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On the surface, Dr. Heide Nielsen’s life once looked stable and successful. She was a fourth-grade schoolteacher, married, and doing what she believed was expected of her. But in 2005, her body delivered a wake-up call she could not ignore—one that would ultimately change not only her life, but the lives of countless others seeking healing beyond conventional medicine.
What followed was a long, painful, and deeply transformative journey that led Dr. Nielsen to her true calling: helping people with chronic illness and autoimmune conditions heal from the inside out.
When the Body Says “Enough”
Dr. Nielsen remembers the moment vividly. One morning, she woke up so exhausted she could barely breathe.
“I literally had to crawl back to bed,” she recalled. “I thought I had a virus or something.”
Doctors ran test after test. The results always came back the same.
“Nothing’s wrong with you.”
Over four years, her symptoms worsened. She lost weight. She experienced intense pain near her liver. Her jaw and body ached constantly. At times, it felt as though she was dying. When anxiety medication was suggested, she knew instinctively that it wasn’t the root cause.
“I was anxious,” she said, “but I knew it wasn’t that.”
With no clear answers from Western medicine, she began searching elsewhere.
Finding Answers Outside the System
Dr. Nielsen turned to alternative medicine out of necessity, not ideology. Supplements didn’t help—her body couldn’t digest them. But eventually, a chiropractor suggested something no one else had considered: her gallbladder.
A HIDA scan revealed a rare gallbladder disease. Surgery followed. But just as importantly, she found an acupuncturist who supported her through the entire process.
“She was amazing,” Dr. Nielsen said. “In my healing in so many ways.”
That experience planted a seed. Acupuncture wasn’t just treating symptoms—it was addressing her as a whole person.
A Life Reimagined
During those four uncertain years, Dr. Nielsen began asking herself difficult questions.
“If I’m going to die,” she thought, “is this really how I want to live?”
She started examining everything: her upbringing, her personality, her relationships, and the expectations she had absorbed over a lifetime. The work was internal as much as it was physical.
Eventually, she reached a realization that surprised even her.
“I can’t teach anymore,” she said. “I have to do acupuncture. I have to help people with chronic illness who are searching for answers.”
Her marriage did not survive her illness, and she made the difficult decision to start over. Fifteen years ago, she moved from Carson City, Nevada, went back to school, and pursued licensure in acupuncture and integrated medicine. She continued her education relentlessly, ultimately earning a clinical doctorate in alternative medicine.
Blending Eastern and Western Medicine
Dr. Nielsen’s approach is deeply integrative. She studied both Eastern and Western medicine, not to choose sides, but to understand how they intersect—and where gaps remain.
Over time, her practice evolved. Sessions became longer and more intentional. Today, she typically spends 90 minutes with a patient, beginning with 45 minutes of conversation before moving into acupuncture.
“We dig into their lives,” she explained. “Who they are. What they’ve taken on. What’s not working anymore.”
What she discovered was a pattern.
The people who came to her were often driven, empathetic, and endlessly giving—what she describes as “type C personalities.” They were the doers and caretakers, always putting others first, and themselves last.
“They’re the last person that’s going to help themselves,” she said. “But they’re driven enough to come to my office because they want answers.”
Healing Beyond the Physical
Six years ago, Dr. Nielsen began shaping her work into something more scalable—a structured program that could reach people beyond the walls of her wellness center.
After years of refinement, she launched a nine-week program featuring:
A comprehensive workbook
More than 40 educational videos
Weekly live support
An option to participate fully online
The heart of the program is simple but profound: healing doesn’t begin with symptoms—it begins with awareness.
“Yes, illness is the physical part,” she said. “But what is it that ignited it?”
While she acknowledges the roles of genetics, lifestyle, and environment, her work focuses on the emotional, relational, and psychological burdens people carry alongside their diagnoses.
“It’s unraveling the things in your life that don’t work for you anymore,” she explained.
Real Lives, Real Change
One recent patient arrived with autoimmune disease and deep dissatisfaction in her career. She felt trapped by financial obligations and overwhelmed by exhaustion.
When Dr. Nielsen asked what she truly wanted to do, the answer came quickly.
“I’d work with animals.”
Like many patients, she immediately dismissed the idea as impossible. But through the nine-week program, everything began to shift—her health, her confidence, and her sense of self.
“She’s now working with animals,” Dr. Nielsen said. “Her symptoms are minimal. Her whole life changed.”
The transformation wasn’t about one decision. It was about relationships, food, rest, self-worth, and permission to live authentically.
A Different Kind of Medical Care
Dr. Nielsen believes one of the greatest gaps in modern healthcare isn’t technology—it’s human connection.
“I want every single person to feel seen, heard, and loved,” she said. “Because in the medical community, they don’t get that. They get 15 minutes, maybe.”
Her philosophy of care is rooted in her own experience of being dismissed and misunderstood. Today, patients regularly tell her the same thing: they feel truly cared for.
“Every person that leaves, they hug me,” she shared.
Even as her program expands online, that commitment remains unchanged. She wants participants to know they are not alone—that their healing matters.
“It truly does to me,” she said.
Looking Ahead
At 60 years old, Dr. Nielsen is already planning her next chapter. Her goal is to sell her physical practice within five years and focus exclusively on her program, allowing her to continue working, traveling, and giving back in a way that is both sustainable and fulfilling.
“I want to do what I love,” she said, “but in a way that works for everyone—including me.”
From a moment of complete collapse to a life built around purpose, Dr. Heide Nielsen’s story is a powerful reminder that healing is rarely linear—and that sometimes, the answers we’re searching for are found when we finally listen to ourselves. You can visit Tongbu Wellness Center's website here: www.tongbuwellnesscenter.com/
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