About Kathe Wallace

Bio

Kathe Wallace PT, BCB-PMD, is an internationally recognized clinician, author and innovative teacher in the field of pelvic floor and pelvic health rehabilitation. A physical therapist since 1976, Kathe turned her focus to the evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in 1988.

Kathe’s undergraduate training at UCLA in Kinesiology (the study of human movement) complements her physical therapy expertise. She received advanced training and certifications in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation through the American College of Sports Medicine and with the North American Institute of Manual Therapy. Kathe became Board Certified in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback (BCB-PMD) through the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. She traveled to Canada to study the Integrated Systems Model with L.J. Lee and Diane Lee in 2012. A lifelong learner, she is a member of the International Continence Society, the American Urogynecologic Society and the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) where she is a lifetime member.

Kathe practiced and developed physical therapy programs at Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) in Seattle, WA. Initially she focused on cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, as well as a working team member in a multidisciplinary clinic for pain management rehabilitation and in outpatient orthopedics. In 1988 she launched a pelvic floor program in an environment rich with the wisdom of urologists, gynecologists, gastroenterologists, physiatrists, nurses and midwives. In 1991, she was recognized by the medical center as an outstanding employee. In 2001 she started her private clinical practice while concurrently teaching professionals. Kathe was honored to receive the Washington state Physical Therapy Association (PTWA) Clinical Excellence Award in 2006. In 2023 she received the prestigious Elizabeth Noble Award from the American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Pelvic Health. This award acknowledged her long career of providing extraordinary and exemplary service in education to the field of pelvic health physical therapy.

In 1990, to foster continuing education, learning and collaboration Kathe began teaching and organizing CEU seminars for the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) Section on Obstetrics and Gynecology (now the Academy of Pelvic Health). She co-developed one of the first series of courses to teach pelvic floor function, dysfunction and treatment in the USA. In 2000, she developed a course to introduce basic, external pelvic floor muscle evaluation and treatment techniques applicable to orthopedic, sport and geriatric patient populations. In 2005, she co-founded the Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute (with which she is no longer associated).

After 42 years of practice, Kathe shifted her focus to sharing her expertise through consulting, writing, teaching and the development of self-study materials. She currently serves as a Clinical Independent Study Instructor, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, at the University of Washington. Her teaching spans a wide spectrum of conditions often referred by orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, urology, gynecology, obstetrics, urogynecology, gastroenterology and colorectal surgery specialties.