Meet Katie Weber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Weber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in California, in the middle of nowhere, though some military folks may know the area: Ridgecrest CA! I think being born in the arid desert is the reason I love the Colorado climate! Shortly after I was born, we moved to Colorado Springs where I lived until college. I completed my undergrad in Social Work from Colorado State, Go Rammies! My undergrad was really key in building the foundation that I have for my approach to my work and to my life. Social Work is about understanding human behavior in the context of the environment. It’s both individual and community focused. When I think of the work I’ve done as a Parole Officer with the State of Corrections, it was about understanding the lives of those I supervised in the context of their upbringing and how their current environment continues to shape their existence. In the work I’ve done 1:1 with people through yoga classes, ayurvedic appointments, reiki sessions, or coaching sessions- it is the same. The idea of understanding who my clients have been, where they are now and where they would like to go guides all my offerings. The power of being able to hold space for people to see their own patterns and then empower them to break away from outdated practices, beliefs, viewpoints is really so profound!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I share more about my story, I often hear ‘you were a parole officer?!’. And yes- in fact I worked for the Department of Corrections for nearly 12 years. In my service with the State of Colorado, I worked as a Parole Officer, Specialized Trainer and Training Coordinator. While still very new in my time with the State, I started practicing yoga, though I had been taking classes on and off since right out of high school, it was in my early 20’s that I really started practicing consistently. I didn’t what happened to me in the practices, but what I did understand was that it helped me to release the tremendous amount of stress I had from working in a challenging field. In 2015, I completed my first yoga teacher training. I knew from the very first time I cued the breath; I wanted to teach and offer this gift of a practice to others. I gained an enormous amount of confidence after that first training and applied for and was promoted in the trainer position. This is really where my dharmic path as a teacher/coach was solidified. I was able to attend different trainings in Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Techniques (CBT) and other evidence-based practices centered around applying the academic research to those serving time in the criminal/legal system. I still use MI and CBT as part of my work in coaching sessions and through Ayurvedic assessments. Changing behavior (ourselves or others) is not small feat whether you are someone who has been sentenced to a prison term, someone who has been experiencing an autoimmune illness and wants support or someone who is contemplating the next steps in a career. We are all always somewhere in a change (or more likely somewhere in the midst of many changes) process. Working for a large state agency was very challenging for a number of reasons. In and of itself, a large agency takes time to implement change and when you’re working with people’s lives in the way the criminal/legal system does currently, the change does not come fast enough. And that was a real struggle for me. When I put in my two weeks’ notice, I cried for days. In fact, I cried for days leading up to even turning in my notice. I couldn’t name it then, but what I know now is that my soul was so relieved I was taking steps to find more alignment and peace in my life. I am really proud of past me who quit. It was very brave! I really had no set plan other than to continue working on my masters (which I completed in 2021). I want folks to know that all our stories and experiences are valid. They have formed who we are today. However, those stories may be hindering where we go in the future. Whether I’m working with staff in the criminal/legal system, clients in the system or folks who are wanting to make shifts, all the experiences I’ve been through and all the lessons I’ve learned come into the offerings I provide. I want all people to feel seen, heard and to know that they are worth the effort to break patterns and care for themselves in new ways!

What I am really hoping to offer, is to bring Ayurvedic practices more to the criminal/legal system. Imagine having a center (currently called a correctional center or prison) where people are offered an ayurvedic approach to healing: meal plans are tailored to each person along with herbal formulations and body work practices, yoga and mediations that are meant to address imbalances in body and mind that have led them to commit crimes. Imagine what it could be like if our prison system actually provided a healing environment, where people ‘released’ into the community were truly more whole, healthy and free. There have been some shifts in the criminal/legal system, but it is not enough. We, as a community, must continually shift our stories around crime and ‘criminals’. What hurts one, hurts us all. And it is time to heal one, so that we can heal all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I live in Colorado Springs right now and there are so many gems here! I would of course, take them to the Garden of the Gods. I grew up running the trails there with my cross-country team and I always wonder, did I realize what a gift it was to run there?! We’d have to hit up BJs Velvet Freeze because I love all things vintage, and this drive thru is perfect for that. I would also want to take them to Manitou Springs to check out the Thursday night drum circle, we’d have to do the incline hike and then soak our tired legs at SunWater Spa after. And since we’re in Manitou, we’d have to play some games at the Penny Arcades, you already know I love all things vintage, so that is a must! If there are smaller kiddos visiting, we would of course visit Santa’s Workshop in Cascade. I went as a child and have gone back with my niece and nephew, its adorable!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many! I want to shout out to the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI), specifically Johanna Leal and Dr. Alex Walker. They’re amazing mentors to me and have really shown me (and many other women) how to be a leader in a field (criminal/legal system) that is really hierarchal, and male dominated. I’d love to shout out to one of best friends, Jenny Remack, she and I have traveled a similar path in our professional and personal lives both having worked in the criminal/legal system and both having departed from working in a full-time capacity in the system. When you break away from the normative 9-5, you’ve got to have others who have or are craving their own path and that’s who Jenny is for me! I also want to shout out to all my family and friends who have been constant in their support and belief not just in me but also in seeing the world and living their lives in a kind, thoughtful and loving manner.

Website: https://www.katieweberholistics.com

Instagram: @katieweberholistics

Linkedin: Kate Weber

Facebook: Kate Weber

Youtube: @katieweberholistics

Image Credits
Carol Mason (with me and the products)
Heather Talbot (the beach picture). Both are friends.