Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Erika Enos, ND.
Erika, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
At 21, I was in college at the University of California at Berkeley working towards a double major in Art History, with a focus on Japanese art history, and Studio Art. I loved both and found them challenging. I really wasn’t sure what I would do with either degree but I worked to build my resume by interning at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and teaching art to 3rd and 4th graders in Oakland through a program called Arts Bridge. I began to collect health issues- first mild depression and intense fatigue. Then, unexplained weight loss, the disappearance of my menstrual cycles, and insomnia as well as a whole host of other minor issues. At that time, I had no idea that Naturopathic Doctors existed. I did have an instinctual draw to alternative forms of healing with things like herbs and nutrition. Eventually, I found a medical doctor in San Francisco who practiced what would now be called Functional Medicine. My experience with her was different than the short symptom focused experience I’d had with most conventional medical doctors. She had more time to spend with me, to listen to me and to help me understand what was happening with my body. She treated my thyroid and adrenals. I was happy with my experience with her, although, with all that I know now, I realize that the treatment scraped the surface of what was happening with me.
During my first year in Naturopathic School, I listened to a lecture by a Naturopathic Doctor who has ultimately had the greatest influence on me and how I practice. In that lecture, he stressed the importance of continuously asking the question “why?” when you think you have the answer or solution for a patient. If a person has a sluggish thyroid, why? If they are missing important nutrients, why? If stress is impacting their thyroid, why? Continuing to ask why is paramount when treating complex chronic diseases to help a person resolve the cause of their disease and achieve holistic, long-lasting wellness. My experience with the functional medicine doctor was great and more than what was being offered conventionally but knowing what I know now, she definitely stopped short in digging into the “Why.”
That being said, I am forever grateful to the woman. I became curious about holistic medicine and one day I noticed her undergraduate degree hanging on the wall and that it was history degree, not a premed. I asked her about it and she clued in immediately that I might be interested in pursuing a career in medicine. She was the first person to tell me about Naturopathic Medicine and said it would be the route she would go if she had medical school to do over again. I was surprised to learn that there were accredited, full-time clinically-based institutions teaching holistic medicine. I had always assumed that the holistic community was made up of a few medical doctors like mine, herbalists, and self-taught laypeople. From there, I read about the principles of Naturopathic Medicine and these spoke to me. They made sense. It seemed magical to me that this was a legitimate career I could pursue. I finished my undergraduate degree the following year and immediately began completing the required premed courses for both conventional medical school and accredited naturopathic medical schools.
When I told people what I was doing, I was met with a variety of responses. There was unabashed enthusiasm (my mom). There was the friend who questioned whether I would, as an artist, be able to succeed in the sciences required (no problem at all, thank-you). There was a medical doctor who let me know I was “too smart” to not take the conventional route. I really didn’t care. It felt like the perfect thing to do. I decided to attend the National College of Natural Medicine (now the National University of Natural Medicines as it has expanded to include undergraduate offerings and additional degrees in things like nutrition and research). That portion of my education was a 5-year journey followed by a year of naturopathic medical residency. I met so many passionate and intelligent people in my time there. The wonderland of Portland was also the perfect place for me to spend the majority of my 20s and very early 30s. I learned invaluable things I’ve never had to take a written test on such as how to really listen, how to hold space for others, and I learned so much about personal growth. Portland is a bit of a natural healthcare bubble and there are hundreds of Naturopathic doctors practicing there. I also needed a little more sun! I decided didn’t want to stay in Portland to practice.
I found Denver accidentally when my BFF from childhood got married here. I love the sun and the heat of the Colorado summer. I grew up in the Central Valley of California where the summer temperature regularly tips 100 so the heat can feel like home to me. When I moved here, Denver also had relatively few Naturopathic Doctors along with a large population that I felt would want the type of healthcare I offer. I moved here in 2012 and opened Healing Roots Natural Medicine.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is happening Now. Live it this way and make caring for yourself a top priority. I say these things out of my own experience and what I observe in my patients. Roughly a decade and a half of my life was spent training and building for what I have today. Even though I knew it would be a marathon, I often ran it as a sprint. This definitely takes its toll. I see many women in my practice doing the same thing and I know that it is a large part of why they need my help to reverse chronic health issues. I find myself reminding women that taking care of themselves is like the oxygen masks on airplanes- you have to put yours on first not just for yourself but so that you can take care of the things important to you- building your business, following your passion, raising children, etc.
Find a mentor in your field. They don’t have to do things exactly like you envision. In my first years in practice, I spent way too much time re-inventing the wheel. I always tell naturopathic students that visit my practice to seek out a position working with a doctor who has been in practice at least six years.
What should we know about Healing Roots Natural Medicine? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a Naturopathic Doctor with a private practice in central Denver. Being a Naturopathic Doctor is and isn’t what it sounds like. I do use herbs, whole foods nutrition, nutritional supplements, homeopathy and lifestyle to help my patients to address chronic health issues and to achieve a higher level of wellness, but isn’t really these modalities over pharmaceuticals that makes being a Naturopathic Doctor different. It is about approaching health, the patient and the healing journey in a whole different way. This approach acknowledges that we are far more than our physical body and that we possess an innate ability to heal. My job is to help stimulate the body’s own ability to heal while helping to ensure that the body is getting the right information for healing through nutrients and the environment. I identify roadblocks that are preventing healing. These roadblocks might be lifestyle-related like diet, mental/emotional, or something like the balance of gut flora, chronic infections, toxins, etc.
Listening to my patients, their stories and their concerns is key. I spend around 90 minutes with most of my new patients, sometimes closer to two hours. This gives me what I need to begin to understand how their health became what it is today by exploring not just their current symptoms but what their health and lives have been like over time. We are taught to believe that symptoms are the problem and that diseases have single causes. This is the finding of the “cure” attitude- the miracle drug or the miracle herb. The vast majority of the time, chronic diseases are more of a web of causes that takes careful attention on the part of the doctor and the patient to unweave and rebuild into health.
My practice focuses on autoimmune conditions, digestive health, and skin conditions. But the truth is that as a Naturopathic Doctor who looks at the person as a whole, I address whatever my patients need. If a person comes to me wanting to have clear beautiful skin instead of acne but they also have migraines, anxiety, and fatigue, my approach will address those as well. There are very few conditions and complaints I will not treat. In fact, I especially love “medical mysteries”- those symptoms people experience that haven’t been diagnosed and maybe even all the conventional testing and assessment has been normal but they still don’t feel right.
Which women inspired you the most?
My mother is at the top of the list here. Her career wasn’t fancy or flashy but she was highly valued and has made a meaningful impact on her community. She is an incredibly kind and gracious person. I think the world could use more people like her.
Contact Info:
- Address: 840 26th St
Denver, Co 80205 - Website: www.healingrootsclinic.com
- Phone: 720-295-9439
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Garth Muncy
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