Dr. Cassandra Peterson decided to return to home base to begin her first chiropractic practice.

Until recently, the Anacortes native worked at VanQuaethem Chiropractic and Massage in Seattle. A weekend trip to Coupeville last August piqued her interest in island life, and an available office in Harbor Station sealed the deal to lure Peterson to Oak Harbor.

A positive outlook, healthy lifestyle and clear brain-body connection is the key to good health, she said.

“If you keep your nerve system free of interference, your body can thrive,” she said.

A graduate of the University of Washington and Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic in Spartanburg, S.C., Dr. Peterson received her first adjustment when she was 19 years old.

Dr. Peterson plans to continue her education while serving her Whidbey Island patients. Within the next year, she will complete a course with the International Pediatric Association so she can better serve infants, children and pregnant women.