Dr. Rick Araya

Call me Rick- A lesson in Chiropractic…

I have never been "Mr. Araya". I went straight from too young to be Mr. Araya to Dr. Rick. I was never really Dr. Araya. It always sounded too formal. So I have been Dr. Rick for about 24 years now. I want you know that I am okay without it; the “doctor” part that is. You are all so nice and will think and say, “but you earned it”, and “it’s respectful” etc.

I am here to say that “Dr. Rick” comes with a price. You see, if I am a “Doctor” then you are a “patient”. If you are a “patient”, then you are sick. I have news for you. I don’t see you as sick. I don’t see you as a “patient”. I see you as a beautiful, healthy, whole, complete and wonderful human being who is lacking nothing. I have nothing to put in you. There is nothing I want to take out of you. I just want to increase the flow of life in your body so you can heal you again and again everyday. I want you to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. I want you to be connected so that healing happens and you reach higher and higher levels of wellness, life and connectedness. This is very far removed from doctors, patients, sickness and disease, so much more concerned with light, life and health.

The title of “Doctor” is very connected to the concepts of sickness, illness, and disease. Sure, there are times when I switch on my doctor brain. Still, much of the time I am definately more of a wellness practitioner.

Although you may initially come in when you are sick or broken, getting adjusted is not about you being sick or broken. The goal and the focus is always to bring greater balance and connectedness to your being. You are not a piece of meat lying on the table. You are people, not patients. You are men, women and children who come to get adjusted to improve the quality of your life. You aren’t sick. You are full of life. As the chiropractor in the room, I need to focus on the goal. I need to look at where we are headed. I need to recognize that you have the power to heal within you. I can’t focus on what’s wrong with you. I need to focus on what’s right with you.

I have lots of people telling others that I am a good chiropractor. I know that because I get very many new people coming into the office each month because one of my people referred them in. So why would people that come in every week or two for 1, 2 or 9 or 18 years, tell someone that I am good if they come every week for 20 years? It’s because getting adjusted is not about being sick! You don’t get un-sick here you get more life here. You get more YOU here. You get more of what you really want that you didn’t know you didn’t have. (You might need to read that again...hahaa).

So you are a person not a patient. You are people, I am Rick. I am here to serve you and adjust you. Sometimes I am here to support you or console you or teach you or nudge you or motivate you. Chiropractic is about Life -the LIFE inside you, not your sickness. So call me Rick. I won’t think it’s disrespectful, I’ll think it’s very respectful and that you understand. By the way, if you remove all the sickness out of your chiropractic and talk about the LIFE inside of you needing your nerves to be "clear" to do it's job –your kids will better understand why you bring them too.