When I speak with a client for the first time, I have a “new client blurb” which explains how I make the connection with their loved one, and how I receive information.  Sometimes this is different from what people expect, so I thought I’d talk about it here.

 

Medium to Guide

A few well-known psychics describe working with their guides during every session.  Their guides become their filter, enforce their boundaries, provide protection and aid in grounding.  The experience for the medium who works via their guides is often very similar, session to session.  The telepathic language developed over time between the medium and the guide can become very efficient, and quite detailed, because every session is conducted between the medium and her guide(s), and it’s the guides who are speaking with your loved one on the other side.

The experience for the medium using this technique usually involves visuals.  Some have described it as being on black stage, with spotlights on themselves, their guides, the client’s loved ones, and possibly their loved one’s guides as well.  The medium’s guide does the work of conveying the information between the client’s loved one and the medium, utilizing the telepathic language the guide and the medium develop over their time training.

For the medium, this is a conversation which happens mainly between the medium and the guide, and although the medium may be able to visualize the client’s loved one, there is not a direct connection between the loved one and the medium, because the guide is the one connected with the medium.

I’ve designed this series of graphics to help you visualize what’s happening energetically.  Pay attention not just to the overlaps with the medium, but how each individual being is supporting each other.

 

With the Medium – Medium’s Guide – Spirit connection, you can see how most of the energetic output is done by the Medium – Medium’s Guide team.  The Client is supported by their own guide, and their loved one in spirit, and the medium’s own energy is quite separate from the client and connects to the loved one via the medium’s guide.

Of course, sessions tend to be fluid.  The client’s own guide may want to jump in and assist, or connect with the medium directly, or the client might ask the medium to connect with the client’s guide.  All of these energy relationships are very flexible, and there are no rules saying one technique is better, safer, or more correct than another technique.  They’re just different experiences, different paths to the same goal.

Sylvia Browne appeared to use this technique in many of her televised readings, and it’s a great technique to try when you are learning spirit communication – because each session will feel familiar, as your main energy output is between you and your guide.

 

Spirit Medium

The next technique is the one I like to use, which is a direct connection between the medium and the client’s loved one.

My “new client blurb” explains that I make the connection to the loved one in spirit *through the client*.  Some mediums don’t like to do this, because it’s a less controlled environment, energetically.  Instead of being on a smooth lake, it might feel like you’re bobbing up and down on waves of emotion.  Personally, I prefer this technique because I LIKE the feeling of connection with the client, and I prefer the direct connection with Spirit, rather than going through my guide all the time.  I enjoy the variety, I enjoy the challenge of adapting to each individual spirit’s style of communicating, and I find I get a better feel for the spirit’s personality, so I can convey that better to the client.

It’s just a preference, again, no better or worse, just a different technique.  Here it is, visualized:

I like to call this the Spirit – Medium technique, which is why I call myself a Spirit Medium.

I like this technique because I can feel everyone there.  I feel like I get to know my client and their loved one better, and I can feel the support of everyone.  I don’t typically speak with my guide or the client’s guide during a session, I connect with the client, and piggy-back off of their love for their person in spirit to invite a connection with their loved one.

John Edward appears to use a combination of the Spirit Medium technique, and the Medium to Guide technique, depending on the situation.  A variation on this technique is connecting directly with Spirit through another tool like a photo, their birth date, or an object the Spirit loved or touched a lot.  Again, the connections shown here are all flexible, and sometimes the client themselves has a telepathic connection with the Spirit, so that gets to be fun in sessions too!

I think this technique contributes to my clients becoming my friends over time, as well.  Often my clients will feel *understood* during sessions, which can be a healing experience.

 

Direct Channeling

The last technique I’ll talk about today is an advanced and sometimes dramatic technique that is Direct Channeling.  Some people will refer to the first two techniques as “channeling” but I prefer to use that word to describe ONLY the following scenario.

This is where the Medium invites the Spirit to overlap in her physical body!  The most complete, intense scenario using this technique will have the medium’s voice and energy change, her gestures and mannerisms would change, and the medium would essentially give Spirit the keys to her car, with Spirit promising to drive carefully and fill it up with gas before bringing it back.

Now, I say this is an advanced technique, but I was surprised when a student of mine described this happening when she was in a sleepy (almost trance) state and her loved one visited her.  I was floored to hear my student describe it!  This is why I don’t tell students to start with one technique first, I like to get to know individual students and find out where their talent is, how they like to communicate, because it’s often easier and faster to work with your natural talents and build on the technique you gravitate to on your own.

Here’s a visual description of the Channeling technique:

Here you can see the Medium’s guide is assisting, and the medium hasn’t left her body entirely, she’s merely sharing it.  The medium and her guide could “kick out” the Spirit at any point, but there shouldn’t be a need to assert boundaries because the Spirit doesn’t mean any harm, and is motivated to connect with the Client.

Direct Channeling is where the Medium shifts from being an interpreter, to being a gracious host.

This technique is very intense for the Medium, the Medium’s Guide, and the Spirit, and it can provide experiences for the Client that may not be possible otherwise.  I have heard Clients and friends describe channeling sessions involving hugging the Medium, and having a flash of an experience of hugging their loved one, even experiencing a familiar body odour or scent from the medium that reminded them of their loved one.

There are obvious advantages to this technique, the most obvious being that the Spirit can literally speak for themselves, so errors in interpretation are fewer.

I prefer not to use this technique unless I’m *really moved* to do so, and the client is right in front of me.  I find that when I disconnect enough to allow this to happen, I can’t really be there for my client in the same way.  It’s subtle, but it’s a big difference to me.  I like feeling connected with my Client as well as the Spirit.  For me, the experience of this technique is like a reversal of the flow of water – rather than coming through me, to the client, flowing through to the Spirit and back to me, the flow is coming from the Spirit, through me, to the client.  It feels more like standing under a waterfall than all being in the pool together.

So there you have it – these are three techniques described in general terms.  Remember that before any of these connections happen, the Medium has properly grounded, has mastered her protection and cleansing techniques, is settled, open, relaxed, and calm.

So what’s the *Best* technique?  The one that makes you happy!  The one that leaves you filled with energy and gratitude – whether you’re the Client or the Medium!

For new and developing mediums, you work with the techniques that work best for you, because that’s how you enable yourself to do many sessions instead of a few.  Your sessions should leave you feeling even better than when you started, just like anything else you enjoy doing.  (This also protects you from burnout!)  Always remember to take care of your Clients, too.

If you’re a developing medium yourself, I would love to hear from you!  I do have a class, where I cover all of the essentials leading you up to your first session, and I have built my class so that people can have at least one hour speaking with me about their personal development. 

If you have any questions about my class, or about where you are in your development, please feel free to email me:  tofinopsychic@gmail.com  And if you have any questions about this post, feel free to ask in the comments below!

Talk to you soon!