THE Twelve Week Healing at Home Method
Founding Cohort , Now Enrolling

THE Twelve Week
Healing at Home
Method

An evidence-based program for people living with migraines, designed to transform your home environment into a therapeutic tool for nervous system regulation, sleep, and recovery.

Apply for the Founding Cohort See How It Works
The origin

A designer. A biochemist.
A discovery that changed everything.

In 2018, Dorothy Huntsman was the kind of person who never needed doctors. Then she moved into a beautiful 1920s Salt Lake City home, and over four years, her health systematically unraveled , chronic UTIs, migraines that stole whole months, full-body pain, and cognitive decline so profound she struggled to finish a sentence.

The diagnosis was Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), triggered by hidden mold in her home. What followed was a $140,000 remediation, 18 months in temporary housing, and the beginning of a different kind of research question: what if the environment you live in could be deliberately designed to help you heal?

"We didn't just guess , we built an approach solid enough to publish in a medical journal."

Her partner, Dr. Greg Bulaj, a biochemist at the University of Utah, synthesized decades of peer-reviewed research on biophilic design, environmental psychology, neuroarchitecture, and self-care practices. Together, they developed what would become the Therapeutic Home Environment (THE) Standard , a framework for intentionally designing home environments as therapeutic interventions for chronic conditions.

Their work has been published twice in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. THE Twelve Week Healing at Home Method is how that research becomes real, actionable change inside your home.

The framework

What is a
Therapeutic Home Environment?

A living space intentionally shaped to support health and healing through three core elements.

I

Biophilic Design

Connection to nature inside your home , shown to reduce stress, lower heart rate, and support nervous system regulation.

II

Indoor Environmental Quality

Light, sound, air, and sensory environment , the invisible factors that can be supporting or silently hindering your recovery.

III

Restorative Self-Care

Spaces and daily routines designed around your nervous system , not just aesthetics, but function for healing.

The process

Three steps.
Twelve weeks.
One transformed home.

The goal is not to change everything at once, but to identify the few environmental factors that can make the biggest difference for your health and healing.

01

Environmental Assessment

Weeks 1–2

You receive a detailed questionnaire assessing every dimension of your home environment that can influence health and healing.

  • Sleep environment and circadian rhythm
  • Light exposure patterns
  • Indoor air quality
  • Sound and sensory environment
  • Connection to nature
  • Self-care spaces and practices
  • Stress and nervous system regulation

This is followed by a one-hour strategy session where we review your assessment, clarify your priorities, identify the highest-impact interventions, and provide immediate actions you can begin right away.

02

Your Personalized Therapeutic Home Plan

Weeks 2–4

You receive a personalized Therapeutic Home Environment Profile , a detailed analysis of the environmental factors in your home that can influence nervous system regulation and recovery.

  • The science behind each recommendation
  • Factors contributing to stress, sleep disruption, or sensory overload
  • The highest-impact opportunities for improvement
  • A prioritized 12-week micro-action roadmap
  • A daily implementation tracker with weekly actions
03

Guided Implementation

Weeks 4–12

Six bi-monthly 30-minute video consultations to support you in translating the plan into real, lasting change , not just a report that sits in a drawer.

  • Review what changes are working
  • Troubleshoot obstacles as they arise
  • Prioritize the next steps for your specific situation
  • Refine and adjust recommendations as needed

Steady progress through manageable steps. You remain in control of timing and actions throughout.

The science

Built on
peer-reviewed research.

THE Healing at Home Method is grounded in published, peer-reviewed research connecting biophilic design, indoor environmental quality, and chronic condition management.

Published Research

Huntsman DD, Bulaj G. Healthy Dwelling: Design of Biophilic Interior Environments Fostering Self-Care Practices for People Living with Migraines, Chronic Pain, and Depression. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(4):2248

Huntsman DD, Bulaj G. Home Environment as a Therapeutic Target for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Delivering Restorative Living Spaces, Patient Education and Self-Care by Bridging Biophilic Design, E-Commerce and Digital Health Technologies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(2):225

Who this is for

This program was designed
for people living with migraines

Migraine Sensory triggers, light sensitivity, sleep disruption, nervous system dysregulation
Chronic Pain Home environments that compound rather than calm a sensitized nervous system
Sleep Disruption Environmental factors silently working against restorative rest
Stress and Recovery Spaces that haven't been designed to support healing and nervous system regulation

If you are living with a chronic condition and have never considered how your home environment may be contributing to it , this program is for you.

Founding Cohort Investment

5–10 participants. Limited enrollment. Applications reviewed individually.

Founding Cohort Rate
$900
Future program price: $3,500+
  • Healing at Home environmental assessment
  • One-hour strategy video session
  • Personalized Therapeutic Home Environment Profile
  • 12-week micro-action roadmap and implementation tracker
  • Report review and Week 1 video session
  • Six implementation video consultations (bi-monthly, 30 min each)
Founding cohort bonus: 35% off biophilic interior design services (up to two rooms) at dayhousestudio.com
Apply for the Founding Cohort

Because this is part of our early pilot program, we may ask to document parts of the process anonymously to help advance research on therapeutic home environments.

Common questions

Everything you need
to know before you apply

Do I need to renovate my home or spend a lot of money? +
No. The program is built around a micro-action approach, meaning small, manageable steps rather than overwhelming changes. The goal is to identify the few environmental factors that can make the biggest difference for your health and healing, not to change everything at once. Many of the highest-impact interventions involve no renovation and little to no cost.
Is this interior design, or is it actually health-focused? +
It is both, and the distinction matters. THE Twelve Week Healing at Home Method applies principles from biophilic design, indoor environmental quality, and evidence-informed self-care specifically to support nervous system regulation, sleep, and recovery. The framework is grounded in published, peer-reviewed research. Aesthetics are secondary to function for healing.
How much time does this require from me each week? +
The program is designed to work within your life, not demand more from it. The environmental assessment and initial strategy session happen in weeks one and two. From there, you receive a daily implementation tracker with small weekly actions. You remain in control of the timing and actions throughout. The six bi-monthly video consultations are 30 minutes each.
How is this different from reading about biophilic design online? +
General information about biophilic design does not account for your specific home, your specific condition, or the environmental factors that are most relevant to your nervous system and recovery. The program begins with a detailed environmental assessment of your home across every dimension that can influence health and healing, and builds a personalized Therapeutic Home Environment Profile from that assessment. The recommendations are specific to you, not general principles.
Is this backed by real research? +
Yes. The Healing at Home Method is grounded in published, peer-reviewed research. Dorothy Huntsman and Dr. Greg Bulaj, a biochemist and Associate Professor at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy, have published twice in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, specifically on biophilic interior design, indoor environmental quality, and chronic condition management including migraines, chronic pain, and depression.
Why is the founding cohort rate so much lower than the future price? +
The founding cohort rate of $900 reflects that this is an early pilot program. In exchange for that rate, founding participants may be asked to allow anonymous documentation of parts of the process to advance ongoing research on therapeutic home environments. The future program price is $3,500+. Enrollment is limited to 5 to 10 participants.
Does my home need to be a certain size or style? +
No. The assessment covers the environmental dimensions of your home that can influence health and healing, including sleep environment, light exposure, indoor air quality, sound, connection to nature, and self-care spaces. These factors are relevant regardless of the size, style, or condition of your home.
Is this a replacement for my medical care? +
No. The program is designed as an adjunct to your existing care, not a replacement for it. The home environment is one layer of a broader approach to chronic condition management. This program helps you optimize that layer intentionally, using evidence-informed methods, alongside whatever clinical care you are already receiving.
What happens after I submit my application? +
You will receive a confirmation within 48 hours. All applications are reviewed personally. Because enrollment is limited to 5 to 10 founding participants, we may follow up with a brief conversation before confirming your place in the cohort.
Is this covered by insurance or HSA? +
Not at this time. The program is not currently covered by insurance. It is an out-of-pocket investment in your home environment and long-term wellbeing. As Dayhouse Health develops and our own clinical research advances, our aim is to work toward insurance acceptance in the future.