Our Therapist

Karly is a licensed Physical Therapist with over 17 years experience and has been a certified Pilates Instructor since 2005. Karly graduated from Nazareth College with her Masters in Physical Therapy in 2003, and began work at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation in NYC from 2003-2006. She then pursued an opportunity in Bethesda, MD, where she was able to practice Pilates-based rehabilitation in a private outpatient orthopedic setting. Karly completed her Pilates mat and apparatus certification from the Professional Health and Fitness Institute in 2005, and pursued an additional Comprehensive Certification through Power Pilates in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Karly was trained in the SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Assessment) in 2012 and completed an updated certification course in the SFMA in 2020.  Karly has had extensive training in manual physical therapy (including myofascial release, strain counterstrain, myokinetic alignment restoration, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, and postural restoration with emphasis on breathing, and PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)) and has found that incorporating Pilates-based exercises with manual therapy and postural alignment retraining has been the key to treating clients with chronic pain, overuse injuries, and pain from postural imbalance.

In the last couple of years, Karly has been studying the work of Gregory S. Johnson, PT, and Vicky Saliba Johnson, PT, pioneers in the physical therapy field who have developed "Functional Manual Therapy" (FMT), which as stated on their website is "an integrated treatment system which couples mechanical treatment of the joints, soft tissues, visceral and neuromuscular systems with manual neuromuscular facilitation to enhance optimum motor control and human function".  Karly has completed intensive continuing education courses through their program, the Institute of Physical Art, including  Core First Strategies, Functional Mobilization,  Proprioception Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF), &  Functional Gait.

Karly has developed her physical therapy practice around accessing faulty movement patterns in the human body, and using manual therapy techniques and mobility exercises that bring increased body awareness to her clients.  Karly believes the more her clients understand about the human body and their system, the more success and control they will have over their bodies.  She wants her clients to succeed in overcoming the chronic pain and injuries that have been holding them back in life. Her goal is to help her clients connect their minds to their bodies, develop more efficient movement patterns and postural awareness so ultimately they can live a better quality, more fulfilling, active, injury-free life. 

Karly, a Bethlehem Central graduate, relocated back to Delmar to be closer to family and friends. Once an active part of the triathlete community, her triathlon days have been put on hold while she focuses on raising her daughter, Olivia (4) and Mia (1.5),  with her husband, Marc.  

Karly is the owner of Free Movement Pilates, LLC, a Pilates studio and wellness center in Delmar.  Her physical therapy practice, Karly Decker Physical Therapy, PLLC shares space with the studio.   All of her wellness classes (Tai Chi and Restorative Pilates) are taught through her studio.