Our Team

Dr. Pauline Haugen, DC

Dr. Pauline Haugen opened Higher Health Chiropractic  Bellevue, WA in 2009 after seven years of practice in Colorado. She was first exposed to the benefits of chiropractic care as a young athlete. She ran for the Canadian National Team and then earned a full scholarship to The University of Michigan where she became an NCAA Division 1 athlete in track and cross-country.  As a nationally competitive runner, Dr. Pauline Haugen suffered a number of sports injuries.  After years of frustration it was chiropractic care that got her running again and stopped the repetitive injury cycle.

The concept of diagnosing the underlying cause of the injury versus simply treating the symptoms inspired Dr. Haugen to become a chiropractor.  Dr. Pauline Haugen is also a BASI certified Pilates instructor.  She specializes in injury and sports rehabilitation Pilates. She also specializes in Functional Nutrition, weight loss as well as properly fueling your body for an active lifestyle or athletic performance.

Kristin Denkinger, LMP

I’m proud to be a member of the Higher Health team!
I studied Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, and Hot Stone Massage at Bellevue Massage School,  Bellevue, WA.

Not only does massage therapy relieve muscle tension and pain, but it also increases  flexibility, range of motion, blood  circulation and reduces stress.  It also compliments the chiropractic  adjustment.   I specialize in deep tissue massage, sports and athletic injuries.

 Dr. Deanna Mutzel, DC

 CERTIFIED IN FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION

Dr. Deanna grew up in the small village of Elora, Ontario, where she began figure skating at the early age of 2. She competed in Figure Skating until the age of 18. At this time she discovered her new competitive passion, running. Dr. Deanna joined the Waterloo Huskie Striders and began training more seriously. Within a short period of time she excelled in the sport and was chosen to be a part of the Canadian Cross-Country and Track Team. She competed as an elite athlete at the World Junior and Senior Cross Country and Track Championships in Durham, England and Lisbon, Portugal- respectively in 1994 and 1995.

Dr. Deanna was recruited by the University of Michigan on a full athletic scholarship for Cross-Country and Track.  She won the Big Ten Cross-Country Championship as a freshman and was the first freshman in league history to claim Big Ten Athlete & Freshman Of The Year. Dr. Deanna was honored a three time collegiate Division 1 All-American (NCAA) in track and x-country.

Dr. Deanna uses a whole foods approach when consulting her patients on proper nutrition.  She is trained on creating individualized plans for a variety of conditions, such as weight loss, improving athletic performance, or living an optimum lifestyle.

JEN EPKER, OFFICE MANAGER

Erica Shepherd, Pilates Instructor

Erica Shepherd began practicing pilates in 2000 in her hometown of South Pasadena, California. She studied under world-renowned fitness expert Tracey Mallett and completed her certification through Body Arts and Sciences International, one of the most respected certification bodies in the industry.

In March of 2010 Erica became one of a handful of pilates instructors in the state to be certified by the Pink Ribbon Program, a fitness program designed to address the rehabilitation needs of breast cancer survivors.

She is the owner of The Pilates Company, a full service studio located in Woodinville, Washington and she teaches Private Pilates sessions at Higher Health Chiropractic.