Meet Nimira Alibhoy, DC

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nimira Alibhoy, DC a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nimira, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
Navigating private practice with challenging patient cases can pose a significant risk of burnout for a working mom. The demands of complex cases, combined with the responsibilities of parenthood, can create a relentless cycle of stress and fatigue. The emotional toll of grappling with difficult patient scenarios can spill over into personal life, impacting the delicate balance between work and family.

2023 was the year of burnout – 13 years into practice and my body, mind, and heart were really experiencing a day-to-day challenge. To counteract burnout, prioritizing my personal health was essential. Amid the demands of a hectic schedule, it was crucial for me to truly carve out time for what I call our heath responsibilities – these are not self-care acts. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and mindful nutrition become not just luxuries but vital components of resilience. Making sure I took care of my mental health also became a top priority.

Equally vital is finding time for family and relationships. Quality moments with loved ones serve as a source of emotional rejuvenation, offering a counterbalance to the pressures of professional life. Open communication within the family fosters understanding and support and I needed a lot of it this year. Finally taking time off for a true family vacation and just shutting down for two weeks reminded me that life wouldn’t end if the practice was closed and that I could step away and be just a mom and wife for two weeks.

Creating a schedule that incorporates breaks is a key strategy in overcoming burnout. Intentional pauses during the work week and dedicated time for relaxation enabled me to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life equilibrium. I now only work every other day and have whole days of recovery between full patient days. I hope in the long term I’m creating a sustainable practice that is around to take care of the community for years to come. By actively addressing these aspects—personal health, family connections, and a balanced schedule— I was able to regain the love I had for being in private practice again.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
ALIVE Wellness Center has become the culmination of over a decade in practice. Starting with just my name and my ability to help people get the results they were looking for, I transitioned from a small practice in Santa Monica to a small practice in Agoura Hills. During COVID we were able to help an even larger population, move into a larger space with even newer technology to have a greater effect on the community’s health.

Simply put, I help people feel better in their bodies, which I absolutely love! I practice upper cervical chiropractic (UCC) care, which is different from traditional chiropractic in several ways. First, it’s a minimalist approach. Only the upper vertebrae are adjusted, and corrections are more accurate and less frequent. Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal and adapt when the upper vertebrae are aligned. But when those top bones in the neck are out of alignment, they can interfere with the nervous system and cause pain, stiffness, headaches, sleep problems and many other health concerns affecting the entire body.

UCC focuses on locating brain stem interference within those top bones in the neck and making a tiny correction to “unblock” that interference. It’s really just a nudge in the right direction that lets the healing process being – no popping, twisting, cracking involved! With no interference, the rest of the spine can reset on its own, and the whole body can heal. UCC is very effective, but it doesn’t involve continuous adjustments over a long period of time. Many patients see dramatic results in about six months of care, as their bodies are able to adjust and adapt on their own.

The other notable difference is that UCC uses nervous system testing — a scientific scanning method that shows me when the body is adapting (or healing itself) and when it’s truly stuck. At each visit, I can see a patient’s neurological patterns in real time. When we continue to see these same patterns over and over, the body has lost the ability to adapt. I can then make a tiny, specific correction, and do another scan to make sure that a change was made. When a patient comes in for a check and doesn’t need an adjustment, that’s because the body is actually healing. This approach is scientific and holistic, and it gets lasting results that hold, by allowing the body to do its job. I love my patients, but my goal is to see them a lot less over time.

I also now in the last year offer an amazing soft tissue regeneration therapy called SoftWave which helps reduce inflammation, break down adhesions/scar tissue, improve circulation to the area of injury and activate resident stem cells for cellular healing of the tissues. This has helped so many of my patients get back to doing the things they love – whether it being their basic day-to-day activities or getting back to their fitness passions.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In the early stages of starting a practice, three qualities emerged as pivotal: confidence in my skill set, a clear understanding of my worth, and unwavering perseverance.

Confidence serves as the bedrock, propelling you forward amidst uncertainties. A steadfast belief in your abilities not only attracts clients but also instills trust in your practice. Knowing your worth, both professionally and personally, empowers you in laying out protocols and pricing. It establishes a foundation for fair compensation, ensuring that your skills are valued appropriately.

Equally crucial is an unyielding spirit. The early stages can be formidable, marked by challenges and setbacks. Both practices I started happened with an infant and then pregnant. “Mind over matter” becomes your mantra and perseverance becomes the driving force that propels you past hurdles, especially the ones around exhaustion! Resilience in the face of adversity not only fosters personal growth but also positions your practice for long-term success. This tenacity allows you to weather the inevitable ups and downs, learning and adapting along the way.

Together – confidence, self-worth awareness, and unwavering perseverance propel you through the initial hurdles but also lay the groundwork for a thriving and sustainable practice. These qualities, when cultivated and embraced, become the compass guiding you through the intricate landscape of entrepreneurship.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Building a practice thrives on the ethos of collaboration, a potent antidote to the isolating nature of entrepreneurship. By forging alliances with local businesses, a practitioner not only mitigates the sense of loneliness inherent in solo endeavors but also expands their network, fostering connections and community spirit. In particular, at ALIVE Wellness Center, collaborating with fitness centers, hair stylists, and professionals catering to women’s self-care needs can create a symbiotic relationship.

Fitness centers/trainers provide a hub for physical well-being, and aligning with them allows a practitioner to offer comprehensive care solutions to allow people to continue taking care of their bodies for longevity without pain and from a place of better function. Simultaneously, partnering with hair stylists and other “self-care” practitioners, who often serve as confidants for their clients, creates a natural avenue for referrals and mutual support. Other women’s health care providers are wonderful to collaborate with as well as we can share our expertise with each other and potentially provide avenues of education to our mutual patients. Together, this collaborative network forms a community around women’s holistic self-care.

Sharing ideal clients among collaborators becomes a mutually beneficial strategy. Clients receive comprehensive care from a network of trusted professionals, while practitioners broaden their reach. This collaborative approach not only strengthens the fabric of local businesses but also enriches the community by fostering a culture of shared expertise and collective well-being. In essence, collaboration emerges as the cornerstone for building a practice that transcends individual efforts, creating a thriving ecosystem of interconnected businesses. I am personally always open to connecting to learn about businesses in my community that can support my patients. Only through personal connection can true relationships be built. Text is king in this world of the busy mom and avoiding phone tag when there aren’t enough minutes in the day is important. I always let people know to text me to connect so that we can find a mutual time to chat on the phone or meet in person.

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