Helping people live their best life has always been a central drive in Dr. Joshua Cooper’s professional life. Beginning with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, he soon pivoted to a career in massage. As an active person himself, working on the body to help the mind was a great fit. After enrolling in UWS more than a decade later, he realized that “chiropractic seemed a natural progression.” Currently practicing at Zen Space in two locations in Portland, Oregon, he has been voted as one of the city’s top chiropractors in the Willamette Week’s Best of 2023.
Regardless of the specialty, the thing that Josh finds most rewarding is “Educating people about their own bodies. Helping people feel better in their own bodies.” As a practitioner, Dr. Cooper prioritizes making patients feel welcome and at ease through his humor as well as his experience. His office caters to the masses and creates an inclusive space for anyone wanting to feel better through treatments such as massage, cupping, or chiropractic. Since his work as a massage therapist to being a chiropractic physician, he sees patients learning to see “bodywork as the first line of defense.” Whether a current patient or not, one piece of advice for everyone connects to “…breathing and posture. Small things such as making people more aware of pain and discomfort and more mindful of posture.”
As someone who has been helping patients feel better for nearly 20 years, Dr. Cooper advises new doctors to, “Know you’ll make mistakes and you learn to feel comfortable and develop your own style. Try to relax and throw yourself into all the sessions you can.” His own wellness involves spending time with family and friends, eating well, walking, and yoga. In and out of the office Josh sees value in “learning the balance of laughing and crying.”