In From Doctor to Healer, Erica Elliott recounts a life shaped as much by intuition and spirit as by science and training. Her journey begins in the halls of conventional medicine but soon veers into deeper, uncharted territory after illness, environmental exposure and a startling encounter with a mountain lion push her to reconsider what true healing requires. In this conversation, Elliott reflects on the pivotal moments that reshaped her understanding of medicine, the prophecy that guided her and the philosophy of care she now brings to patients seeking answers beyond the limitations of traditional practice.
Your book discusses a transformative journey from a traditional doctor to a healer. Can you describe a pivotal moment that significantly influenced this change in your perspective on medicine?
I sensed already back in medical school that what we were learning did not always heal the patients. I knew there was more to healing than giving out medications for each of the symptoms. I thought it was odd that preventive measures were never talked about. But it was only after a severe illness from chronic exposure to toxic chemicals in a clinic where I worked that I left mainstream medicine and finally got onto my true path in life which enabled me to implement the process of deep healing of myself and ultimately the healing of my patients.
You mention being guided by the spirit of a mountain lion throughout your journey. What does the mountain lion symbolize for you, and how has this spiritual connection influenced your approach to healing?
The “gift” from the mountain lion lies in the prophecy of the Navajo Grandmother in 1971 when I lived in the Navajo Nation as a schoolteacher and was sniffed by a mountain lion while in my sleeping bag in the wilderness. The mountain lion gave me his courage, strength and intense focus……He was my “spirit guide.” I never forgot what Grandmother said in her prophecy…that if I survived the “life threatening obstacles I would face,” I would have “powerful medicine to give to the people.”
In the memoir, you share your personal health challenges and how they impacted your career. How did overcoming your own health issues change your relationship with your patients and their healing processes?
To get well, I had to take a deep dive into environmental medicine, along with other modalities for healing, and learn all the many crucial issues that were never taught in medical school. Everything I learned for healing myself, I passed on to my patients who had not been helped by mainstream medicine.
You recount experiences from your medical school days, including your initial reluctance to challenge conventional wisdom regarding vaccinations. How have these early experiences shaped your current practice as a medical detective?
Using my medical detective skills, I have discovered that not everything we learned in our medical training was true. Some issues were highly politicized. The pharmaceutical industry had immense power in influencing what was taught. I search out unbiased science (hard to find these days), and I use my own experiences, my common sense and critical thinking to determine what is true and what is not true. Above all, I want what is best for my patients.
You emphasize the importance of environmental factors in health. Can you elaborate on how you incorporate environmental medicine into your practice and patient care?
Environmental medicine addresses the food we eat, the air we breathe, the toxins we’re exposed to, the body products, laundry products, cleaning products we use, the building materials, the pesticides we’re exposed to, the hormone mimickers in our environment, some of the medications that are used, chronic infections like Lyme Disease—the list goes on and on and on. One of my roles is to educate my patients about how to lower the level of toxins that are making them chronically sick.
You express joy in mentoring medical students. What insights do you hope to pass on to future generations of doctors, and how do you think they can better approach patient care?
An ever-increasing number of doctors are leaving mainstream medicine and practicing “alternative” medicine because they want to help their patients get well and not just rely on medications which do not address the underlying causes of their chronic conditions. I emphasized to the students I mentored the importance of searching for the root causes of their patients’ chronic illnesses.
Your narrative is filled with themes of resilience and hope amidst suffering. What message do you hope readers take away from your memoir, particularly those navigating their own health challenges?
I think my story will inspire the readers who are suffering to know that what they are going through can often be a portal to transformation, sometimes referred to as “from breakdown to breakthrough.” Given that we now know that the brain can change itself over time with repetition, we have the potential to rewire ourselves for joy — in spite of it all.
