The Rooted DC- Reclaim Your Legitimacy

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Dr. Alexandra Swenson-Ridley

10 September 2026

24m 22s

S3E7- Stop Fitting In: Build the Practice and Life You Actually Want

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24:22

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 generative identity (built from internal values and clear boundaries). She challenges listeners to stop borrowing legitimacy and instead design practices and lives from the inside out. The episode closes with a practical challenge: identify where you’re reactive versus generative and start choosing who you want to be.

Referenced in this episode:

Glucina, T. T., Krägeloh, C. U., Spencer, K., & Holt, K. (2023). Defining chiropractic professional identity: A concept analysis. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 35, 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.04.047

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