Heather earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Mayo School of Health Sciences in Rochester, MN in 2013. Prior to graduate school, she received her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion- Exercise Science from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Heather joined the Active PT team in May 2019 to grow her passion for pelvic health. In previous employment, she had experience working in areas of holistic wellness, women’s health, and pelvic floor dysfunction.
Heather describes herself as a functional movement expert and believes that movement is medicine. She prefers a hands-on approach to treatment, utilizing a variety of manual therapies and integrative activation strategies. She stresses patient-therapist collaboration and empowers patients to take an active role in their recovery. Heather’s primary areas of specialty include pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic pain, pregnancy-related pain, postpartum rehabilitation, diastasis recti treatment, conservative management of prolapse, and stress urinary incontinence with exercise. She also enjoys working with athletes, runners, older adults, and moms.
Heather is trained as a Pelvic Floor Level 2 therapist and has her Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification. Other post-professional training includes areas of manual therapy, functional movement, dry needling, and management of the low back and lower body.
Heather is a Rochester native and lives in town with her husband and three kids. Her favorite things include chasing after her kids, dating her husband, delicious food and wine, cabin vacations, and prioritizing a healthy and active lifestyle.
Certifications and Continuing Education
- DPT – Doctor of Physical Therapy – Mayo School of Health Sciences, Rochester, MN – 2013
- Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion – Exercise Science – University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN –
- Herman and Wallace Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Institute, Pelvic Floor Level 1, Pelvic Floor Level 2
- Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification, Core Exercise Solutions
- Functional Movement Systems, FMS Level 1, FMS Level 2, Y-balance
- Teaching activities include Physical Therapy School instructor for integrating wellness into practice and Physician CME instructor in areas of fibromyalgia and physical activity for patients and physicians
Advanced Training
- Advanced training in dry needling for the pelvic floor
- Extensive training in Dry Needling from the Spinal Manipulation Institute and Dry Needling Institute of the America Academy of Manipulative Therapy, Montgomery, Alabama
- Extensive training in Spinal Manipulation from the Spinal Manipulation Institute and Dry Needling Institute of the America Academy of Manipulative Therapy, Montgomery, Alabama
- Qualified TRX Instructor
- The Institute of Clinical Excellence, Lumbar Spine: Manual Therapy Management
- Functional Application in Pelvic Rehab
- Evidence-based Examination and Treatment of the Pelvis
- Multi-Regional Core Stability: Evidence-Based Assessment and Manual Therapy Treatment
- Manual Therapy of the Lower Quarter