About House of Balance
Meet Your Wellness Guide, Dr. Steph House
Dr. Stephanie House is a board-certified Doctor of Physical Therapy who specializes in helping people using a whole-body approach. Her background as a yoga instructor and her own healing journey have inspired her to teach others to heal their physical ailments using integrative mind-body techniques.
Physical Therapy Career & Expertise
She’s spent her career as a physical therapist working in multiple settings including large hospital systems, home health care, and outpatient settings. While working with people at different stages of healing, Dr. House developed an expertise in treating movement-related dysfunction in people with vestibular issues and chronic conditions including chronic pain, digestive health, neurological disorders, metabolic conditions, and autoimmune disease.
Personal Life & Passions
Steph is passionate about optimizing health and joy in her own life and those around her. She is well-versed on mind-body medicine, nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and functional movement impairments and enjoys giving lectures on the interplay of these evolving sciences.
Steph and her husband Stephen have two little girls and two dogs. They lead an active, busy, and full life. Steph enjoys hiking, gardening, traveling, cooking, yoga, and spending time with big extended family.
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How do I know if House of Balance is right for me?We encourage you to explore our site, but the best way to discover if we are a good fit is to schedule a free “Discovery Call” and speak directly with a physical therapist. Hassle-free, no strings attached.
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What makes you different from a regular physical therapist?Beyond traditional physical therapy, we understand the concepts of functional medicine and use skilled physical therapy in collaboration with health/life coaching to provide the client with an integrated approach to address their mobility and/or pain issues. An example of this is someone who comes to see us for shoulder pain. We may use traditional physical therapy tools including stretching, strengthening, and/or dry needling, but through detailed history and examination, we may also discover that the patient has poor sleep hygiene and stress management and coping strategies that are causing increased pain and dysfunction in the shoulder area. Instead of being limited by physical therapy constructs, we can tailor a truly personalized plan that will maximize our client’s success and quality of life. The additional benefit is that although this person came in with shoulder pain, they are gaining tools for better sleep, better coping strategies and stress, and improved movement strategies to decrease risk of future injuries. Another example is someone who comes in with dizziness and migraines. They may receive interventions including movement and balance training and muscle release therapy typical within the scope of physical therapy, but can also receive the integrative support they need for success which may include mindset work, introduction to mediation, information on migraine diets and devices to decreases symptoms, and more in-depth education on interconnectivity of the body and how to regulate the nervous system. Although we can offer a broader capacity of care than traditional physical therapists, we also are strong believers in acting only within our expertise. If needing advice or care outside of our scope of practice, we will work with you to find the care you need.
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How do visits work?Every client starts with a complimentary, commitment and hassle-free 15-minute phone call with your functional movement specialist to see if we are a right fit for each other. After that, you may choose to proceed one visit at a time or pick a 6 or 10-visit package depending on your needs and/or preferences. All appointments are 1 hour long. The first in-clinic visit is a comprehensive evaluation, and all future sessions are focused on treatment and re-assessment as needed. We are dedicated to your healing journey successes. Email support is available between sessions for maximum results.
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What form of payment does House of Balance accept?We accept cash, check, and all major credit and debit cards, HSA and FSA cards. Payment of credit/debit card is made through your patient portal.
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How does payment work?Payment is due at the time of your initial evaluation. We accept check, cash, all major credit cards, and FSA/HSA cards.
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Do you accept insurance?House of Balance does not participate in insurance. Some services may be covered by your insurance. Your invoice may act as a superbill if you choose to file on your own. Some of the benefits of not participating in insurance: - No more wait times for "insurance approval" to start therapy and no more breaks during the course of therapy for "insurance re-authorization". - You and your provider have the power to decide how many sessions are right for you and what activity level you want to be able to get to before ending therapy. - Your provider is not motivated by insurance reimbursement when choosing treatment options. You get the best treatment for your healing. Period.
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Do you treat my condition?See the “What We Treat” section for a broad overview of conditions we commonly see in the clinic. It is good to keep in mind that we don’t treat just one condition but the whole person. If you want to know if House of Balance is a good fit, our best advice is to set up a free “Discovery Call” where you can speak directly to a physical therapist.
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How do the packages work?Although you may purchase one session at a time, we also provide discounted packages in 6 or 10-session formats. Evidence suggests that investing in bundled sessions improves a person’s confidence and perseverance leading to better results. It also allows us to invest in you. We are committed to improving the trajectory of your health journey, and looking forward to collaborating in your health to create lasting change.
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What is your cancellation/late/no show policy?This policy will be stated in your intake packet. Although we understand true emergencies do happen, we appreciate you rescheduling within 24 hours of your appointment when possible.
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Do you accept Medicare/Medicaid?House of Balance does not participate in insurance. If you have Medicare or Medicaid, you may only qualify for wellness-based services including yoga, wellness coaching, and fitness programs.
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What is House of Balance?House of Balance is a clinic that integrates skilled physical therapy with lifestyle and health coaching to help you find the root cause of mobility issues and pain.
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Vestibular Assessment and Management CertificationVestibular Assessment and Management Certification from the American Institute of Balance
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AAMT Dry Needling CertifiedAmerican Academy of Manipulative Therapy Dry Needling Certified
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CPR CertifiedCPR Certified
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Bachelor Degree In Exercise Physiology - The University of DelawareDr. Steph House attended The University of Delaware for a dual degree in Exercise Science Physiology and Business and Technical Writing and a concentration in Spanish Studies
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Professional Yoga Therapy CertificationProfessional Yoga Therapy certification and Medical Therapeutic Yoga certification
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Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective ExercisePregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification through Core Exercise Solutions
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Doctorate Degree In Physical Therapy - Scared Heart UniversityDoctorate Degree In Physical Therapy - Scared Heart University
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What is Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy?Balance therapy and Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy or VRT are essentially the same things. VRT is a specialized form of physical therapy that aims improve symptoms caused by vestibular disorders, typically including vertigo, dizziness, visual disturbance, and/or imbalance.
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What should I expect from balance therapy (VRT)?Balance therapy, or Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) begins with a comprehensive in-person evaluation. We take a full history then test your strength, mobility, inner ear function (vestibular system), and balance. Based off of our findings, we create an individualized plan which may include lifestyle modification and home exercises. Some of the tests and exercises will most likely cause temporary discomfort because we are challenging your balance systems to make them stronger. (Similar to post workout soreness when challenging your muscular system at the gym). Recovery varies from depending on diagnosis and individual. Some additional factors that can affect recovery include lifestyle, stress levels, pain, coinciding medical conditions, and medications.
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Is balance therapy different than physical therapy?Balance therapy, or Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) is a subspecialty within the physical therapy field. Formal schooling only scrapes the surface on vestibular training. Physical therapists specialize in VRT through continuing education courses, certification programs, and/or clinical experience. Dr. House is certified in Vestibular Assessment and Management by the American Institute of Balance®. She has also done countless continuing education courses and spent her decade+ career working with neurological and vestibular populations. Dr. House takes VRT one step further by incorporating holistic healing models of health coaching such as meditation, mindfulness, breathing techniques, and education to optimize recovery.
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What if I don’t have a specific balance disorder diagnosis?It is important you have a physician overseeing your care if you have symptoms of dizziness or imbalance. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to obtain a diagnosis. Diagnoses can be helpful to a point, but here at House of Balance, we treat the person as a whole and many of our methods will help you whether or not you have a diagnosis.
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How do visits work?Every client starts with a complimentary, commitment and hassle-free 15-minute phone call with your functional movement specialist to see if we are a right fit for each other. After that, you may choose to proceed one visit at a time or pick a 6 or 10-visit package depending on your needs and/or preferences. All appointments are 1 hour long. The first in-clinic visit is a comprehensive evaluation, and all future sessions are focused on treatment and re-assessment as needed. We are dedicated to your healing journey successes. Email support is available between sessions for maximum results.
-
What is House of Balance?House of Balance is a clinic that integrates skilled physical therapy with lifestyle and health coaching to help you find the root cause of mobility issues and pain.
-
Do you treat my condition?See the “What We Treat” section for a broad overview of conditions we commonly see in the clinic. It is good to keep in mind that we don’t treat just one condition but the whole person. If you want to know if House of Balance is a good fit, our best advice is to set up a free “Discovery Call” where you can speak directly to a physical therapist.
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How do I know if House of Balance is right for me?We encourage you to explore our site, but the best way to discover if we are a good fit is to schedule a free “Discovery Call” and speak directly with a physical therapist. Hassle-free, no strings attached.