For years I did psychic readings. No, I would not tell your fortune, or what number you should play, but I could intuitively tune in and tell you some things about yourself.

My dear friend and psychic mentor, Herb Dewey, taught me how to trust my inner sentience or my inner knowing sense. I did 100’s of readings before and during social work school. But there always existed a little bit of stigma about readings. Because there is no psychic reading “school,” “degree,” or confirmation of title, anyone could grab a deck of cards and claim to be a reader without much hesitation. Though some may be highly clairsentient and clairvoyant, understanding the art of delivery of one’s perceptions requires a great deal of skill in order not to frighten or stir up a past trauma.

Nevertheless, despite the vast variations in background, accuracy level, or intuitive skill,  and ability to deliver the reading, many people love the idea that someone could tune in and tell them things. I have found that some come in wanting to know what “bad things” await them. This is not my goal as a reader, and before I open the actual psychic reading, I present an orientation that dispels any notions that this is what I will be saying.

After Social Work School, and beginning a serious psychotherapy practice, I slowly shied away from readings because I found that people came to see me wanting me to tell them how to run their lives. That is not what I am about. I am all about self-determination.

I believe we all have the right to make our own choices and experience our own consequences. But truth be told, I have missed doing readings because I love going into “trance, ” and I love sensing what I see, hear, feel etc, and offering the readings in a way that people can use to self-determine, solve their own problems, and know themselves better.

On the other hand, I have been concerned that attaching “psychic reader” to my LICSW, or my LCSW, or my CGP would diminish my legitimacy as a clinician. Too bad there are not letters to put after my name. I could be “PsyRd.”

Recently I am wondering how I can return to the world of readings and bring into it my legitimacy as an experienced clinician.

I have a serious ethic about readings. I will not predict doom. I won’t tell you if someone took your favorite ring. And, though I agree with Herb, that some shmaltz (translate–spice) is a good thing, I still won’t tell you what horse to bet on. But I think I have a world of experience clinically that can combine with intuition to help you think about your issues and cope more effectively with them. I believe I can offer a perspective and help people see other angles that might open fresh options.

I continue to seek the venue that will allow me to use my skill, gift, proclivity, interest–whatever you call it. I hope I have something like wisdom and creativity to put into an intuitive offering of guidance.

Perhaps after all these years I will find the route of return to a vocation/avocation that  despite it’s sometimes sketchy reputation, I believe is useful, and I enjoy.

I trust I will be shown the way.