Dr. Elizabeth Trattner has dedicated her life’s work to helping and healing others. Her highly individualized and holistic approach to getting to the root cause of her patient’s health issues, along with her extensive training is what has allowed her to maintain a thriving practice for the past 25 years. She has just opened her doors of Helia House in Miami, Florida, the first completely nontoxic healing center in the United States.

In addition to patient care, Dr. Trattner is a sought-after author and speaker who lends her expert knowledge to her peers. Early in her career, she penned a chapter on holistic protocols in Cosmetic Dermatology: Principles and Practice, by Dr. Leslie Baumann, Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. She has also written for the American Diabetic Association, The Fullest, American Spa, and many other outlets. 685 as of today 

More recently she has been invited as a guest speaker twice by the Academy of Regenerative Practices where she provided insights on how to speak with patients to get more compliance with care as well as how to help patients stay healthy while traveling.

Since 2017, Dr. Trattner has been a committee member of the Global Wellness initiative, Beauty Meets Wellness, and served as Co-Chair of Latina Beauty Meets Wellness, Redefining Cultural Beauty and Inclusivity.

Guest speaker at Ultra Wellness Luxury Travel: how to Keep your Guests Healthy while Travelling.

Additionally, Dr. Trattner has become a top source in her field for media, who rely on her expertise to disseminate information on a wide range of health topics. She has been featured in more than 685 national news outlets to date.   

She continues to educate both consumers and industry on tried-and-true practices as well as the latest wellness trends.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

From an early age, I yearned to be a doctor, spending my childhood devouring and memorizing health and medical encyclopedia pages. While in college, my concern for women’s health led me to volunteer in women’s health centers and to advocate for women’s issues. My pursuit of a medical degree was sidelined as I faced my own health complications. Soon after graduating and experiencing tremendous personal loss, I became chronically ill and battled a rare, life-threatening auto-immune disorder and severe asthma.

Having faced several near-death episodes, my journey to overcome my debilitating health conditions began. Along with my quest I’ve accumulated profound personal experiences that have shaped my medical perspective, culminating in a career that spans nearly thirty years practicing Integrative, Chinese and Energy Medicine, nutrition, and other modalities of healing. Through years of managing a chronic illness, food allergies, and multiple chemical and environmental sensitivities.

I continue to persevere, refusing to allow these challenges to define me, even having a healthy child after being told I’d never be able to. These health crises and the isolation they create have become all too common in our frenetic society. This certainty, along with my personal growth and healing, compels me to devote my life to helping others overcome their personal health challenges by merging my integrative medical training, my degree in Chinese medicine, my skills as a former concierge, and my own medical odyssey. I have developed a unique capacity in private practice treating and coordinating care for my patients, ensuring that they are properly guided through a team of caring practitioners. I am especially sensitive to the expertise of my patients’ physicians as I work closely with them to effectively integrate their treatment for optimal health outcomes.

As a Doctor of Chinese & Integrative Medicine and Licensed Acupuncturist and a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Center of Integrative Medicine’s IHeLp inter-professional program, I was one of the first to open an Integrative Medical practice in Miami and am a strong believer in personalized medicine. I have been specializing in women’s health, weight management, allergies, autoimmune diseases, environmental illnesses green beauty, and cosmetic acupuncture for over 25 years of practice. My approach to treating patients is highly individualized and holistic, digging deep into patients’ health and medical history to create protocols to help heal through both traditional and non-traditional methods. 

I am honored to be the only acupuncture physician in the country to have been invited and completed a prestigious medical rotation at the University of Arizona’s Center of Integrative Medicine under Dr. Andrew Weil. I am also a member of the esteemed Global Wellness Initiative: “Beauty Meets Wellness,” helping to redefine beauty and wellness standards as well as create aesthetic responsibility with other health and beauty leaders across the country. 

As an ardent believer in combining Chinese medicine with western medicine, I actively triage patients for other physicians for comprehensive care. My practice is further supplemented by training and initiation from the Shamans of the Andes. My nutritional counseling background stems from my chef’s training certificate earned at the Natural Gourmet Cooking Institute in 1991.

For the last twenty years, I have become a reliable source for media and have been quoted in hundreds of national outlets including Forbes, Newsweek, Coveteur, Huffington Post, Ocean Drive, and have been interviewed on several local and national television shows. Most recently I had my personal journey and practice featured in Allure magazine. Along with my signature Gemstone Facial based on gua sha, cupping, acupuncture, and other modalities of Chinese Medicine and holistic green beauty. I was recognized by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in a feature article in their industry-wide publication. I have appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show alongside my mentor Dr. Andrew Weil.

Where is your business based?

Miami, Florida.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Dr. Weil said to me in the early 90’s” what are we going to do with you” “where should you go to school”. He helped me determine my career path as a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and subsequently, I did a medical rotation in Integrative Medicine with him and got my certification for the Arizona Center of Integrative Medicine in Tucson. I graduated at the top of my class, summa cum laude, and score in the top 1 percentile on my boards.  I just recently completed my lifelong passion project, Helia House.

Helia House is the true essence of a healing space, an all-encompassing, well-building from the ground up, with every last detail.  From the type of sealant used on the windows to the type of wood used for the cabinetry, millwork, and doors; nothing within or around the building is toxic. As someone who suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and knows the negative effects of poor air quality, harmful building materials, and lack of sunlight, Dr. Trattner’s dream has been able to create a space where she and her patients can breathe freely, not have skin irritations, headaches and feel foggy while inside. Helia House delivers.

“I invested my heart and soul into Helia House and it was crucial that I work with the partners that understood that this is not just a green space, but one that is completely non-toxic,” says Dr. Elizabeth Trattner. I chose a team that includes LEED-certified architects, a LEED-certified and Florida Green Building Contractor, an Environmentalist who supervised every item in the building, a Feng Shui Master, and many other talented and highly educated colleagues all of who were committed to creating a pure, safe healing space.  Our team went up and beyond than regulatory thresholds for the sustainable certification, making it completely clean, non-toxic to fulfill our mission as a true home for healing. 

Implementing the same technology used in surgical rooms and environmental hospitals, Helia House has 6-stage technology that kills viruses, bacteria, and mold within seconds in the air and immediately on surfaces. During the construction phase, the space was remediated 3 times ensuring no mold is present whatsoever and special ductwork was installed so that mold, viruses, and bacteria cannot grow.  All of these systems far surpass the sustainable certification and follow our own high standards of hygiene and clean air standards as integrative and functional medicine professionals. 

No VOCs, formaldehyde, chemicals, toxins, or Prop 65 items, or pesticides were used in building Helia House. The garden features only plants native and grown in South Florida and has been Xeriscaped for minimal water consumption, complying with Helia House’s ethos. 

Interior furnishing such as the treatment tables are eco-friendly and made from recycled material.  The Okeo Tex Cotton and Linen curtains have been tested for chemicals, pesticides, and phthalates in addition to common things like lead and arsenic.  

Helia House is a space with a whole new level of healing that carries the energy of the earth. The name Helia derives from Greek origin and means ‘sun’ which is reflected in the building itself. The fully restored mid-century modern building is flooded with natural light, which minimizes the need for electric lighting, and all indoor lighting was made by female artisans in Morocco, Tunisia, and Italy. 

Additionally, Helia House revolves around the concept of sacred geometry and crystal energy.  Helia House features more than 1,000crystals throughout the property, with crystal grids laid personally by Dr. Trattner in the garden, treatment rooms, floors, walls, and doors.  Crystal grids use stone energy in a synergistic way where the sum is greater than the parts and those in Helia House were designed for healing and positive intention for all who enter the space.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Social Media is a blessing and a curse. As a woman of a certain age, it is hard to adapt but I took a course in social media and it has been an incredible tool for my work

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

There have been many bumps in the road, but all have been incredible learning experiences for me. If life was easy, we would never get the opportunity to grow as people and practitioners. Having had health challenges my entire adult life has been taxing but offered an incredible learning experience that led me to treating patients and delivering compassionate care in my practice. My own health issues forced me to seek non-traditional medicine when answers weren’t available to me in western medicine. I was determined to get better and found ways to heal my body through integrative medicine.

After earning my board certification in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, I took a very different path working for a plastic surgeon who at the time was the President of the Florida Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. It was an incredible two years where I learned about skin health and how patients heal from trauma. I pioneered integrative protocols for pre-and post-plastic surgery to speed up healing times, reduce side effects, and enhance outcomes. I then transitioned into private practice caring for diverse patients, including chronically ill patients who, like me, need to round out the care they receive through conventional Western medicine with other integrative modalities.

How do you stay focused?

A ton of sleep, Matcha, exercise, Pilates, organic, healthy food, and no alcohol.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I just built the first nontoxic healing center in the United States.  I created the gemstone acupuncture facial that has garnered international press. I have always been able to see ahead. I always tell my daughter, don’t look right, don’t look left, and keep moving forward,

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Social Media and connecting with other leaders in the community.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Believe in yourself even if no one else does.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

For me, Natural Health, Natural Medicine by Andrew Weil M.D., is the book that began the transformation in my life in the ’90s.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I love Instagram, Later for scheduling, Canva to create. It is a way to express yourself and get a message put in a creative way.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My friend Emily Bench of Pilathon. She has created a beautiful space for Pilates. She is a former doctor who excels in her career in every way.

How do you balance work and life?

Sleep and Family are everything to me.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Working out, snorkeling which is sensory overload and deprivation, Pilates, and sleep.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I just launched Helia House which is keeping me busy. I will begin to teach the Gemstone Acupuncture Facial to other acupuncturists and mineralogy, a class on how to work with crystal energy.

How can our readers connect with you?

Website: www.elizabethtrattner.com

Phone: (305)682-9358

Email: elizabeth@trattner.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreliztratts/

Instagram: Http://www.instagram.com/Heliahouse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drelizabethtrattner/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/acumom

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/acumom/