Meet Karen Beckles

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karen Beckles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, NYC Corrections, ICE Detention Enforcement (formerly INS), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons working inside a system that I believed was set up for failure on all sides. To the best of my ability, I followed policies and procedures, honored the rights of everyone, and managed to maintain my humanity. I watched those in custody, their families, and my coworkers carry invisible weight
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Early on I learned a truth I still live by, behavior is not identity. People are not their worst day, and with the right tools, resources, education, and support, change is real and possible. I also learned that we are all one decision away from a completely different life. I never thought I was better than anyone, and I knew that it could happen to anyone, including those of us in uniform.

The culture taught us to suppress emotions and push through fatigue, illness, and mental stress. Being or acting strong or tough did not mean you were. We wore it like it could protect us. Over time that armor becomes just a uniform, and underneath is a human with unprocessed stress, unhealed wounds, and a loss of self, in or out of uniform. It showed up in performance, in how we treated people in custody and each other, and in our lives at home. For many, it followed us into retirement.

A year before I retired, I experienced a heart attack. I had witnessed life, death, illness, and suicide throughout my career, but that moment shook me awake. It was my body saying you cannot keep carrying this the same way.
A coworker introduced me to Reiki, offered sessions, and taught me the basics so I could support my physical, emotional, and mental wellness. What shifted first was decreased stress and emotional regulation. I was less reactive and calmer. I realized that the more regulated and self-aware I became, the more I noticed just how broken the system was.
I retired a year later, and it was not just about adjusting to a new life. There were many challenges relating to not living in that role anymore and not being at the ready all the time. It was realizing that I had, to some degree, stopped feeling real emotion during my career.

Then I started again from the beginning and trained through to the Master level. Reiki changed my life. I began offering it to others because I knew it would help. The results were honest and practical: less stress and tension, more clarity, and a sense of peace and hope returning to the mind, body, and spirit.

I recognized my purpose not as leaving public safety, but as changing how I serve it.

Today, as a Reiki Master Teacher, I teach daily and intentional practices for self-care and emotional awareness that help people reconnect with themselves. I offer guidance, encouragement, safety, and support so people can build trust in themselves and their own healing process.

I found my purpose by seeing the toll a managing system takes on human beings. We were different, but we were all human, and care was not real or consistent. My Reiki practice moved me from survival energy to centered and grounded presence and returned me to myself.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a Certified Reiki Master Teacher and spiritual/intuitive coach. My practice, The Funky Truth Healing, is the good, the bad, and the ugly of healing and growing, honoring all parts of being human and all the ways we experience life. I bring what I learned from my own healing and from years in law enforcement to meet people where they are. In our work we use Reiki, guidance, and easy to use practices that match your intentions. What is special about my work is that I help people build a bridge back to themselves. We set a personal baseline for wellness and build consistency, clarity, and alignment you can feel in your body. You lead your healing, I keep the space safe and clear. There is enough structure to support you and enough flexibility to fit your life. We do this in community through circles, workshops, and trusted partnerships.

I work in two ways. First, through Reiki sessions and spiritual and intuitive coaching. I can meet in person or virtual, one to one or in small groups, including children, families, and couples. The first aim is simple and human. Using Reiki I help your nervous system shift out of constant alert and toward rest and digest. From there we add what supports you most, and we close with a few clear practices you can carry home, so the work continues and stays aligned with your intentions.

Second, I teach. When someone feels called to learn Reiki, we move from foundational skills to advanced practice to the master level, always grounded in real life. Small groups, hands on practice, attunements, and ongoing mentorship. You build daily and intentional self-care, deepen your relationship with Reiki, and if it is right for you, learn how to offer care to others with integrity.

Inside organizations the needs are different, but the heart is the same. I partner with first responders, hospitals, schools, and community groups to bring simple and effective wellness to their people. We focus on emotional awareness and regulation, nervous system care, and practical skills for high stress, burnout, grief, transition, and retirement readiness. Programs are shaped to the culture and the moment. The aim is to reduce or eliminate hidden burdens, restore clarity, and support people in caring for themselves while they care for others.

What is new and next:
In 2026 I am launching The Funky Truth Sober Community, a Reiki supported community that is spiritually based for people who are sober and sober curious. It is meant to complement AA for those it serves and to offer a spiritually grounded alternative for those it does not. I will also collaborate with senior centers and other partners to host regular free Reiki clinics that serve the community and provide supervised practice hours for my trained students. I have collaborations planned with my community of practitioners for wellness events and retreats. I plan to do more public speaking about law enforcement through my series The Human Behind the Badge and I am developing a workshop version for agencies and organizations where it is a fit. I am creating my Reiki certification training to be available online and launching a YouTube channel called The Funky Truth Unleashed. I am also completing my memoir in 2026, a straight talk account of my years behind the badge and the road that led me to the healing work I do today

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities that most shaped my journey are self awareness, integrity, and community. Knowing myself, telling the truth, and giving myself permission to heal brought my choices back into alignment with my values. Law enforcement taught me to perform under pressure. A heart attack forced a reckoning. Reiki gave me a practical way to heal and align through self Reiki, daily intentions, and just for today commitments. This is how I became the kind of leader and wellness partner I wanted to be for myself and my community.

Integrity means I stay in my lane and do not compare. I keep the core of the Reiki system intact and offer it in my own voice so it fits real life. My role is not to fix or save anyone. My role is to create conditions and empower people to participate in their own healing. I often begin with a simple question, Do you want to feel better. A yes or a yes but I do not know how signals willingness. Each session is paired with one simple home practice. I honor my practice and my personal boundaries, work within my scope, and make referrals when that best serves the client.

Healing holds better in community. That is why I host circles, gatherings, and workshops that honor every stage of healing, and why I maintain a vetted referral network so people have support between sessions. I model this by using my own trusted network for my care.

For those early in the journey, start simple. Begin and end the day with a two minute honest check in. Name one feeling, one need, and one action. Add five minutes of self Reiki or easy breath work. Practice the 5 Reiki Principles that begin with Just For Today. The principles can be used by anyone.

Practice integrity from day one. Define your lane in one sentence and read it before you work. Offer only what you can stand behind and refer out when it is not your scope. After each session or workday, write down one thing you did well and one thing to improve. Adjust tomorrow.

Grow with community. Join or create one circle for shared practice and support. Build a small referral list of three trusted practitioners and use it. When possible, learn and serve with others. Community keeps you honest and resourced.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am looking for more opportunities to collaborate with law enforcement and fire departments. I work with agencies that are building or expanding wellness programs. As a retired federal officer, I understand the culture, the chain of command, shift work, and the need to feel safe and secure. I offer onsite Reiki sessions, brief regulation and recovery sessions during training days, support after critical incidents, and practical workshops for stress injury, depression, grief, and retirement transition. Everything is consent centered and designed to fit your schedule and policies. We can begin with a short pilot, collect simple pre and post check ins, and build a cadence that supports your people without adding complexity. This work complements peer support, chaplaincy, and EAP, and it does not replace therapy or medical care.

I am looking for partners who serve women in custody, in reentry, and on campus. I collaborate with jails, prisons, ICE detention facilities, reentry and sober living programs, community colleges, and universities. I hold welcoming circles and workshops and offer group coaching and Reiki sessions as well as individual sessions. The focus is self-care, social emotional learning, emotional regulation, and agency, with Reiki support that helps people feel safe in their own bodies. When helpful, I coordinate with staff, so support continues between sessions. I also maintain a vetted referral network, so participants have additional resources.

I am looking to collaborate with practitioners and community wellness organizations for circles, workshops, and retreats. If you are planning retreats or community wellness events, I welcome partnership.
If you would like to partner, please reach out through The Funky Truth Healing website, LinkedIn, or Instagram @the_funky_truth or @the_funky_truth_unleashed, and by email at [email protected]
Include the word Collaboration with a brief note about your team and goals, and we can set a call to design a pilot that meets your needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thefunkytruthhealing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_funky_truth/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmbeckles/