Writer & award-winning author

Erika is the author of the bestselling memoir and wellness guide Sound Mind: My Bipolar Journey from Chaos to Composure (Trigger Publishing, 2019), which won both a 2019 Nautilus Book Award (Gold) and a 2019 Canada Book Award, and was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book AwardsSound Mind has also reached #1 on Amazon in the Manic Depression category.

Erika is a creative contributor to Psychology Today magazine and bphope.com, and is also the author of wellness and mental health blog soundmindbook.com. She has also written for the American Federation of Musicians newsletter, eNews Harp. Erika is on the roster of authors at K2 Literary Agency.  Scroll down for videos and more!

Praise for Sound Mind

Erika Nielsen has done what few others have achieved in the ever-widening bipolar disorder literature: combine a first-person account with an instructional guide for self-care. She tells the story of how she discovered her bipolar disorder and learned to live with it, continued to make use of her musical talents, and learned to achieve her goals within the limits the disorder imposes. Readers will appreciate her insightful recommendations for managing the disorder on a day-to-day basis. This book will be especially helpful to those who learn by example.”

DAVID J. MIKLOWITZ, Director Integrative Study Center in Mood Disorders, UCLA Semel Institute and author of "The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide." (David J. Miklowitz)

Speaking and presentations

From weareunsinkable.com

In 2020 Erika had the honour of sharing her story with olympian Silken Laumann's Unsinkable community. In her Sound Mind Presentations, Erika blends cello performance and shares her story of positive mental health to a variety of audiences, from patients at CAMH to students at middle and high schools. She also acted as a bipolar consultant to actress Carolina Bartzak for her leading role as Maura in the 2018 Canadian film, An Audience of Chairs, directed by Deanne Foley.

Scroll down for media and interviews!

Media and interviews

FORTUNE'S Most Powerful Women Summit 2019: Performance & Author Interview