Clinician, teacher, author
Hi, I'm Ken. Small changes lead to large changes.
I am a chiropractor and board certified chiropractic neurologist with a PhD in Health Psychology, and I have been in clinical practice since 1997. My work, on the table, in the classroom and on the page, is about helping people find balance in body, mind and meaning.
practice since
A short introduction
Master electrician, powerlifting champion, neurologist, researcher, martial artist and father. Every chapter has come back to one idea: everything is connected.
- Years in clinical practice
- 29+
- Countries he has lectured in
- 3
- Martial arts black belts
- 3
- Life Principles videos on YouTube
- 92
My story
How I got here
From the platform and the job site
I started out as a young competitive powerlifter and went on to become a Drug Free Powerlifting Champion, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Before chiropractic I worked as a journeyman and then a master electrician, said to be the youngest person to reach Master Electrician status, and I ran a company that took care of the local hospital's electrical needs.
A question about how everything connects
As a boy I met Dr. Herbert Heineman, my childhood friend's grandfather, and he sparked a lifelong interest in General Systems Theory: the idea that all things are interconnected and interdependent. That question has followed me through every part of my work since.
Neurology, teaching and a PhD on meaning
I earned my Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University in 1997 and completed three more years of post-doctoral training to become a board certified chiropractic neurologist. I was offered a clinical scholar position at McMaster University in Ontario, and chose instead to teach at Logan, where I taught clinical neurology across the United States and Canada and helped redesign the curriculum. Later I earned a PhD at Lancaster University in England, studying how people make sense of the unexpected in their health care.
Harbor Light, family and what matters
In 2020 my wife Miranda and I opened Harbor Light Wellness in Jamestown. After recovering from open heart surgery, I wrote Anchored as a legacy for our two sons. Today I see patients, teach evening classes in our classroom, and share short talks on my YouTube channel.
Philosophy
“My philosophy is one in which aggression or the excessive use of force is abandoned in favor of “allowing”. My approach to chiropractic is one in which I make a ‘suggestion’ to a person’s body, and if that is acceptable then a correction occurs that emerges from the coupling of two people’s intentions. The goal is to encourage a small improvement, rather than insisting that a large correction occur. It is my belief and experience that small changes, not forced, lead to large changes.”
Credentials
Education and training
Nearly three decades of clinical practice and university teaching, and lectures across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Specializations
- Clinical Neurology
- Neuromusculoskeletal Disorders
- Health Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Strength Training and Performance Improvement
- BS, Human Biology, Logan University, St. Louis, MO
- Doctor of Chiropractic, Logan University/College of Chiropractic, St. Louis, MO, 1997
- Post Doctoral Diplomate in Clinical Neurology, Logan University, 2001 (board certified chiropractic neurologist, DACNB)
- PhD, Health Psychology/Health Science, St. Martin's College/Lancaster University, Lancaster, England, 2011
- Certified HeartMath Practitioner
My work
Six ways I serve
Every part of my work comes back to helping people find balance.
01Clinical practice
Chiropractic Neurology
Nearly three decades of gentle chiropractic, grounded in post-doctoral training in clinical neurology.
02Meaning
Meaning & Health Psychology
Helping people make sense of their health experiences and their lives, with the subjective and objective both honored.
03Higher education
Teaching & Research
A PhD from Lancaster University and years teaching clinical neurology across the United States and Canada.
04Latest book
Anchored, the Book
Anchored: A Father's Reflections on What Matters, written as a legacy for his two sons.
05Speaking
Speaking
Talks on the brain, stress, sleep, gratitude and strength, given across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
06On the mat
Martial Arts & Strength
A Drug Free Powerlifting Champion with three black belts, and the life principles the mat taught him.
Watch and listen
Short talks on health, martial arts and philosophy
My YouTube channel, Dr. Ken Erickson PhD, shares short talks on chiropractic, health, martial arts and philosophy, including a 92 video Life Principles playlist and conversations in Podcasts with Guests.
Work with Dr. Erickson
Health is an attitude, and a balance
Book a visit at Harbor Light, join a class, or bring a talk to your group.
Chiropractic neurologist
Dr. Kenneth J. Erickson, DC, PhD