My name is Erica Nicoll
and I’m the founder practitioner behind Sustained Roots Wellness (SRW).
Erica is an R.TCM.P (Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner). She graduated with distinction from a five-year Doctorate program in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences (KCCIHS) in 2019, after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Mount Royal University in 2012.
Her passion for Chinese Medicine developed from her own experiences with various autoimmune diseases, relentlessly trying to find various ways to mitigate her symptoms through a more holistic approach. Through her own experience of having a long-standing illness, she has a special interest in working with individuals with autoimmune diseases, by working to find the root cause for each individual.
Erica sees health as a constantly changing and dynamic process that allows one to adapt to life’s ever challenging times. By listening and observing the body, one can uncover the underlying patterns and factors that may be blocking an individual’s innate capacity to heal. This intrinsic ability to heal can be accomplished through methods such as Chinese herbal medicine, nutritional counseling, Nei Gong practices and exercise.
The intention behind Sustained Roots is a cultivation of Erica’s deep love for Chinese medicine and nature.
It stands on the core values of understanding that we must attune to the earth and protect it to protect ourselves.
Everyone is coming from a different place on their healing journey. Our philosophy is to provide a listening ear and a curious heart to all of our patients.
“But one thing that is absolutely true is that unity and separation cannot exist in the same place at the same time. It is also true that harmony cannot coexist with exclusion”.
— R I C H A R D W A G A M E S E One Drum, Stories & Ceremonies for a Planet
MY JOURNEY
When I was seven years old I started noticing that my knees, hands and wrist joints were constantly sore. My joints felt heavy, all the time. It was very difficult to walk for long periods or to hold a pencil or pen. Many school activities became difficult. I could not stand up from the floor without assistance from a friend. Our Doctor chalked it up to growing pains and said it would pass as I got older. The tipping point came on a trip to California when at the age of seven, my legs finally gave out and I sat on the ground and told my parents I could no longer walk because the pain had become too intense. For the remaining four days of the trip my dad carried me around.
It took about a year of doctor and specialist appointments to diagnose the pain as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA), which is now known as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). I was put on various pharmaceuticals to try and alleviate the pain and prevent further degeneration of the joints. I stayed on this trajectory of taking NSAID’s (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and DMARD’S (Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs), for about 12 years.
Fast forward to when I was nineteen, living on my own when I finally decided that something had to change. I was tired of taking medications that made me feel nauseous. I wanted to try a different route for my health, which led me to seeing a Naturopathic Doctor and the start of a different more attuned path.
It has now been close to a twenty year research and study journey of finding what works for my body. There have been many up and downs along the way, but through it all I try and remind myself that my body is always trying to reach optimal health and to protect me the best way it knows how. I guess that’s the beautiful part about healing; it is never complete and there is always something to learn and grow from.
If you’ve been struggling with an autoimmune disease or other health challenges and would like to learn about Chinese medicine and whether it may be the right fit for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Training & Experience
Sports Medicine Acupuncture 3 Day Dissection Lab
Boulder, CO. Matt Callison
Education
Bachelor of Arts; Majoring in Psychology & Minoring in Sociology
Doctorate of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P)
Certifications
AIP Certified Coach
Permaculture Design Certificate