Our Team
Dr Dean Carter, (B.Chiro) MNZCA, Chiropractor, Director
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata! What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!
Dr Dean's approach to health and life philosophy is holistic, vitalistic and natural. His unique view of health is the underpinning foundation of Living Chiropractic & Wellness. Dr Dean believes in taking the time to get to the core issue of health problems. He sets out to understand the contributing factors of his patients health concerns, rather than simply dealing with their symptoms. The impact of losing many family members to lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer was the main influence for him to study health sciences, lifestyle and wellness care as a way of life and vocation.
Dr Dean has twenty years of experience in wellness care and over 15 years in chiropractic. He has a reputation for excellence and provides the people of Franklin with exceptional family wellness care. He is inspired to help families, new-born babies and children, mature citizens, amateur and high performance athletes. Dr Dean recognises the best choice to move forward into optimal health is by ‘Living in Wellness’. Children and adults alike feel nurtured in his warm and friendly centre.
Born and raised in the rural town of Te Kuiti, Dr Dean has always enjoyed the outdoors. He believes that keeping active in the things you love is key to creating a full life, and he makes time for fishing, mountain biking, hiking and yoga. Dr Dean also loves to spend quality time with his three daughters and mokopuna.
Dr Dean empowers his practice members to exercise, maintain postural awareness, and to stretch every day. “Alongside chiropractic care, strengthening the body, mind and soul creates a healthy nervous system and prepares you for physical, emotional and chemical stresses we face everyday”.
Dr Kristina Hughes, (B.Chiro) NZCA, Chiropractor
Dr Kristina has a passion for wellness chiropractic care, particularly for babies and children. With 13 years of chiropractic experience, she has worked in several practices across the country, but there is no place like Pukekohe where she has returned with her young son after some time away.
While Dr Kristina enjoys seeing people of all ages and walks of life, it was becoming a Mum herself that fuelled her interest and love of seeing babies, children and families. She has huge knowledge and expertise in this area and is continually developing herself professionally to ensure she is up to date with the latest paediatric research and science of chiropractic.
Dr Kristina loves keeping active, and you can often find her out and about with her son exploring what this wonderful community has to offer.
Dr Kristina is an outstanding practitioner who believes the best way to have the biggest impact in the community is through the younger generation. She loves to welcome them into a caring and supportive environment, and to help families with their concerns from a natural, vitalistic and holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
Dr Sam Haitsma, (B.Chiro) NZCA, Chiropractor. DCNDP, AdvCert SOT, Cert SOT Craniopath
Dr Sam is a distinguished specialist in neurodevelopmental chiropractic care and is renowned for her expertise in Sacro Occipital Technic and Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics. She also specialises in airway and breathing, cranial development, TMJ, and child/adolescent neurobehavioral support.
Her unwavering commitment to holistic wellness is evident in Dr Sam's passion for providing personalised and specialised care. Dr Sam's core chiropractic values of Empathy, Certainty, and Passion form the foundation of her approach. These values guide her interactions with practice members and underscore her commitment to the well-being of families in Pukekohe and the wider area.
Dr Sam has been practicing for over 16 years at Balance Chiropractic in Waiuku. During that time she has seen many families both from within Franklin and all over the country.
She is a local Mum of 3 and bonus Mum of 2. Dr Sam is also an entrepreneur, mentor, and coach. She thrives in the outdoors, and loves hiking, the beach and gardening.
Maryann Lee, Practice Manager
Maryann’s positive outlook on life and her friendly nature is evident when you meet her.
“I love coming to the practice and being part of Living Chiropractic and Wellness. It is so exciting to see the transformation of our new clients who begin their chiropractic journey. We also have so many amazing long-standing clients who have chiropractic care as part of their life to stay well, active and maintain positive mindset. They are truly inspiring, and their energy is contagious to be around. It’s the people in the Centre that make my day”.
Maryann has spent most of her career in education. For over 15 years she worked at Auckland University, Unitec Institute of Technology and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. As an e-learning specialist her role was to advise lecturers in developing online course and design digital learning activities for their students. In 2018 Maryann made the decision to shift out of education and pursue her interests in wellness. She enrolled in a full-time Massage course at Wellpark College and loved learning about the anatomy and the healing power of relaxation massage and touch. In 2019, Maryann travelled to India and studied Ayurveda practices for six weeks. Her pursuit for her personal development and understanding of wellness continues to grow.
Kyra Mansell, Chiropractic Assistant
Kyra is our fabulous Chiropractic Assistant who began at Living Chiropractic in 2022, initially as a student carrying out work experience. She enjoyed her experience so much that a year later, she joined the team in a permanent role. Kyra loves being at the front-desk and is a natural at making people feel comfortable and building strong relationships with all our clients.
Along with her family, Kyra has had chiropractic care since she was an infant and understands the importance of living a chiropractic lifestyle. She is a great advocate of chiropractic, and encourages all her friends and family to come into the practice.
Born and raised on a Franklin farm, Kyra enjoys rural life. Learning to live off the land, rear animals and simply enjoying the fresh air - Kyra feels most at home when outdoors in the sun. "Animals and plants have such a wonderful energy which is part of the charm of the Pukekohe region".
Kyra plays netball at a competitive level all year round. She’s been playing since she was seven years old and loves the sport. Kyra learnt that having determination and a positive mindset helps her to make fast decisions on the court. She brings this same attitude to her role and Living Chiropractic & Wellness.
