Dr. Heather is motivated by the constant desire to find out the answer to the  "why" questions for a variety of concerns; therefore she continues to expand her education to help her patients further. This desire started with a love of human anatomy class in high school combined with an aptitude test and wanting to serve others; therefore she was lead to explore physical therapy as a career. She started out in a Kinesiology and Sports Medicine program and worked as an Athletic Trainer for several years before continuing into Physical Therapy school. Add on years of studying functional manual therapy and other continuing education and this was a great combination to help discover the muscle skeletal reasons for why people have pain and limitations. As well, as successfully helping her own neck and SI joint problems due to horseback riding accidents. In 2020, she was facing her own health crisis with ongoing lifelong IBS and progressively worsening gallbladder and liver pain and problems that would leave her bed bound. The proposed surgery for her gallbladder and half of her liver seemed extreme and far too expensive (especially after losing her job and her husbands job in the pandemic) so she sought out Functional Medicine school. This was exactly what she needed to determine what to prioritize and to reset the function of her entire abdominal organs (and more)! Overcoming lifelong IBS and then being able to naturally support her whole body was eye opening. The body wants to heal, it just needs the right tools to support the foundational process!

 

These experiences resulted in her becoming a multi-disciplinary practitioner, to get to the true why, the root cause, of people's health and wellness concerns and help them find a new optimal and vibrant way of living. 

 

In her off time, she loves to spend time in nature with her family and animals either on their "mini orchard" or out camping in the beautiful Idaho mountains. 

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Some details about Dr. Heather's credentials:

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Education:

Associate of Arts from College of Southern Idaho - 1999

Bachelors in Kinesiology - Athletic Training/Sports Medicine from Fresno State University, California - 2003

Doctor in Physical Therapy from Idaho State University - 2009

Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner for Physical Therapists - 2018

Board Certification in Applied Functional Medicine - 2021

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Licensure and Certifications from:

Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board

National Athletic Trainer's Association (ATC)

Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

Functional Medicine Program for Physical Therapists ( FMP)

School of Applied Functional Medicine - Entry Level and Advanced ( AFMC)

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Continuing Education Courses:

( A lot! to be listed in the near future...)

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Common Questions: 

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How are you different?

- One on One care with the provider giving undivided time and attention to discover your needs and personalize your care for quicker results.

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- No aides or assistants used, simply work only with your provider at every almost hour long appointment.

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- Being very specific to your individual needs and identifying the imbalanced details in physical therapy (joints, fascia, muscle, organs, muscle imbalance, lack of muscle activation/initiation, flexibility, poor biomechanics etc)  or functional medicine/wellness ( the functional interconnections between all body systems etc) allows hidden root causes to be discovered and corrected.  Often we find areas of concern that may have been missed elsewhere. This often facilitates results and progression quicker - therefore, you feel better faster! 

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-We teach you the tools to empower your health and therefore reduce the need to come back for repeat, unnecessary,  appointments.

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-Bringing in a whole body natural approach allows a deeper level of optimal health!

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- Further Questions?: Contact us  or use the book here link on the home page for a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs and how we may be of service to you.

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Do you take insurance?

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 - Vibrant is committed to working for you (not insurance companies). This allows full customization for treating the areas that you need addressed and results in quicker full body results.  Therefore we are a fee for service clinic; however a detailed receipt ( called a "superbill") can be self submitted to your insurance company for potential out of network reimbursement for physical therapy services.

 

Simply call your insurance company for more details re: what your out of network benefits are for physical therapy. It may also be be beneficial to consider the additional questions here in the Q&A when looking at this option.

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Is it worth it to pay vs using my insurance?

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- Often, patients save money and time with our services

due to typically getting significant lasting results in just a few visits ( just 1-5!)  compared to attending conventional physical therapy clinics 2-3x/week for multiple weeks ( a standard treatment at traditional PT clinics is 3x/wk for 6 or more weeks) at various amounts of copays and/or deductibles.

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- We aim for quick results with all of our services to get you better faster!

 

How do I get potential reimbursement? 

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-Simply ask your insurance company if your plan has out of network benefits for physical therapy; then ask for instructions for how to submit a reimbursement request. Let us know and we will send you a detailed receipt AKA a "superbill" from us for you to submit into your insurance company.  

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