Founding Physician
Dr. Pauline Haugen
DC, BASI, NCAA Division 1 athlete
Dr. Pauline Haugen opened Higher Health Spine and Sport in Bellevue, WA, in 2009, after seven years of practice in Colorado. Dr. Haugen was a competitive figure skater until the age of 18 and then discovered she had a talent for running.
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 in Bellevue. 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.
Contract partners
Rachel R. LMT
practicing LMP massage therapist
Hello! I am a rare Bellevue native. I graduated from Bellevue Massage School in 2001. I’ve spent the past 2+ decades working in spa and medical environments, providing both relaxation and treatment massage.I take a holistic approach with each client, blending therapeutic and relaxation techniques. My practice is fluid, grounding, calming, and healing. Outside the office you can find me spending time with my family, walking the dogs, cultivating my green thumb, practicing yoga, or in the kitchen.
Star M, LMT
Massage therapist
Morningstar has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2010. She completed her studies at Apollo College in Spokane Valley, WA. Massage therapy has been a part of her life since high school where she played basketball and faced many challenges with injuries as a result. Receiving massage helped to relieve her pain, muscel tension, reduce stress, and promote relaxation and sleep.
She integrates a combination of Swedish massage to help keep her clients relaxed, while using trigger point to help relieve muscle tension, and deep tissue massage to help focus on the deepest layers of muscle tissue, as well as stretching. Appropriate pressure, relaxation, and comfort are her main goals. Morningstar enjoys working with her clients to relieve chronic pain, headaches, injured rotator cuffs, amongst many other issues. By adjusting each massage to the individual client, she is well-skilled in providing a specific massage for your needs.
Kyla O, LMT
Massage Therapist
I’m Kyla O. I’m originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia. I’ve been a massage therapist for 10 years. My style of massage is a relaxing deep tissue. I offer Himalayan salt hot stones as well as cupping. I am also proficient in prenatal massage, sports injuries, trigger point therapy, and Swedish massage. I’m really excited to be a part of team Higher Health and I look forward to meeting you!
Lishu T, LMT
Massage Therapist
Bio and photo coming soon!
Office staff
Kiana T.
CERTIFIED Chiropractic Assistant
Hello! My name is Kiana, and I am born and raised here in Seattle! I am currently a Running Start Student at Bellevue College, and I am further pursuing my education in a science degree. With my free time I enjoy spending it with my family, helping others, and exploring the outdoors. I am extremely excited to be a part of the Higher Health Team, helping however I can and learning more and more every day!
Catherine T.
Chiropractic Assistant
Catherine is a Washington native. She spent 5 years working in the health industry in Minnesota and recently moved back to her roots. Catherine loves the PNW outdoors. Each day she radiates sunshine and and love to our patients with her positive energy! We are so grateful to have Catherine as a part of our team. She will be assisting our doctors to provide you with exceptional care.
Karla S.
Office Manager
Karla is a faithful mother of three who loves spending her weekend on Lake Chelan. She was born and raised in Seattle and is passionate about marine education 12. Karla worked in the medical field for 6 years and volunteered for a long time at a local animal shelter. Karla is thrilled to begin her own journey here at Higher Back Health and Sports and all the benefits of chiropractic body!
Maddie O.
Lead Patient Coordinator
Meet Maddie O., our vibrant new lead patient coordinator at Higher Health. With a passion for hiking, cooking, and exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, Maddie brings a refreshing energy to our team. Her role involves warmly greeting patients and providing them with top-notch customer care, ensuring everyone feels welcome and supported in their healthcare journey. We're thrilled to have Maddie on board, adding her unique blend of enthusiasm and dedication to the Higher Health family.
EMILY A.
Brand Strategy
Emily Arias leads design at Higher Health from St. Augustine, Florida. We Are Charette, a health-focused branding agency, is an award-winning design studio that focuses on opening up a visual dialogue between customers and their audience.
Kristin C.
Digital Strategy
Kristin runs marketing campaigns for High Health, leads strategic digital advertising, weekly blog content, and newsletters. Kristin specializes in brand marketing, and is involved in fitness and wellness.
When Kristin does not sleep in the classroom or in the studio, she likes to learn new healthy recipes, red wine, acro yoga and spend time with her French bulldog Louis.