Dr. Danielle Perna-Amari is currently Vice President of the Life West Alumni Board.
Since leaving Life West in 2018, my life has been a great and unexpected journey of following my passions and joy. My time in school reinvigorated my interests in my undergrad studies of nutrition, and in the spring of 2019, I started my master’s in functional medicine and nutrition. The same month I started the program, I met my now husband, Bobby, and three days later we decided we would spend the rest of our lives together.
In 2020 we moved from Oregon to Pennsylvania, where Bobby is from – it was a bit of a chaotic time. In addition to my studies, I was starting up a practice in a city I had never even been to, all the during the Covid Era. It was overwhelming and I learned to take things one step at a time. Along the way, I got into the perinatal and pediatric side of care and enjoyed diving deeper into the nuances of the pediatric spine through ICPA courses and Dr. Martin Rosen’s SOT for pediatrics (it’s like corrective cranial care- so amazing.)
In owning my practice, it was nice to have a space that was an expression of the things I love, and it created a community that I really resonated with. Beyond my practice, I wanted to create some kind of positive impact on my community that was another expression of my values as a DC, so I created a free women’s running group that still exists today, Women Running West Chester. It was a small but effective way of being involved and active during Covid
In 2022, my husband and I both received professional opportunities in Georgia, so we thought, “why not?”. As a couple without kids (albeit our Pugs are definitely our “children”), we knew it was feasible for us to take this leap. It was hard to close my practice but I knew I would regret not taking this opportunity. I started teaching at Life University in 2023 in the clinical sciences department. It’s been one of the hardest and most fulfilling things I have done. (I developed the deepest adoration for our professors at Life West and what they did for us!)
More than anything, it’s been special to be a professor amongst the future DCs of our profession and to help inspire critical thinking when it comes to wellness care.
During my time at Life University, I’ve been an advisor for the Pierce Results technique club, which felt like a small divine intervention. It’s an approach I have so much appreciation for – its analysis, certainty, and results – so I am excited to explore that when I am back in my own practice. Outside of work, I (finally) got the opportunity to get back into competitive rowing, which has been a great reminder of how valuable it is to not only keep active as we age, but to never stop challenging ourselves. Between work and rowing, I have learned so much about myself, and I have definitely been super grateful for chiropractic care to keep me on my toes and spry as ever.
Needless to say, Georgia has been so good to us in so many ways, and we have flourished in our time here. Not surprising to anyone who knows us, and perhaps it’s my Sagittarius spirit, but we are set to move back to my hometown, Austin, TX, in 2026. I’m applying for a PhD in nutrition at UT Austin and, regardless of what happens, I will still be practicing in some capacity as a functional medicine and hands-on practitioner.
When I started at Life West, I thought my time afterward would look so different than it has turned out, but perhaps with the unforeseen times of Covid and meeting my husband, it unfolded in so many unexpected, but perfect, ways. I encouraged new grads to follow that path that brings out the best in what they have to offer, even if it looks different from everyone else. There is no right path, there’s just the one we each take.
