Photo Credit: Quianna Marie Photography
Dr. Nicole Cain, ND, MA is a naturopathic physician, EMDR-trained psychotherapist, and author of Panic Proof (Penguin Random House) — the definitive guide to healing panic and anxiety at the root cause.
She is best known for her Root-Cause Anxiety Framework — a differential-diagnosis approach that identifies the biological type of anxiety driving a patient’s symptoms, whether rooted in gut dysbiosis, hormonal shifts, trauma, nutrient deficiency, or dysglycemia, and treats accordingly.
Dr. Cain bridges naturopathic medicine, trauma-informed psychotherapy, and emerging therapies including EMDR and psychedelic-assisted treatment. She has been a keynote speaker at Integrative Medicine for Mental Health and Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine, and featured in Psychology Today, Health magazine, Forbes, and Oprah Daily, and has shared her expertise alongside renowned figures including Gabor Mate.
She works with patients who have tried conventional treatments without lasting relief, and trains clinicians through her Health for Life program. Her community-based healing program, the Holistic Wellness Collective, guides members from “what’s wrong with me?” to a personalized root-cause treatment protocol.
Your symptoms are trying to tell you what to heal.
I’m here to teach you how
hello loves,
For those of you that are new, welcome.
It is such a joy to be a part of your journey. Thank you for being here.
For over a decade, I have been a pioneer in integrative approaches for mental and emotional wellness.
With a degree in clinical psychology and a license as a Naturopathic Physician in the state of Arizona, my approach to mental health is multidisciplinary: medical, psychological, and holistic.
I have been interviewed as a mental health expert in Forbes, consulted for major companies like Orb Health, designed the integrative mental health curriculum for Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM)/ Sonoran University of Health Sciences, and have been a national speaker for PESI, AIHM, IMMH (2025) and other leading behavioral health organizations. My zone of genius is mental health and my passion is to spread a simple message:
You can get your life back
My Story
I’ve been on my own health journey since the age of 12, with what started out as terrible sinus congestion and, several medications later, anxiety began to show up in my world.
Being a doctor was ingrained in my soul since a young age. In fact, in middle school I made my own little first aid kit and brought it on adventures with the neighborhood kids to the creek nearby. I’d tend to their scrapes and bruises and encourage their spirits.
Pre-med was at the top of my living-list and I studied AP biology, read first-aid books for fun, and was later granted admission to Luther College on scholarship where I studied psychobiology. Throughout college, my symptoms persisted. By the age of 21, I had two prescriptions for asthma, two for rhinitis, one for anxiety, depression, and another for stomach upset (if you’re counting, that’s six prescriptions for a 21 year old).
As my confidence in the medical system wavered, one thing stayed the same: The feeling of a soul on fire when truly connecting with and supporting others.
The next step on my journey took me out of small-town-Iowa and brought me to Chicago, Illinois to study clinical psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. This is where two amazing things happened: I learned how to become a psychotherapist and I met my to-be husband, Paul.
One evening, I was working as a group rehab counselor for teenagers at Rush Behavioral Health. Red Bull in hand, a girl named Suzie* was sharing about her struggle with sleep.
A question kept repeating in my mind: Hadn’t anyone spoken to her about caffeine intake and sleep?
But because this topic fell into the domain of medicine and not counseling, we referred her to the resident psychiatrist, who, after a short visit, gave her a prescription for ambien, a controlled substance used to promote sleep.
Remember that soul on fire feeling I told you about earlier? I wasn’t feeling it anymore. While I still loved supporting my clients, the palliative care, pill-for-an-ill model was simply not cutting it.
I knew there had to be another way and I found it.
My life changed drastically over the next three months. I had by a sheer miracle discovered Naturopathic Medicine and it was as if puzzle pieces of my life fell into place. I ravenously studied vitalistic philosophy and naturopathic modalities; I wrote admissions letters, was accepted to medical school, and ultimately left the windy city of Chicago and migrated to the sunny desert of Tempe, Arizona to attend The Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM), now known as Sonoran University of Health Sciences.
Over the next several years, I would be challenged mentally, emotionally and physically.
My mentor, Dr. Jim Sensenig taught me about vitalistic medicine and many other teachers introduced me to herbalism, Ayurveda, hydrotherapy, and more.
I learned how to think like a doctor and with my foundation in clinical psychology, I approached each client from a perspective that embraced the mind, body and spirit.
I also learned the importance of: “physician, heal thyself.” I unpacked old traumas by going to therapy, identified food sensitivities, cleaned up my diet and lifestyle, started taking natural remedies and a few restorative vitamins, and I was ultimately able to get off of every single one of my medications.
Graduation came in the blink of an eye, and I was selected for a highly competitive residency in internal medicine. Meanwhile, I also started my private practice in integrative mental health, and got married to Paul.
My mission was to help people turn the page in their story of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Over the next years, I published articles, taught doctoral-level students clinical psychology, ran a successful medical rotation where medical students learned how to integrate clinical psychology with holistic medicine, launched a not-for profit company in mental health education, continued to run a busy private practice, and lectured for the Arizona Counseling Association, Arizona State University, the Southwest Behavioral Conference, PESI, the Virginia Naturopathic Association.
Little did I know, everything was soon to fall apart.
Your body is wisely designed to tell you when it needs help, these messages come in the form of symptoms. Just like a baby cries when hungry, your body and mind produce symptoms when in need of support. If you do not hear the whispers they will magnify into shouts.
My symptoms began as a whisper. But I had things to do. My fire was fully ignited and I was too busy to slow down and pay attention.
Then I stopped sleeping and the anxiety from my adolescence returned but at a severity that I had never experienced. What started out as stress waking me up with lists of to-do’s, and worries, had escalated into full fledged panic and insomnia.
But I was an integrative mental health expert. I knew exactly what to do, what to take, and who to call. I went to the best clinicians I could find and they all had “the solution.” I tried supplements, acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine, chiropractic, meditation, cranial sacral, hydrotherapy, botanical medicine, bach flower remedies, counseling, hypnosis, low dose remedies, prayer and ultimately found myself in a well of pharmaceutical prescriptions and no light at the end of the tunnel.
Have you ever felt despair? That soul crushing anguish that comes from realizing you have tapped out all of your resources and there is still no end in sight?
I've Been there. I hear you. You're not alone.
With all of my other options exhausted, I finally found stillness by looking inward at myself. I faced what I had been trying so hard to ignore: My Big Pink Elephant. She was telling me it was time to start my next chapter. But first, I had to be willing to turn the page.
What about you? Are you ready to turn the page? Are you ready to stop looking and finally discover the secrets to getting your life back?
Your symptoms are trying to tell you what to heal, and I’m here to teach you how
Healing comes with the first next step
You can heal, this I know. I got my life back, have helped thousands across the world restore their emotional wellness: From the student, to the entrepreneur, or even the TikTok influencer and I am here to help you to do the same.
One of the most common questions I’m asked is:
Can I actually heal from my anxiety?
The answer is: Yes! There is always hope. Always hold onto hope. No matter what they say, hope is your birthright, your next chapter, and an invitation to the life you were meant to live.
Healing comes with the first next step. You took your first step by reading these words today. Now it’s time to take the next step and don’t worry: I’ll be with you. You’re not alone. I have a lot of free content all over my website and Youtube. The fastest way to get started would be to join The Holistic Wellness Collective.
Guess what! I have free gifts for you!
Your first next step is to click HERE to get those free goodies! And be sure to join me on Instagram and Facebook, that way we can connect, and my team and I can make sure that you are supported and that you have what you need for the amazing and wonderful journey ahead.
Much love,
Natural Solutions featured in:
Natural Solutions featured in:
Natural Solutions featured in:
Publications / featured In
- Huffington Post- 15 Not-So-Obvious Signs Your Child Is Anxious About Going Back To School
- Forbes - Why Toxic Workplace Whistleblowers Should Be Applauded
- Well + Good - How a Homemade ‘Panic Attack Pack’ Helps Me Manage My Anxiety
- NDNR
- Natural Path
- The Essential Oil Revolution Podcast - Stopping a Panic Attack
- Women's Lifestyle Magazine
- Thrive Global
- Dr. Alan Christianson's Podcast - Your Anxiety is Trying to Help You
- Myers Detox Podcast - 6 Heavy Metals that can Lead to Anxiety
- Salon - How Fear of Disorder Nearly Ended my Marriage
- Family Health Advocacy - Is CoQ10 the Future Treatment of Anxiety and Depression?
- Alternative Medicine - Candida and IBS - What you can do about it
- Psychology Today - Mood, Mind & Microbes: State of the Union
- Psychology Today - Psychobiotics for Anxiety: What the Research Tells Us
- Psychology Today - The Promise of Psychobiotics
- Psychology Today - 3 Brain-Protective Lifestyle Hacks
- Psychology Today - Sleep, Mind & Microbes
- Psychology Today - Sex and Your Gut
- Psychology Today - Depression, Serotonin and the Gut
- Health.com - 15 Best Face Washes for Acne of 2022
- The List - How a Panic Pack Might be the Key to Curbing Anxiety
for a full list of media appearances, click below!
Credentials
- Board Certified Naturopathic Physician (NMD) State of Arizona
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) State of Illinois (inactive license)
Credentials
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Women’s Libido
- Postpartum
- ADHD/ADD
- PTSD
- Bipolar Disorder
- Liver Health
- Gut Health
Publications/Involvement
- NDNR (Naturopathic Doctor News and Review)
- Women’s Lifestyle
- Thrive Global
- Michigan Naturopathic Association
- Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association
- Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine