Bringing naturopathy into the mainstream

Cheryl Lycette had just locked the door to the photocopy shop when she heard a knock. She let in a frantic customer who needed notes copied for a naturopathic medicine course. Lycette, who was planning to attend fashion school at Ryerson that fall, glanced over the course material and asked some questions. She was so intrigued that she decided to ditch fashion and study at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto instead.

After graduation Lycette practiced as a naturopath for four years in the Annapolis Valley town of Berwick, N.S. In 1997 she moved her practice to Halifax after meeting her husband, Brian Nichols, who became a partner in the business. Now 42, Lycette became interested in gentle anti-aging techniques. When clients started asking about skin creams, she did some research and was shocked to discover that most products are full of additives. She saw a gap in the spa marketplace; many products that were being touted as organic weren’t necessarily chemical free, and there was nowhere to get an all-natural treatment.

In 2007 Lycette and Nichols, who have long shared a common approach to natural health, bought a three-storey house facing the Halifax Common and opened the Be Well Spa on Earth Day in 2008. According to Lycette, it’s the only spa in the Maritimes using organic and chemical-free products developed by herbalists.

Two massage therapists and three estheticians perform services ranging from waxes to full-body treatments; Nichols, 49, runs the front office. “I thought if I could find the right man, it would be fantastic to have him looking after clients,” says Lycette. “The treatment starts there.” Says Nichols: “I’m really good at listening. I try to remember details about people’s lives and bring them up again. A little [personal attention] goes a long way.”

Lycette runs her naturopathic practice in the spa and regularly introduces new ideas (her latest: an applesauce body wrap). She’s noticing that with the growth of the organic and local food movements, people are becoming more aware of their bodies and want services to support better health. “We’re conscious about everything we’re using. I’ve done so much research to find things I trust and feel good about. Patients know I won’t use anything unless I’m fully behind it."