Dr. Laura Sheehan, Doctor of Chiropractic
Dr. Laura Sheehan owns and operates Sheehan Chiropractic, a thriving private practice in Marin County specializing in family wellness and chiropractic care for pregnant women and newborns.
A pediatric nurse, certified massage therapist and Reiki master, Dr. Sheehan draws from many holistic healthcare approaches to treat a wide range of injuries and maladies. Since 1989, when she graduated with a bachelor of science from Dallas Baptist University, she has worked in children’s health. When she left Allopathic Medicine in 2002 she was on the pediatric ambulance team at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. She served as an intensive care nurse to stabilize infants and children in transport.
During 16 years as a neonatal and pediatric nurse in the Bay Area, Hawaii and Connecticut, she has seen how the birth process can cause misalignments in the vertebrae of newborns and now advocates for chiropractic care and cranial sacral therapy for infants and mothers. For 10 years, Dr. Sheehan has used cranial sacral therapy, massage and Reiki to treat babies for a variety of conditions. She also works with lactation consultants to identify babies who need cranial sacral therapy.
In 2002, she earned her doctorate in chiropractic from Life Chiropractic College West, where she also received advanced training as an upper spine specialist in Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic, a gentle upper cervical technique that does not involve manipulation. While a student at Life Chiropractic College West, she served as president of the Pediatric Club.
Dr. Sheehan has additional training in iridology and Jin Shin Jytsu, a Japanese acupressure therapy, and has taught Reiki and infant massage for 10 years.
She frequently speaks to parents and health educators on a range of topics, including stress reduction, vaccinations, vitamins, antibiotics, the benefits of pelvic alignment care for pregnant women, newborn safety and healing the body after a caesarian birth. She also trains doulas and childbirth support professionals on physical comfort techniques for pregnant women and leads workshops on how to avoid back injuries.
Dr. Sheehan is the founding member of the Bay Area Holistic Parents Association.
She is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and the California Chiropractic Association.
Chiropractic Philosophy
is based on Vitalism. Western Medicine is based on a Mechanistic Philosophy. Here are some ways they differ:
| Old Paradigm | New Paradigm |
| Mechanistic | Vitalistic |
| Based on Newtonian 300 year old principles | Based on Quantum Physics 5000 year old principles |
| H20 is water | Water is H20 + energy and the context of where it lives |
| Unless solid and tangible, not real | A living system animated by energy, soul |
| Predictable, duplicable | |
| Scientific | Supported by contemporary science |
| Reductionistic-Break matter down into the smallest component | Holistic-all looked at in relation to context and environment in which lives and all things in life affecting it |
| Body is a machine | Body is viewed as a bioenergetic information whirlpool |
| Can be repaired | Body cannot be diagnosed because can’t count all the factors in health. |
| Change the parts | Dynamic constantly changing |
| Solid and static | Patterns of energy in and out |
| The whole is = The sum of the parts | The whole is greater than the sum of the parts |
| If dissect the parts then have an understanding of the whole | The human body is not dissociated, one input into the field in one person will travel through the whole room as a wave and all have a body response, one person laughs all crack up |
| The body is a closed system- separateness | The body is an open system, input and output, based on the invisible, life force and innate intelligence |
| Mechanisim: Diagnosis, treatment, Prognosis | Vitalism: characterized by wellness care, or when sick, one cause, stuck energy, need to free up life force, let body heal itself with as little interference as possible |
| Disease- Symptom based care | |
| Crisis care means only give the body care and energy when it’s needy and sick | |
| Doctor’s authority | Doctor is teacher and facilitator, guide |
| Consciousness plays no role vs. | Patient is partner in healing, throws responsibility back at the patient. Each person responsible for their own health |
| Diagnosis- 35% of diagnosis at the Mayo clinic is right | it’s okay not to know. Diagnosis and labels get in the way of healing |
| Feelings invalidated, Quantitative data is valid (“we have done all the tests and there is nothing With you”, “But I feel horrible or I have terrible pain”) | Listening to the person first and acknowledging what is said, even the malingerer |
| The patient is submissive | dynamic relationship one of commitment |
| The Dr.’s state of Consciousness is separate From the fact he is a dr. | The doctor’s consciousness is paramount for healing. Example: Saddam Hussein and mother Theresa both have equal skill, who do you want to have an experience with? |
| Pain, symptoms and disease are seen as abnormal and must be cut out and suppressed | Pain, symptoms and disease are seen as a message to change |
| Views symptom as abnormal to normal lifestyle | Views symptom as normal response for an abnormal lifestyle |
| Disease seen as an entity or event | Seen as a process and underlying disharmony or a disconnect from spirit or the inner guidance |
| Language is war on cancer | vs, love and honor the body |
| Fear in every interaction | vs. trust life, trust your body’s innate capacity to heal |
| Outside in | Inside out approach |
| No touch | Touch- give love with the hands |
| Have to fit within norms | Welcomes individuation everyone is unique |
| BP temp child | |
| Inductive reasoning (specific to general) | Deductive reasoning (general down to specific) |
| The order is Technology, Art, Science then philosophy (example: everyone is going to have fetal monitoring because we are going to serve the technology) |
vs. Philolosophy, Science, Art then Technology |
| Expensive, technology | Inexpensive, hands |