Dee earned her first degree in physical therapy from Northwestern Medical School of Physical Therapy in 1977, followed by a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from St Ambrose University in 2009. As part of her participation in American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Section on Women’s Health, Dee served as the originating chairman of the task force responsible for creating the Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy (CAPP-Pelvic). She also served on the Vulvar Pain Task Force and co-authored their findings. A pioneer in her field, Dee has been a member, fellow, president, and board director for a vast array of organizations dedicated to women’s sexual health and pelvic pain, including the International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS), International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH). Her research and findings are widely published in journals and books, and she has been a lecturer and instructor at numerous schools, universities, workshops, and conferences. As a sole practitioner, Dee created and worked with patients as Dee Hartmann Physical Therapy from 1991–2017.