Transcendent Wellness: Healing the Spirit with Elizabeth Nicholson, MD

By Mckenna Graham Photos By Matt Johnson 

You take your vitamins and supplements, get 10,000 steps a day, rest the recommended hours of sleep per night, and slather your skin with moisturizer and sunscreen. You’re taking care of yourself, right? If you’re following all the wellness and self-care advice currently touted by modern trends, then why does it still feel like something is missing? Elizabeth Nicholson, MD, owner and intuitive guide at The Connection Conduit might say you’re forgetting to care for the most important part of your being: the inner self.

After spending over 15 years as a clinical psychiatrist, Nicholson has taken a career pivot, both inspired by her work in the mental health field and also by personal upheaval in her own life. Her calling to connect with and help others led her to found The Connection Conduit, which taps into Nicholson’s natural gifts as an empath. Though Nicholson does not use the word ‘psychic’ to describe herself, her sessions with clients do call on the metaphysical, even mystical energy that exists in and around us. She cites Rick Rubin’s idea from his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being that information from the universe is being transmitted on higher frequencies and though it “can’t be physically grasped” through our five senses it can be perceived if we “create an open space that allows for it”.

Nicholson assists others with the existential and intangible ailments that trouble the human spirit. During sessions, she guides her clients through a healing experience by reconnecting them with their inner wisdom and offering spiritual support. Her sessions can be particularly useful for those at a crossroads in life. Like many of us, Nicolson’s life has been dappled with tragedies, such as a fatal car accident she experienced when she was only eighteen.

“One of my friends was killed,” she says, “We were on the interstate. I’m very lucky to be alive. So, I think from a young age I had an appreciation for this life that we’re given and it really changed the way I view things.” This experience ignited a fire inside her to be of service and led her to attend medical school, ultimately earning her MD from the University of Louisville and residency at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her career in a psychiatric emergency room meant a daily encounter with the psychological and spiritual suffering of others, and though Nicholson still believes in traditional therapies, she contends that something is lacking.

“I’m not opposed to the traditional medical system,” she says, “I have used psychiatric medications. I have been in therapy. I think all those things can be incredibly helpful. But from my own personal experiences of grief, of loss, of transitions, of big life changes, I have found this style of work to be incredibly helpful.” Nicholson’s sessions fill in the gap left by Western medicine that only seeks to treat the body without considering the spirit. 

“[Elizabeth] is a very powerful and gifted space holder and seer,” says Clara V., one of Nicholson’s clients. “In one session with her, I was able to identify and look at things I have been avoiding for years. She helped me gently approach and gain understanding. She provided so much insight and valuable tools as well. A very transformative experience!”

Over the years, she has studied under a number of teachers and traditional healers, beginning with her Fellowship in Integrative Medicine under Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, Tucson. She also earned certifications in mindfulness and meditation through UC Berkley, which she says was an absolute “life changer”. Other apprenticeships in energy healing, Shamanic studies and intuitive medium ships continued to help her hone her natural gifts.

Nicholson shared from a past journal entry that describes her philosophy and approach to the service she provides saying, “I believe if I’m not good to myself, I’m not being good to you. I believe that if I can love myself for every part of who I am, then I can love you for every part of who you are. I believe it all starts with how we feel about ourselves. If I love me, then I love you. It sounds simple. However, I have found that the path of self-love and self-acceptance is a long and arduous one. Despite that, it’s worth every moment traveled. At least it was for me, because in it, I found my love for you.”

Sessions with Nicholson can be booked through her website at www.theconnectionconduit.com. She welcomes both individuals as well as groups. She can also be found during office hours at The Healing Collective in Middletown located at 11603 Shelbyville Rd # 7.