Three Great Teachers of Osteopathy:
Lessons We Learned from Drs. Becker, Fulford, and Wales

Edited by Rachel E. Brooks, M.D.

Drs. Becker, Fulford and Wales were each extraordinary osteopaths who served as inspirational guides to generations of practitioners. This collection of stories captures some of the precious and practical wisdom they imparted over the years.

Many of the stories tell about lives profoundly changed by the teaching they received while others reveal small pearls of wisdom that were gained. Some of the stories arise from a chance, one-time meeting with one of these teachers, while others are from people who knew them very well. Most of the stories come from experiences that occurred in exchanges shared one-on-one. 

While the essence of osteopathy is taught hand-to-hand, there is also a long and deep tradition of osteopathic wisdom being imparted through the words and deeds of the teachers and elders of their day. There is so much to learn from their actions, thoughts, and beliefs. 

This book of stories brings Drs. Becker, Fulford and Wales to life. It is a book you will wish to keep nearby to read over and over again for inspiration and guidance.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Teachers and the Stories
Share Your Story
Osteopathy and Osteopathy in the Cranial Field

Rollin E. Becker, DO
Biography
Stories

Robert C. Fulford, DO
Biography
Stories

Anne L. Wales, DO
Biography
Stories

List of Contributors
Books Cited
About the Editor: Rachel E. Brooks, MD

about RACHEL E. BROOKS, MD

Dr. Brooks’ lifelong dedication to osteopathy began in 1975 when she met Rollin E. Becker, DO. He was a great practitioner and teacher of cranial osteopathy who had been a close student of Dr. William G. Sutherland, the founder of that osteopathic approach. She also had the opportunity to study closely with Anne L. Wales, DO, another close student of Dr. Sutherland’s.

Dr. Brooks teaches cranial osteopathic courses and served on the board of trustees of the Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation for sixteen years. She teaches across the US and internationally and is sought for her personal and historical insights regarding the practice and foundations of osteopathic practice. Her current series of courses is titled, “The Power of Presence.”

Dr. Brooks has also undertaken many publication projects. In the 1980s, she assisted Anne Wales, DO in the editing of Teachings in the Science of Osteopathy by William G. Sutherland, DO, and she helped edit the second edition of Sutherland’s Contributions of Thought.

In 1997, she founded Stillness Press, LLC. Rachel E. Brooks, MD is the editor of these Stillness Press books: Life in Motion: The Osteopathic Vision of Rollin E. Becker, DO, The Stillness of Life: The Osteopathic Philosophy of Rollin E. Becker, DO, and Three Great Teachers of Osteopathy: Lessons We Learned from Drs. Becker, Fulford, and Wales