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Welcome to The Informed Chiropractor, the go-to podcast for neurologically based chiropractors who are ready to make chiropractic relevant again. Hosted by Dr. Don MacDonald, a 26+ year chiropractor, speaker, and creator of the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol, this show blends vitalistic chiropractic principles with modern neuroscience through the lens of the Polyvagal Theory.
Every week, we explore how to shift from a mechanistic model to a salutogenic, nervous system-forward approach that fosters true regulation, coregulation, and healing. Whether you’re navigating burnout, refining your adjusting, or searching for a clearer way to communicate the value of chiropractic, this podcast is your home.
You’ll hear interviews with global experts, real talk from Dr. Don and Brandi MacDonald, and actionable tools to build a practice rooted in safety, interoception, and chiropractic certainty.
👉 If you’re a purpose-driven chiropractor who wants to lead with connection, adjust with clarity, and reclaim the art of healing, you’re in the right place.
Key themes covered:
Neurologically based chiropractic care
Chiropractic and the Polyvagal Theory
Creating safety and co-regulation in practice
Coregulation and the social engagement system
The salutogenic model of health
Interoception and the nervous system
Practice growth without burnout
Subscribe now and join thousands of chiropractors worldwide reimagining what’s possible through a nervous system forward practice.
Episodes

Apr 4, 2018
Apr 4, 2018
55 min
The human body knows how to do what it needs to do, and when it needs to do it. There’s this innate intelligence within us that is always present.
On this episode, we are here with Dr. Patti Guiliano, who has been in practice for 35 years. She graduated from Life University in 1982 and is now in practice with her husband, Dr. Peter Kevorkian. In addition, she has taken leadership roles in the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice, IFCO Board, and State Board in Massachusetts. As the Co-Founder of the League of Chiropractic Women, she helps to bring women's voices onto the chiropractic scene.
Dr. Patti talks about the chiropractic philosophy and its application. She emphasizes that it doesn’t matter if you adjust with your hands or an instrument. What is more important is your intention. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 30, 2018
Mar 30, 2018
41 min
Dr. Brian Kelly says that the gap between a chiropractic education and practice is ginormous. People pay a lot of money for their education, but the reality of practice is nothing like it.
Dr. Brian Kelly is from New Zealand, but studied chiropractic in Australia and built a successful practice there for 11 years. He was appointed as the President of the NZ College of Chiropractic for eight years, and after that, he became the President of Life Chiropractic College-West in California, which he led for six years. He has helped to influence thousands of chiropractors and students around the world.
His experience as the former President of two Chiropractic Colleges made him realize how he can raise the standard of chiropractic. He knew that he needed to find a way to get the message out there. Thus, Dr. Brian shares the challenges that chiropractic is having and how chiropractors can make a difference in helping the practice grow, expand, and be in better shape. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 28, 2018
Mar 28, 2018
39 min
It's tough for someone who moved to start a new practice, get new patients, and get people to your door. This is difficult because you don’t have any network at your new place.
Dr. Enrico Dolcecore grew up in Alberta and graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic, where he met his wife, Dr. Christine Hafer. In 2017, they headed down to Florida, where he became an associate. At first, it was hard for him to get patients, then, he realized that he could do it online.
On this episode, he gives us an overview of Facebook marketing and how it can attract new patients. He says that if you learn how to do Facebook marketing yourself, you will discover that you don’t need someone else for thousands of dollars to do that for you. Also, he has been helping other chiropractors for free by setting up their Facebook ads, and teaching them how to learn it by themselves. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
47 min
We are here with Dr. Laura Jean Baxter-Gravelle. She’s from London, Ontario and has been in practice for 15 years. She and other chiropractors collaborated to write a book "The Art of Being Healthy," which is a book on the real-life accounts of mothers and children healing through Chiropractic. On this interview, she shares the story of how her daughter, Lucy, was healed through chiropractic adjustments.
Also, Dr. Laura shares how difficult and stressful it was to try to scale up her business and do everything by herself. That’s when she decided to enroll herself to Vitality Shift. After watching the videos from that program, she shifted her practice from a little basement to a 1,500-sqft office. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 16, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
49 min
When we are disconnected from ourselves, we become a different person, someone we think we’re supposed to be because that’s what we learned from our past experiences.
On this episode, we are here with Dr. Tony Miller. He graduated from Life University in 2013 and has been in practice for three years.
The number one thing that Tony struggled with was always feeling authentic, and it took him 30 years to discover his true being. Until he realized what his real power was, it was exhausting and stressful for him to borrow other people’s vision and wear their personas. He was even dreading Mondays because he wasn’t sure why he was in his practice doing what he was doing.
On this episode, he shares how discovering who he really is has created freedom for him and made his practice more fun. He realizes that his power is to be in this connecting and passionate place. Unlike before, now, he is looking forward to connecting with people whatever they’re coming in with. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 14, 2018
Mar 14, 2018
41 min
Dr. Nick Laurie says that doing a lot of personal development, going to many seminars as you can, and having a mentor can teach you the quickest way to grow your practice and reach your target without sacrificing your family and health.
Nick has been in practice for close to 18 years. He graduated from NZCC where he was in their 2nd class. He also came up with Fiji on Fire, where chiropractors have the opportunity to learn from ‘Chiropractic masters’ through power sessions and hanging out.
Nick shares how he got hung up on the value of achievement and got focused on the numbers which made him felt isolated from his family and friends. He did things to make up with it, but didn’t realize it was putting his health at risk.
Nick had a heart attack, and when he recovered, the things he learned from coaching and self-development programs have helped him to rebuild himself and his relationship with the people around him. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 7, 2018
Mar 7, 2018
52 min
Not all people who go to chiropractic clinics understand what chiropractic is all about and its true message. Thus, for people in practice, it is vital to be able to understand people's health views and let go of those who don’t accept your message.
On today’s episode, we are here with Dr. Paul McCrossin. He has been in practice for 23 years, very much involved in the United Chiropractic Association, and helps other chiropractors practice safely and ethically. He talks about the reasons why people complain and how to handle it. For him, it’s a feedback when people complain.
Paul says that miscommunication is one of the reasons why there’s a disconnection between the chiropractor and the practice member. People drop out of care because they feel they’re not being listened to or the chiropractor doesn’t care. When you communicate where they’re at, you would be on the same page making them feel connected to you. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Mar 2, 2018
Mar 2, 2018
59 min
Being with like-minded people and having a mentor can definitely up your game. Dr. Ernest Li invested his money, time, and effort attending seminars, which made him realized what his true value is.
On today’s episode, we are with my mastermind buddy, Dr. Ernest Li. He is a chiropractor, and a businessman who owns real estates and a pub.
Dr. Li wouldn't have discovered chiropractic unless he hadn’t gone into his fifth car accident. The accidents he had caused him pain that made it tough for him to focus on school. He tried everything else and ended up seeing a chiropractor as his last resort. After three adjustments, he felt better than a year and a half of physiotherapy and massage combined.
Like other chiropractors, Dr. Li also overdid the practice, got burned out, worked his butt off serving his patients, which took him away from family time. That was the time when he thought that there must be easier ways to make money other than being a chiropractor. When he started investing his money in various things, he realized it isn’t easy and that no matter what business you’re in, you got to work hard. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Feb 28, 2018
Feb 28, 2018
1hr 9 min
People want to know more about Heart Rate Variability and how to use that application in order to deepen conversations with practice members.
On today's episode, we have Dr. David Fletcher to discuss HRV and to help us understand it in the Chiropractic setting. Also, he shares how to describe HRV in a simplistic model to your practice member when you’re doing it.
How chiropractic differently impacts the HRV compared to sleeping or exercising is that it engages specific parasympathetic feeds, arousing the body’s innate responsiveness, and giving it an energetic boost so it can keep the momentum going. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/

Feb 21, 2018
Feb 21, 2018
53 min
Some institutions have an oppressive environment where students are forbidden from being exposed to Vitalistic Chiropractic. They’re in a culture where they are afraid of making adjustments and of saying anything.
On this episode, we are here with Dr. Marc Hudson. He graduated from Parker College of Chiropractic in 1994. He, together with his wife, Lynn, created ChiroEurope. They also founded Barcelona Chiropractic College, where they were able to raise two and a half million euros to establish it.
Dr. Hudson says that you can’t be a Vitalistic Chiropractor when you practice in fear. It is because fear keeps you away from your practice or your dreams. He shares how chiropractors can get over their fears for them to achieve success. Moreover, Dr. Hudson also talks about ChiroEurope and how unique it is in the chiropractic world right now. Get all the resources for this episode and listen to more at http://www.drdonmacdonald.com/
