Erika Sullivan, LAc

Approach to care

• What does it look like for you to provide care to patients in larger bodies? How is, or isn’t, your approach different from how you care for patients in smaller bodies? If you work with children, how is or isn’t your approach different when working with children?

  I pride myself in creating a space that feels safe for bodies of all sizes. I pay attention to things like treatment tables that are comfortable for bigger bodies, chairs and furniture that fit all sizes. I also do not let a patients size distract me from what is really at the bottom of their illness. I myself am in a bigger body as is a lot of my family and have witnessed first hand how focus on weight can distract a provider away from proper diagnosis. I want every patient who visits my clinic to feel like they are able to relax their body and mind fully within the safe spaces of my clinic - no one should ever feel like their size is keeping them from quality healthcare and good health outcomes. As an acupuncturist I often find myself holding space for patients with bigger bodies to process things that have happened to them in healthcare settings where they were judged or mistreated due to their size.

• What is your perspective on how weight is or is not related to health?

  I believe that while weight can play a role in someone's illness it is likely NOT the cause of their illness. When we blame excess weight we miss the root of the illness. I want to get at what is CAUSING an imbalance. I also firmly believe that some bodies are just bigger than others and things like the BMI and other misnomers are dangerous, not only because of the way they make patients feel, but because it will most definitely causes a provider to miss clues while investigating illness and health history. Lastly I think blaming weight can be lazy critical thinking in the treatment room and often due to a lack of education.

• Finish this sentence: “Fat people are…” 

  valued humans in our community.

• How do you, your clinic, and the healthcare system you work in use BMI (i.e BMI cutoffs for accessing certain services, BMI on charts and printouts, etc)? Is this flexible?

  I do not reference a BMI ever. I do not weigh patients. No patient is turned away due to size and I find this especially important in my obstetric work!

• If a patient declines to be weighed, how do you and/or your staff proceed?

  n/a

• If a patient declines to discuss weight loss, nutrition, and/or exercise, how do you proceed?

  I do not typically discuss nutrition or exercise with patients unless the food itself is causing an allergic reaction or sensitivity. If I do address nutrition or movement it is within a Traditional Chinese medical framework (which approaches food and nutrition much differently than Western medicine). So suggesting things like warm soup to encourage fertility or gentle walking to relieve mental and physical tension. Never in relation to body size.

• Do you offer weight loss as a service, and if so, how much of your practice is this? What do you do if a patient requests your assistance with losing weight?

  No, and when asked if acupuncture can help with weight loss my response has always been acupuncture can help your body to heal itself and find homeostasis. It's possible you could loose excess weight or inflammation due to achieving better overall wellness. But that answer is reserved for those who explicitly ask.

• What does the physical accessibility of your office space look like? What kinds of accommodations are present for people in larger bodies? Are there things you wish were in place that are currently not? 

  Wider treatment tables with arm rests - no one should be tucking their hands under their body to keep it on the table - sometimes I even provide pillow support on the sides of the body so the patient can fully relax their body while laying on the table
  Leg bolsters that raise our legs higher than little bolsters under the knees ( which are intended for smaller bodies) the larger bolster in turn takes pressure off the patients low back while laying flat
  inclining tables to take stress and pressure off upper back and neck or provide a 'zero gravity' effect
  chairs that fit all sized bodies
  Sturdy furniture that doesn't wiggle no matter what size someone is - every piece of furniture I purchase I check the weight requirements first and only buy things rated for 450 lbs or more.

• What do you do to allow fat people to feel comfortable and welcome in your office? 

  Show up as my fat self - happy in my body! Many of my patients are plus size and often tell me how grateful they are for that.

• If you’d like to use this space to talk about any identities (gender, race, size, sexuality, etc.) you hold and how this relates to your care, please do so.