John
and Judy Hinwood consider Dr. Doug Herron the most passionate
Chiropractic speaker in Australia!
Dr. Douglas
Le Roy Herron considers life a blessing and a gift from
the creator of life. An unseen hand has guided him and
his family on a marvelous journey. With the knowledge
of recent events this realization has been anchored in,
"I have been prepared for such a time as this."
The great Buckminster Fuller describes these events as
precessional - let's go back to the beginning.
Doug grew up
in Bettendorf, a town adjoining Davenport, Iowa, home
of the "Fountain Head" the Palmer College of
Chiropractic. He and his family attended a local church
that also included Palmer students and their families.
His mother relates an early experience at age 4 where
he could not walk after a fall and Chiropractic helped.
As well, other episodes of acute lower back pain by age
15 responded remarkably to Chiropractic care and a tremendous
idea began to grow. Health could be viewed proactively
rather than reactively.
Doug finished
High School in 1974 in Joliet, Illinois after recovering
from a wrist injury. (more later) While "gridiron"
was HIS first love, Chiropractic was a great second and
it became apparent that the gifts God gave him were weighed
in favour of Chiropractic.
Off
to University, Doug attended Bible College and a State
University in Missouri at the same time, while working
to support himself. He became engaged to his church Summer
Camp "sweetheart" after the second year and
married Deena after the third year. He finished undergraduate
training after 5 ½ years with a BSc degree in Biology.
Starting at
Palmer in Davenport, Iowa, was like "going home."
A great introductory experience was his first "extra"
speaker, the medical heretic himself, Dr Robert Mendelson
who reinforced Doug's belief that the orthodox system
was significantly less effective than it could be. Another
Palmer event of great significance involved inviting his
sister Rhonda to live with him and his wife, Deena, for
a short time while changing jobs. She met and married
an Aussie student, Philip Horner, and moved to Australia
within 6 months. "What an amazing job change for
Rhonda." Doug said at this time, "I ain't never
going to no Australia!".
Never say never.
An amazing job offer came 3 months before graduation from
Rhonda's father- in-law. So let's pack our bags we're
moving to Australia. As well, during his final year a
crucial point was reached, the "old" high school
wrist injury flared up and a 10 year old Scaphoid non-union
was discovered. Challenges often present with solutions.
By
attending 13 Gonstead seminars while still a student as
well as 2 ½ years of weekly mentoring with a Gonstead
Clinician/Instructor, Dr Herb Wood, Doug was provided
support and training to modify techniques sufficiently
to allow practice of the art. After a seven months stressful
wait for his Australian Visa, these two events doubled
into his ultimate arrival in 1984 to Narrogin, Western
Australia and at 27 he was finally off and running in
Chiropractic practice.
Over the last
21 years having generated practice growth in rural and
city practices in Narrogin, Katanning, Albany, Kalamunda
and finally Belmont (for the past 15 years), Doug is established
in Chiropractic in Australia.
Doug's first love of art & science are now balanced
more strongly with the philosophy of Chiropractic. He
currently is a guest speaker in Principles and Practices
to Year 1 students at the Chiropractic course at Murdoch
University, in Perth, Western Australia, a Co-Leader of
a philosophy forum that has begun for students and an
annual speaker at the Dynamic Growth Congress and local
workshops. He completed The Palmer College philosophy
tutorium on the "net", still attends Gonstead
seminars yearly and loves to grow in knowledge at a variety
of Seminars.
Doug's service
to the Chiropractic profession includes terms as Deputy
President of the Australian Spinal Research Foundation,
Co-Convener, The Dynamic Growth Congress, Convener for
fourteen years of the Dynamic Growth Workshops in Western
Australia. In 2002 Dr. Doug Herron was named Chiropractor
of the Year by the Western Australia Branch of The Chiropractors'
Association of Australia.
His
busy full life blessed with three children, a loyal supportive
wife Deena, good health, assisted by his current sporting
passion of cycling and a great life in Perth, Western
Australia, is about to experience another massive precessional
shift. Doug has progressively reduced his working hours
in his practice for the past 7 years due to progressive
decline of his wrist condition.
In May 2004
Doug applied for a position as a Clinical Instructor at
the Murdoch University Chiropractic Program and asked
John Hinwood for a reference - What a divine ask!! Three
days later John posed the question to Doug, "Do you
really want to teach at University or would you consider
coaching, consulting and mentoring field practitioners?"
When Deena and I considered all the jolts, jars, stresses
and strains along the journey as well as the blessings,
this offer seemed too good to be true.
A definite
"yes" meant that July to November 2004 has been
a huge learning curve. "What a ride for the whole
family" with personal development seminars, a Life
Coaching Certification program, wrist operation, on the
job training and mentoring with Drs John & Judy Hinwood,
including five round trips across the Australian Continent
and over 40 days away from home. And he's not finished
yet!!!
Doug is extremely
excited and feels a massive blessing to be led to such
a marvelous "2nd Challenge in Chiropractic".
His path
is clear and his eyes are fixed on participating and serving
in this fantastic profession as long as God gives him
breath.
