death – I struggled with the heavy responsibility I had placed on myself to provide for everyone except for myself.

Now, as I return to practice as a breast cancer survivor, my outlook has changed. I still believe deeply in the power of healing – but I’m more committed than ever to empowering my patients to find it.

I want my patients, friends and community members to know it’s okay to cry, to fail, to seek support. There’s no shame in asking for a helping hand when you need it. I used to say one of the best parts of my day is having the chance to make an adjustment I know will have a great influence on a practice member. But now I know it’s the time I spend truly getting to know these individuals face-to-face that has the biggest impact.