Doug has been the proud owner of Lifestyles Neuromuscular and Massage Therapy for the last 25 years. His clinical career has seen him complete over 40,000 hours of professional, clinical table time in his practice, and off-site - working with a number of High-Performance Athletes and Teams, both National and International.

Doug’s Business Director and interpersonal skills, stem from a career of middle management positions in various industries from Hospitality to Design and Operations management in the Pre-press Industry, that spans >3 decades, in the UK & NZ.

Doug’s teaching career began in 1999 @ NZCM (Auckland Camus), where he realised his combined passion of Massage Therapy and as an Educator – starting as a Surface Anatomy teacher, through to Senior Lecturer on the BHS NMT & Massage Degree within the Clinical Therapeutics Program.

Following the closure of NZCM, Doug lead the NMT program of the Diploma in Remedial Massage at Wintec (Rotokauri Campus) for the initial 2 years. Doug maintains his passion and success in teaching, stems from his unwavering appreciation and the respect he holds for his teachers at NZCM, who were the pioneers of our Industry today.

Most recently, Doug had the privilege of being the MANZ Education Officer on the Executive Committee – a post he held for almost 4 years. Charged with navigating the COVID pandemic and 2 x NZQA Qualification Reviews in the first 2 years of this commitment, helped Doug grow as a Therapist, Educator and advocate for the Massage Therapy Industry. This also required Doug to draw on the exceptional skills, knowledge and talent of his peers within the MANZ family – a position and responsibility, he is truly grateful for. As recognition, Doug was the recipient of the Bill Wareham Award at last years’ AGM – one of his most humbling experiences and a true honour.

Doug’s teaching and clinical style sit firmly in the ideals and application of Neuromuscular Therapy. However, his life and clinical experience, research and acknowledgement of parallel Allied health philosophies have led him to include many of their’ techniques and exploration, around the clinic table and in his Workshops today. A significant aspect of his treatment plans and clinical reasoning have been drawn from his 40+ years of experience in the gym and competitive sports. Combining the multi-faceted approach of NMT, with Exercise Rehabilitation - he facilitates a complete and achievable program for each of his clients’ respectively, to realise their goals’, and enjoys nothing more than observing his clients’ and students’ growth in their personal journeys.