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Meet Heather Jeffcoat

Femina PT Founder Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

Heather Jeffcoat (she/her/hers) is the author of Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide To The Sex Life You Deserve and a recognized expert in the field of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. She is also former President of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy from 2021-2024, and she is on the Advisory Board of the International Pelvic Pain Society. After receiving many emails from people around world, she noticed there was a gap in access to quality pelvic floor physical therapy providers, and women deserved answers and a treatment plan for the painful sex they were experiencing. She developed her book as a way to get her proven techniques to all who needed it.

Heather is proud to have opened the first pelvic health physical therapy program in the Pasadena / Glendale area, and has continued to serve the area since 2004. Since then, her staff and services have expanded to the Mid-Wilshire district and Sherman Oaks, where her mission continues to emphasize quality of care in order to optimize her patients' goals. With her expanding mission to provide access to the specialized pelvich health services her office offers, she also launched The Origin Fund in 2019, a nonprofit with 501(c)3 status, providing no-cost care to low-income, marginalized populations.

She has been a featured guest on Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Livestrong, Mom.me, ABC Radio, Health Magazine, and many other media outlets.

Heather has contributed to the ICA Update and the International Childbirth Education Association Journal, where she hosted the long-running quarterly column entitled "Perinatal Wellness". She has presented her techniques twice at the American Urogynecologic Association's annual meeting, most recently in 2018 in video format during their general scientific session.

She has also been a guest blogger multiple times for the Womens Health Foundation. She developed a course to further her mission of improving women's sexual health, and it made it's debut in Istanbul, Turkey in Spring of 2019. In Summer 2019, she worked with the Chinese Olympic Committee's summer and winter athletes in Beijing. She maintains her passion for treating sports and orthopaedic injuries, and brings a whole-body approach to her work with women's sexual dysfunction and pain disorders. She understands that many of her patients rarely have isolated pelvic issues - and the majority also come with hip, back, neck or other orthopedic dysfunction that could be driving their pain further away from a solution unless the bigger picture is addressed.

heather 200pxHeather received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Duke University and her BS in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience from UC San Diego. Additionally, she received her Comprehensive Teacher Training Certification in Pilates from BASI and is a Certified Fascial Stretch Therapist through the Stretch to Win Institute.

Heather specializes in treating Orthopaedic and Women’s Health physical therapy diagnoses through the lifespan, as well as developing personalized Perinatal Fitness programs.

Femina PT offers a full specrum of treatmetns and modailities for all types of pelvic pain, including

  • vaginismus
  • vulvar vestibulitis
  • levator ani syndrome
  • pudendal neuralgia
  • interstitial cystitis (IC)/ painful bladder syndrome (PBS))
  • voiding dysfunction
  • sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunctions
  • pregnancy and post-partum related disorders (sexual pain, incontinence, back/hip pain, diastasis recti, incisional/scar tissue pain and burning post C-section, vaginal scar tissue pain, hysterectomy or laparoscopic surgery),
  • persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD)/persistent sexual arousal syndrome (PSAS), painful orgasm, anorgasmia (no orgasm), diminished orgasms,
  • coccydynia (tailbone pain)
  • irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, etc.
  • neck pain
  • tension headaches
  • low back pain
  • hip pain
  • shoulder pain and dysfunction (adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff impingement, bursitis, etc.)

To stay current with the newest research and treatment techniques, Heather is regularly attending continuing education covering various topics in the field of Women’s Health and Orthopaedics. She works with physicians and sex therapists internationally and in the community. She is also active in the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Pelvic Health (formerly the Section on Women’s Health) and has recently been elected their incoming President for 2021. She has also written and edited numerous documents that are currently distributed around the country and available on their website.

She opened Femina Physical Therapy in 2009, owing to the changing healthcare climate at the time that emphasized the quantity of patient care over it's quality. In a situation where she had to see two patients per hour that had complex pain conditions, incontinence, or all of the above, she knew that her patients deserved to be provided with actual care, not just the idea of care. With 55-115 minute sessions, her office is able to provide the hands-on treatment, skilled corrective exercises and other interventions by specialized and licensed physical therapists so they can get on the path to putting their pain or weakness behind them.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

You can also stay in touch with Heather and the Femina PT team by following us on InstaGram at @feminapt and @dr.heatherjeffcoat.

 

As Featured In


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What Our Patients Have to Say

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Testimonial by Amanda W.

Heather's unique physical therapy program literally changed my life! After years of struggling with vaginismus, a condition that made it impossible for me to have intercourse and very difficult to use tampons without pain, a gynecologist referred me to Heather. I was nervous for my first appointment, but Heather's professional and friendly demeanor put me at ease. She did a great job explaining each technique she was using to help my muscles relax. Heather uses a combination of internal and external stretches and exercises to relax the pelvic floor and build muscle strength. Her specially developed home program helped me quickly recover from an issue that seemed insurmountable before meeting Heather. She was optimistic about my progress and incredibly encouraging. Less than 6 months after my first session, I was able to have pain-free sex for the first time in my life! If you are suffering from vaginismus or any other pelvic floor issues, I highly recommend making an appointment with Heather and reading her book!

-- Amanda W., 2/15/16 via Yelp!

Testimonial by Fritzette H.

I went to Heather after the birth of my third child. It was lucky, really, that I was referred to her, because my doctor had referred me to a surgeon for a possible hysterectomy or pelvic wall rebuild. Thankfully, I went to Heather before undergoing either surgery, she was able to fix the problem. She has studied extensively in women's health--even written a book about it--and was able to diagnose my problem, suggest a course of treatment (6 weeks), and then follow through with said treatment. By the end, as she said, I was as good as gold. Boy, was it worth it! Though uncomfortable to talk about, much less write about, it is worth getting the word out there. If you have painful intercourse, especially after birth or other trauma, the treatment may be as simple as Physical Therapy (with Heather, of course). I highly recommend her.

-- Fritzette H., 3/24/16 via Yelp!

Testimonial by Amanda W.

Heather's unique physical therapy program literally changed my life! After years of struggling with vaginismus, a condition that made it impossible for me to have intercourse and very difficult to use tampons without pain, a gynecologist referred me to Heather. I was nervous for my first appointment, but Heather's professional and friendly demeanor put me at ease. She did a great job explaining each technique she was using to help my muscles relax. Heather uses a combination of internal and external stretches and exercises to relax the pelvic floor and build muscle strength. Her specially developed home program helped me quickly recover from an issue that seemed insurmountable before meeting Heather. She was optimistic about my progress and incredibly encouraging. Less than 6 months after my first session, I was able to have pain-free sex for the first time in my life! If you are suffering from vaginismus or any other pelvic floor issues, I highly recommend making an appointment with Heather and reading her book!

-- Amanda W., 2/15/16 via Yelp!

Testimonial by A.M.

Months after giving birth, it was difficult for me to go from a sitting or lying position up to a full standing position without feeling that I had to remain hunched over until a bit of time had passed to get fully upright. However, after taking Heather’s course, I learned exercises to get my body back to normal. She also showed me correct ways to lift and carry my son as well as put him in/take him out of the carseat and stroller. This class was really beneficial and Heather is a wonderful teacher who made me feel very comfortable.

-- A.M.

Testimonial by A.W., age 32

I wanted to let you know that my pelvic floor held strong and gave me no trouble whatsoever in my trail race this morning (12 miles)! In a way, I felt like I ran better than ever because my core feels so rock solid from all the exercises you have me doing. That was especially valuable on the technical downhill - I just flew down the trail because I had confidence in my balance and form. Thank you for helping me get back to doing what I love.

-- A.W., age 32
(completed Post-partum Renewal Program using the InTone biofeedback/stim unit)

Testimonial by Fritzette H.

I went to Heather after the birth of my third child. It was lucky, really, that I was referred to her, because my doctor had referred me to a surgeon for a possible hysterectomy or pelvic wall rebuild. Thankfully, I went to Heather before undergoing either surgery, she was able to fix the problem. She has studied extensively in women's health--even written a book about it--and was able to diagnose my problem, suggest a course of treatment (6 weeks), and then follow through with said treatment. By the end, as she said, I was as good as gold. Boy, was it worth it! Though uncomfortable to talk about, much less write about, it is worth getting the word out there. If you have painful intercourse, especially after birth or other trauma, the treatment may be as simple as Physical Therapy (with Heather, of course). I highly recommend her.

-- Fritzette H., 3/24/16 via Yelp!

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