Episode 18: Pelvic Physical Therapist & Sex Educator Heather Edwards, MPT - a podcast by Amanda Shipley, DPT, MTC

In Episode 18 Amanda speaks with Heather Edwards, pelvic physical therapist, sex counselor and educator, and founder of Vino and Vulvas. Heather talks about their journey from physical therapist to pelvic physical therapist to becoming certified in sexuality education and counseling. They discuss sexuality, gender identity, binary vs. non-binary, and BDSM! Heather opens our eyes to the importance of feeling heard, seen, and understood not only in our personal relationships but also in our experiences with medical professionals. She strives to let her patients unfold their stories for her without assuming hetero-normative and stereotypical gender roles and inspires us to be open-minded and welcoming to the people we encounter in our lives, too.

Heather Edwards, PT, MPT has been a pelvic physical therapist for 15 years in western North Carolina. She is a University of Michigan trained Sexuality Counselor and Educator. She founded Vino & Vulvas in 2015 and it quickly became her favorite thing to do. She teaches community classes such as “Field Guide to Your Crotch” for transgender and nonbinary folx. Heather created the Transgender Pelvic Health Survey (currently in progress) and teamed up with Nova Southeastern University and the Pelvic Health Research Initiative for its implementation and data analysis. In 2016, she presented at the Southeastern Transgender Health Summit on the topic of pelvic PT considerations for the surgical trans patient. She presented at the 2018 AASECT conference on the topic of BDSM/Kink and Pelvic Health with the fabulous Aleece Fosnight, PA-C, CSC, CSE. She teaches Transgender Pelvic Health nationally with Pelvic Guru.

Despite all her clinical stuff, really Heather considers herself an artist… and if truth be told, she’d love to just draw fantastical crotch doodles all day. This unusual hobby has led to her creation of her first self-published book, Important Parts: A Coloring Book for the Crotch Enthusiast which is available at downtown bookstores in Asheville, at the V&V events, and online through Amazon.

For information about how to schedule an appointment with Heather or for connecting with Vino & Vulvas, email vinoandvulvas@gmail.com.

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