Meet Dr. Joshua Pickell | Chiropractor | Philosopher

I had the recent honor to be featured in ShoutOut LA. Check out the original publication.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Joshua Pickell of Alternative Space Chiropractic and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Joshua, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My business, Alternative Space Chiropractic, helps the world by helping people first. I am a catalyst and guide for individual people to realize their power to heal and create their own life. I am a chiropractor with a more expansive view than my title suggests. I do not limit myself to just working on the physical body – I also work to help my clients improve their mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

These parts of ourselves are interconnected, and when we separate them, we do ourselves a disservice. I understand that many people may doubt, deny, or be skeptical of these connections, but we are more than just physical. After working with thousands of people, I realized that when I only worked with physical issues and symptoms, it always felt like something was missing and there was potential for deeper results. To be the holistic practitioner I want to be, I choose to work in a way that feels more complete to me.

I have always wanted to help the world become a better place. When I was younger, I thought this meant straining, struggling, and fighting against the systems in the external world to make it conform to how I thought it should be. Now, I appreciate that there are many perspectives out there and there should be space for us all to co-exist. Since then, I have come to realize that if I want the world to be a better place, I need to start with myself and how I see things.

It has truly taken me years to understand what Mahatma Gandhi meant when he said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” I have intellectually understood those words for years, but it has taken me a long time to embody it. If we think that we understand something, but do not change our actions or behaviors based on that, we have not really learned the concept.

Today, I understand that to help the world, I need to work on growing and improving myself. Part of my journey has been to accept that everyone is different and now I hold space for others to be themselves. It is not up to me to change people; I simply assist them on their own life’s journey of self-discovery and growth.

My work helps people fully express life by bringing them back into a state of balance. Part of this process is helping people integrate all aspects of who they are to help them become a more complete version of themselves. My work helps people reconnect with their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. By tapping into all these different aspects that make us human, we transform into kinder and more loving people who no longer inadvertently cause harm in the world.

This is how I choose to help the world. I simply want to help individual people become more whole, just like I am doing with myself. I have observed that self-improvement has a ripple effect through our relationships, families, communities, cities, countries and so on. Rather than straining and trying to force others or the world to change, we can lead by example and BE the change we wish to see. I am working on improving and healing myself, because healed people do not create conflict or negativity. My work and my business are helping others heal too, and I intend to inspire a movement of healing and wellness to happen on a bigger scale. 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Alternative Space Chiropractic was born out of my desire for freedom and creative expression. I have spent considerable time, effort, and energy creating an environment where I feel free to do my best work. There is an art to working with people and to the chiropractic adjustment that I feel is not recognized by many people. By combining science, art, and philosophy, some chiropractors are pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible for humans in terms of healing, growth, and the full expression of life.

I feel that part of my life’s work is to bring a new generation of chiropractic care to light, one that is creative and collaborative, expansive and energizing. When we have a big idea, I believe that we must do whatever we can to develop it and help it flourish. By creating my own space, I can practice how I like, develop new ways to do things, and see where the work takes me. I feel blessed because my clients like that I have a vision and am creating new techniques and methods.

My clients invite me to innovate because they feel that I am present in my work and take nothing for granted. Since my style is gentle and specific, people feel comfortable when I am working on them and confident that I will always ensure their safety. Although I am constantly inventing and tinkering, I do not take risks with people’s health. Everything is done in a gentle and controlled manner, and I am always searching for ways to accomplish more with less input.

In each session I see my clients as a blank slate and look for what needs to happen that day to help them grow. Some days we do entirely new things, and on others, we continue to work on a theme or thread that hasn’t fully processed or released yet. By taking the time to slow down and understand what needs to happen, we can optimize each adjustment in terms of the many variables that go into it, such timing, vector, force, contacts, and so much more. There are many factors involved with each adjustment and no two are ever the same.

We all need to start somewhere, and I began my career in a role that did not resonate with how I wanted to practice. While I was in school, I had many lofty ideas about what I thought a good chiropractic practice should look like. I created an idealized image in my head about opening that practice as soon as I got my license and did not want to settle for anything less. It ended up taking me a few years to open my business but that was the path I was meant to walk.

I look back now on how I used to think and act and realize that I have grown a lot, and this personal growth was necessary for me to become who I needed to be to make this dream come true. A large part of my journey was to learn how to be humble and let go of thinking things needed to unfold exactly how I wanted them to, rather than being patient and committing to the process. I am grateful that I had so many opportunities to work in a variety of settings. Ultimately, all these experiences were necessary for me to learn and grow.

My career and practice have developed in many settings with all kinds of people. I can see now how each of these experiences helped me learn things that were necessary to create my dream practice. Although I thought I was ready to open right after school, I can see this was not the case looking back. First, I needed to develop new skills and learn more while also letting go of the ways I was limiting myself. I needed to become more open and grow in so many ways I couldn’t foresee at the time.

I am happy with where I am now and how far I have come. Despite this, I feel as if I am just getting started and still have so much more to learn and create. I would encourage anyone who is reading this to remember that challenging times and circumstances are your greatest gifts and opportunities for growth. We all have the power to transform our lives for the better.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Brooklyn, so there is no shortage of cool things to do or great places to eat. The challenge really comes with narrowing it down and pacing yourself. Getting around NYC usually involves a lot of walking and stairs, so good footwear is essential.

My office is in DUMBO, Brooklyn, and I think it is a cool up and coming area that is right across the East River from Manhattan. It has a lot to offer, but is most famous for having a great spot to take cool pictures with the Manhattan Bridge in the background. It also has a TimeOut food court with a nice rooftop and view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

Midtown has some of my favorite classic attractions and museums, such as Bryant Park, the NY Public Library, Grand Central, One Vanderbilt, Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, Fashion Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art, Columbus Circle, Lincoln Square, Central Park, and the MET. There is so much to do in that part of the city and it is where the main tourist attractions are.

NYC has so much more to offer than just Manhattan. To really get to know NYC, I recommend exploring more than just Manhattan, and branch out into Brooklyn and Queens. Queens, in my opinion, has some of the best food in the city because it is so diverse. Some cool neighborhoods to walk around are Long Island City and Astoria. But my favorite places to eat are Jackson Heights and Elmhurst.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My partner is one of the biggest influences in my growth and success. She has bravely held up the mirror for me to see the ways in which I am not being the person I want to be. It is rare to find someone in life who can help us see past the false stories that we tell ourselves, which ultimately halt our growth and keep us from our full potential.

I am not content with mediocrity or staying in my comfort zone. I choose to pursue excellence in myself and everything that I do. My partner is willing to do the hard work of helping me be the person I want to be. I am truly blessed, because not only is she brave, but she is warm, kind, nurturing, supportive, creative, funny, and amazing beyond my wildest dreams. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her and feel so lucky to be creating our wonderful life together.