Real help for people who haven’t yet recovered from complex chronic illness with:

Chronic pain.

Exhaustion.
‍ ‍
Ongoing misery.‍ ‍

With my help, you can put
chronic pain, exhaustion & misery behind you - so you can enjoy life again…

Have chronic pain, exhaustion, sleep problems and brain fog, upended the life you used to navigate with ease — or at least well enough to get by?

Are you finding it difficult:

  • to keep up with work and family commitments?

  • to attend social activities you normally wouldn’t miss?

  • to manage your home and your ability to eat consistently?

  • Even get out of bed some days?

Has this left you feeling:

  • not quite stable?

  • not like yourself, and

  • unsure what’s happening in your body?

  • lacking in confidence or frightened?

That’s what my experience was like for decades.

Today I help others navigate similarly
complex health stories.

I’m Ellen Nicholas, a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP, AADP) and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P).

How can I help you heal?

By starting at the beginning.


We start from a clean slate rather than operating JUST from the data you already know (like your diagnoses).

Here, we operate from physiology first. That means we need to understand how your body is functioning.

If your body is functioning well — you will not have symptoms.

If your body were functioning well — you wouldn’t have the symptoms you are here for.

We need to know which parts of your body’s operating systems are functioning well — and which are not. To accomplish that we use the Roots & Wings Systems and Symptom Assessment in combination with functional lab testing for those who want or need it.

The information from the assessment will:

  • inform us what the functioning status of each systems is

  • let us understand where function has broken down

  • help decide which areas need attention first.

  • the areas that need attention

  • what systems need functional support to improve function

  • what your body needs relief from in the form of unburdening from:

    — bacteria, viruses, parasites

    — Lyme & tick-borne diseases

    — toxic exposures including heavy metals, pesticides & mold

    — malnourishment or nutritional deficiencies

What to do with that big-picture data

If you retain me to do so, or you continue into the Mystery Illness Solution, I will develop multiple strategies and interventions for you to implement that will:

  • aim to stabilize your symptoms

  • allow you to experience meaningful symptom reduction

  • for the most part, be designed to be intelligently sequenced rather than stacked - so we can see both what helps — and what does not help. It also enables us to catch and identify reactions before they are big problems.

  • create the conditions for health to flourish long-term

  • be designed to be sequenced — not stacked — so your system has a chance to respond.

This work is not about applying a one-size-fits all approach to all clients. Based on your physiology, as discovered by the R&W Systems and Symptom Assessment, it is about:

  • choosing the right interventions

  • in the right order,

  • at a pace your body can tolerate to avoid making things worse and allowing your body to heal one step at a time

Once we have the big picture, essentially a map, it tells us:

There are several ways to work with me:

1) A broad assessment of your functional health


For people who understand they need a comprehensive look at what may be contributing to their symptoms. You can’t fix the body if you don’t know what needs fixing.

This is a body-wide systems assessment with functional lab testing if desired to gain the information necessary to create a healing path forward.

See the Roots & Wings Systems and Symptom Assessment

2) A guided restorative process targeting complex chronic illness

For people who know they want and need more intensive, compassionate support as found in a coaching program with regular contact, clinical guidance, and help developing life management skills while recovering from life with complex chronic illness.

This is a six-month process with designed to assess and stabilize physiology, reduce symptoms, avoid energy crashes and rebuild and foundational health capacity.

See the Mystery Illness Solution.

3) Resources for Self-Directed Healers


For people who prefer or need to work independently on their health.

I offer resources including self-paced programs, practical tools and writing so you can explore various health topics that pique your interest.

Consultations and lab-testing are available as well.

See Programs & Offerings.

I’m Ellen Nicholas, a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP, AADP) and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P).

Complexity is the standard for my clients.


There will be no need to simplify your story for me. I actually want all the details. I’ll also believe you…

I work with people whose symptoms are layered, long-standing, and often difficult to categorize. These are people dealing with some combination of the following:

  • chronic pain and inflammation

  • bone-deepexhaustion no matter what they do (or don’t do)

  • poor sleep quality - difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking refreshed. If using sleep tools, they show minimal REM and deep sleep

  • digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome and constipation

  • anxiety or depressive states

  • nervous system dysregulation:

    • chronic muscle tension and tightness

    • hypervigilance with an exaggerated startle reflex

    • mood swings and emotional instability

    • brain fog, poor concentration, poor memory

    • easily irritated and triggered

    • fearful

    • feeling burned out

    • or a mix of a few — to many things at the same time.

  • Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses

  • Toxic exposures including heavy metals and mold

  • Post-viral syndromes