Meet Gail! The woman with decades of experience healing bodies holistically in both traditional and non traditional techniques.
Bio
Meet Gail! Gail is originally from New York. She received her BFA in Sculpture and Printmaking at SUNY Purchase. After college Gail moved to Portland, Oregon, got certified as a Chiropractic Assistant, and then worked in a holistic health center. It was there that she decided to go back to school for a degree in Physical Therapy. So, in 1994, Gail moved back to NYC and enrolled in the pre-med program at Hunter College.
Two years later, Gail moved to Philadelphia for her Masters of Physical Therapy at then Hahnemann (now Drexel) University. It was an injury that allowed her to see the path to opening her own practice. Gail opened Therapeutic Pilates in 2004, a Pilates based physical therapy practice, in her adopted home of Philadelphia.
Origin Story
Gail was introduced to Pilates by her physical therapist after her third knee surgery as a 13 year old. She was lucky to (be one of the first students) study at one of the first studios outside of in NYC that one of Joseph Pilates (the founder of pilates) students started. Once she started she never looked back. Her practice eventually became very influential to her career choices.
After working in the medical field Gail realized she wasn’t able to practice the way she wanted. Initially, she never wanted to open her own practice. But, for Gail the medical field became “more about numbers and codes and less about people and their needs.” She felt like she needed to leave and go into private practice to ethically and holistically provide the care in which she believed.
“This practice is so special to me, allowing me to combine my artistic outside of the box mind, Pilates, physical therapy and holistic healing. Though I specialize in chronic pain and pelvic floor therapy, I also love treating scoliosis, headaches, and preventative care through stretching, foam rolling, and Pilates. My past work in Geriatrics and Pediatrics helps, as I often treat entire families from the grandparents, parents, to the kids.”
Roses and Thorns
As a parent, Gail loved that she could work out of the house, raise her family, and have a growing practice. When her son was old enough to want her to practice out of the house, she found how much she loved having and creating her own space for healing.
“Scheduling is one of the hardest parts of my job; the fluidity of my practice is equally good and bad. When things are slow, it’s hard to relax because it can be scary to think of the ramifications of that. Yet, when it’s crazy busy there is no time. But, being a sole practitioner allows me to provide the kind of care I would want and could never find in the medical model. Listening, pivoting, and healing.”
1536 Catharine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 834-9799
https://www.therapeuticpilatespt.com/therapeuticpilates
@gailkotel
