The Rooted Health Practice Podcast

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 struggles with: I don't fully trust that what I offer is enough.This week Dr. Alex shares what happened when she asked her patients a simple question — what could make this better? — and what the answer revealed about the worth work she still had to do.What you'll explore in this episode:Recognize when your pricing structure is driven by worth wounds rather than valuesUnderstand what "giving it all away" or staying trapped in the insurance racket actually signals about your relationship with your own legitimacySee how the insurance system trains chiropractors to outsource their sense of worth — and what it costsHear how one small feedback conversation shifted an entire pricing model without drama or discountingUnderstand why spiritual grounding isn't optional if you want to set your fees with convictionBegin to notice the difference between serving from fullness and serving from needResources + Community: practicebeneaththepractice.substack.com Find Dr. Alex on Substack at The Practice Beneath The Practice for deeper conversation between episodesWe'd love to hear what comes up for you on this episode: dralex@rootedpractice.coCHAPTER SUMMARYThe System We Keep Fighting to Be Part Of [00:45] Drawing from a Kabbalah training where two healthcare providers in completely different worlds both said the same thing — the system's broken, so I've been doing my own thing — Dr. Alex names the undertone that runs beneath chiropractic's worth wound: why are we still trying to belong to something that we were never designed to fit into?The Pediatrician With Three Practices [04:19] A real example of what happens when a servant heart runs the business instead of a grounded one. A pediatrician with a traditional clinic, a mental health program, and a mobile practice — the one he was most passionate about getting the least of him. The dilution that comes from trying to fill every need is not generosity. It's a worth problem wearing a mission statement.The Dark Side of the Servant Leader Heart [06:07] Most chiropractors were taught to give, serve, and pour out. The problem is almost none of us were taught to fill back up first. Dr. Alex names the shadow side of servant leadership — when giving comes from emptiness rather than fullness — and connects it directly to how that dynamic shows up in the structure of our practices.The Unlimited Trap [09:57] The teaching case at the center of this episode. Dr. Alex walked her subscription patients through a simple feedback question — what could make this better? — and what she heard back cracked something open. Nobody needed the unlimited visits she thought made a subscription "appealing". Nobody was using them. The option was never for them. It was a mirror to her own worth conversation.What You Give Away When You Take Insurance [12:41] A frank account of what it actually cost to be inside the insurance system — not just financially, but in terms of power, integrity, and identity. When a company can reach back one to three years and reclaim money already spent, you don't have a billing arrangement. You have a relationship built on someone else's terms.The Even Exchange [15:38] What it looks like when pricing comes from worth rather than fear. Not a dramatic overhaul — small, clear corrections from a steadier place. And the deeper truth underneath all of it: your fees can only be held with conviction if your sense of worth is rooted in something that can't be taken away.Worth Has to Come From Somewhere [16:25] The close. A real conversation about why the external world — the economy, the patients, the profession — will never be a stable source of worth. And why the spiritual dimension of this work isn't a luxury add-on, but the foundation everything else is built on.

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 who will never have a seat at the table. And the reality is you’re slowly losing your soul to a profession you love but feel let down by.That voice is a wound the entire profession holds — and very few talk about.I’m Dr. Alex. I’m a chiropractor, a PhD researcher in organizational development and change, and a practice owner who built a seven-figure practice, lost it all, and am now on a journey of rebuilding it with an entirely new foundation.The Rooted DC is where we go beneath the surface of chiropractic practice — into the identity questions, the legitimacy wounds, the conflicting values, the gap between who you were trained to be and who you actually are as a practitioner and a person.This isn’t a clinical skills podcast. It isn’t a business tips show.It’s about you. The DC who chose this profession on purpose and is looking to reconnect to why that choice still matters.This is the show where we keep it short, but go deep in talking about the things our profession tends to ignore or sweeps under the rug. Join me on:The Rooted DC: Reclaim Your Legitimacy.

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 the challenges of burnout, the need for a shift in traditional leadership styles, and how positive organizational development can foster a more inclusive and effective approach to leadership. Tune in to gain valuable insights that can help you thrive in today's fast-paced business landscape.Timestamps[00:02:04] Burnout recovery journey.[00:06:39] Emotional self-regulation for leaders.[00:09:30] Sustainable self-care practices.[00:12:16] Self-worth and energy management.[00:19:31] Energy drainers and chargers.[00:23:13] Intelligent energy management.[00:27:40] Resilience and sustainability in fitness.[00:30:27] Heart-focused breathing technique.[00:38:30] Living life for oneself.[00:43:10] Boundaries and self-empowerment.Sanja is the founder of HeartVista Performance, a mentor at Foresight and runs multiple resilience coaching programs for entrepreneurs and executives. As a trained biofeedback practitioner, Sanja combines technology and evidence-based practices, offering practical and actionable tools for achieving mental resilience and maximized performance.Connect with her by visiting www.heartvistaperformance.com

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 develop her practice. During this time, she faced significant identity challenges, which led to our collaboration on a program called "Rooted in Worth." This program aims to help individuals navigate their own struggles with self-worth and identity, drawing from our shared experiences and insights.We discussed the impact of familial relationships, particularly the dynamics with our mothers, and how these relationships shaped our perceptions of worthiness. Paulina shared her realization about the disempowering nature of being labeled as "lucky," while I reflected on my own experiences of being a peacekeeper in my family.Throughout our conversation, we emphasized the importance of acknowledging and embracing our emotions, rather than running from them. We also introduced the concept of our program, which is designed to guide participants through a journey of self-exploration and empowerment, using the metaphor of a tree to illustrate the layers of worthiness we will uncover together.As we prepare to launch "Rooted in Worth" in January, we invite listeners to join us for introductory sessions to learn more about the program and how it can support their personal growth. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of our journeys and the transformative power of understanding our worth.Get Updates on the Launch of Rooted In Worth and upcoming introductions: www.emergenthumans.co/rootedReach out with questions or comments:Dr. Alex: dralex@emergenthumans.coPaulina: elephantsheartltd@gmail.com

In this episode, Dr. Alex delves into her recent journey of starting a master's program in positive psychology, a field she has been passionate about for years. She shares insights from her studies, particularly focusing on the significance of positive emotions such as love, gratitude, and joy, and their impact on our overall well-being. Dr. Alex highlights the fascinating connection between the heart and emotions, explaining how the heart operates independently of the brain and has its own "heart brain." She challenges listeners to start to explore their own relationship to their emotions with three simple exercises they can try over the next week. These include:Removing significance from emotions by stating "I am noticing that I am feeling..." instead of "I am feeling..."Starting to create a Positivity Portfolio (coined by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson) this can include photos, memories, smells, music etc that elicit positive feelings for you.Write down Three Good Things (events) that occured that day.Listen to the full episode to explore the profound relationship between positive psychology and our emotional health!What method did you choose to try implementing this week? Send an email to dralex@emergenthumans.co and let us know!00:00:34 - Interest in Positive Psychology00:00:56 - Positive Emotions and HeartMath00:01:17 - The Heart's Independent Response00:01:50 - Heart Development and Intelligence00:02:11 - Accessing a Range of Emotions00:02:22 - Society's Focus on Negative Emotions00:02:55 - Personal Mindfulness Practice00:03:16 - Building a Repertoire of Positive Feelings00:03:27 - Dr. Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden and Build Theory00:04:10 - Benefits of Positive Emotions00:04:22 - Starting Points for Positive Emotions00:04:42 - Activity 1: Noticing Your Feelings00:05:28 - Activity 2: Building a Positivity Portfolio00:08:03 - Activity 3: Three Good Things00:09:19 - Impact of Positive Practices00:09:30 - Connecting with Intuition and Heart Intelligence00:09:51 - Recap of Activities

In this episode, Dr. Alex explores the transformative power of heart-focused living and the concept of coherence — the alignment of the heart, head, and nervous system. She discusses how most people operate under constant stress and emphasizes the importance of cultivating renewing emotions such as gratitude, love, compassion, joy, and appreciation to achieve coherence. Dr. Alex shares her personal journey over the last 220 days, during which she has intentionally worked on attaining coherence using a biofeedback device. She reflects on how this practice has influenced her work, and brought her back towards chiropractic after retiring three years ago. It also highlights the significance of addressing both emotional and physical aspects of healing. Tune in to discover how living and leading from the heart can create profound changes in your life and work.Time Stamps[00:00:23] Heart-focused living and coherence.[00:06:13] Walls vs. Boundaries in Healing.[00:10:16] Breaking free from limitations.[00:11:31] Inner guidance and emotional healing.[00:15:17] Boxes we exist in.To connect with Dr. Alex visit www.emergenthumans.coOr email dralex@emergenthumans.co

In this episode, host Dr. Alex welcomes Valerie Hope, an Art Math Certified coach and TEDx speaker, to the show. They dive into the journey of living and leading from the heart, exploring how Valerie's upbringing in a practical, logic-driven family influenced her initial perception of emotions. Valerie shares insights on the evolution of her understanding of emotional intelligence in the corporate world, discussing how feelings can transition from being seen as liabilities to valuable assets. Join Alexandra and Valerie for an inspiring conversation about the importance of heart-centered leadership and the transformative power of embracing our emotions.Timestamps[00:02:27] Heart opening through divorce.[00:04:37] Emotional expression in leadership.[00:09:55] Repressed anger and healing.[00:12:30] Assertiveness and emotional expression.[00:16:25] Finding power in self-expression.[00:21:37] Emotional guidance scale explained.[00:25:43] Heart-centered emotional ownership.[00:29:51] Quick coherence technique for emotions.[00:32:45] Heart-focused breathing technique.[00:35:48] Power of positive thinking.[00:40:58] Vibrational energy in leadership.[00:44:28] Trauma and operational coherence.[00:46:05] Heart-centered paths and connections.To Connect with Valerie visit www.valeriehope.com

In this episode, Dr. Alex explores the importance of bodily awareness and emotional recognition. She reflects on her personal journey with anxiety, revealing how she has become more attuned to the physical sensations associated with it, such as tight shoulders and chest discomfort. Dr. Alex discusses the role of tools like the Oura ring in monitoring stress levels and emphasizes the need for self-check-ins to understand and manage emotions better. The episode encourages listeners to consider their own body awareness and offers insights into developing a deeper connection with their emotions.Time Stamps:00:00:35 - Question on Body Awareness00:01:07 - Personal Experience with Anxiety00:02:20 - Importance of Emotional Awareness00:03:14 - Guided Body Scan Exercise00:05:30 - Breathing and Heart Connection00:06:24 - Setting Intentions and Gratitude00:08:05 - Daily Practice and Benefits00:09:31 - Living and Leading from the Heart00:10:33 - Personal Progress and Oura Ring Insights00:11:16 - Newsletter and Substack InvitationMentioned in this episode:Subscribe to the Soul Shift Chronicles here.Check out Dr. Alex's Substack-Getting to The Heart of It