Hidden Gems: Meet Dr. Elizabeth Taddiken of Rockwood Natural Medicine Clinic and Healing Naturally Wellness Charity

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Elizabeth Taddiken.

Hi Dr. Taddiken, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My journey has been very interesting with a few significant twists and turns. One thing that always remained consistent was my love of nature and health. It was something that I acquired from my grandparents and parents mostly. There were always gardens growing and we would get to pick and eat our own food often, which tasted amazing.

I would often roll my eyes at the healthy food my mom would cook, but once I realized later how lucky I was to grow up with that, I’ve been very grateful. I try to help all of my patients, especially parents, to see how important those starting years are to have simple and quality foods for the healthy growth of their kids. It makes a huge difference later in life.

I was fortunate to have many unique opportunities in other countries, including my home away from home, Ireland, where my mom and husband are from. It was there that I applied my first poultice with the direction of my grandmother. It was simply Dock Leaves on Stinging nettle rash! It amazed me so much as a child how it worked. I never forgot it and started to see how powerful all the natural medicine is around us.

I was able to experience natural healing in Russia, Germany, and finally Italy where it all really came together for me after living with dear friends in Florence. I learned so much from them, especially in regards to growing medicine and the many energetic connections within the body. The wonderful food didn’t hurt either! I also met my husband in Italy, so it is a very special place to me in many respects.

My educational journey was somewhat unique, but it helped round out my interests and abilities in my medical practice. I have a bachelor of arts in fine art, and my pre-med education and biological sciences are rooted in cultivating plants (particularly medicinal), greenhouse growing, urban farming, and organic gardening.

I’ve always loved growing healing plants. Anything that can be used to heal inside or outside the body is my main interest. I look forward to the day I have my own healing garden for patient use and education.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While not always smooth, it has definitely been interesting and has taught me much more than it would have if it had been easier. Fortunately, I’ve had wonderful friends and family there to support me when I’ve needed it. I’ve also had many mentors in my life that have helped me see my way when needed. Life definitely took a turn in a different direction when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I took a break from my pre-med studies as I focused on being a new mother.

Finally, I made it to medical school after my two children were born. After taking a 3 year break from studying the first year back was very difficult. One of the main academic directors more or less said that I wasn’t going to make it through the program based on how that first year was turning out. I had a lot of emotional struggle with two young children at home and felt like I wasn’t there for them as much as I had wanted to be.

Deep down, I knew I was so lucky to have the support of family and friends. Another great help was one of my mentors at school helped me to reframe the situation. I also lost my grandfather during school which was a huge loss. When the first set of medical board exams came up I studied as hard as I possibly could but one of my biggest letdowns was receiving the notice that I did not pass the first exam.

This put a huge fire under me. While working through the rigor of the following quarters I studied during any extra moment I had to prepare to retake it in another 6 months. There is no better feeling than the victory of overcoming such a setback.

We’ve been impressed with Dr. Elizabeth Taddiken at Rockwood Natural Medicine Clinic and Healing Naturally Wellness Charity, Inc., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I practice with 3 amazing doctors at Rockwood Natural Medicine Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’ve learned so much from these doctors, especially my mentor, Dr. Thomas Kruzel. I’m grateful to have had him since starting my practice. Dr. Eischens and Dr. Tamburri are the other amazing doctors who practice with me at Rockwood. Our front desk people have also been instrumental in helping the clinic run smoothly, and they are the lovely Kathleen and Joyce.

My practice is Primary Care with a focus on women’s health, fertility, and pediatrics. I see many different conditions in this type of practice including many digestive, skin, and gynecological conditions to name a few areas. I love what I do because the art and science of healing are at the very core of my practice. The way I treat is very traditional naturopathic.

I have trained with many naturopathic doctors who have been in practice for 30+ years and have been able to see how the body heals when given the right conditions. While I use nutrition, botanical medicine, and homeopathy primarily, sometimes pharmaceuticals are needed. I’m grateful to have a well-rounded toolbox and rarely need to prescribe pharmaceuticals.

My absolute favorite thing about my work is teaching patients how to take care of themselves and their families. I prefer helping people heal so they don’t need to keep coming to the doctor. That has always made sense to me. I am always there for them as they need my assistance. I just have to say that I have the best patients!

I also run a small non-profit naturopathic clinic that provides naturopathic care for low-income patients, teachers, frontline responders, and veterans. It has been an honor to be able to provide this care to those in need.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I feel that while I have worked hard to get to where I am, I have been lucky with my ability to see opportunities. I have also been lucky to have my village of friends and family to help while in school and after, while my practice has taken off.

I have what some would perceive as bad luck, that turned out to be beneficial in the end. I’m definitely more of a “glass-half-full” type of person!

Contact Info:

• Email: info@drelizabethtaddiken.com
• Website: www.drelizabethtaddiken.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelizabethtaddiken/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drelizabethtaddiken

Image Credits
Femforce Photos