Spiritual Psychotherapy and Kinesiology Jacqueline Zavitz on Mind and Body Health

Jacqueline Zavitz came on"Psychic Street Smarts" and we really hit it off! She really knows her stuff and has fabulous energy!

Thanks Jacqueline for making into the studio on one of the worst winter nights of the year!

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To see all segments of the show available go to "Psychic Street Smarts".

Dial Love... Donna Lynn shares her Channeled Book!

Fascinating concepts shared in this channeled book "Dial Love, God's Planetary Guide for Attaining Happiness through spiritual fulfillment." Donna Lynn embodies the energy and messages from Source!

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Kundalini Yoga and Conscious Entrepreneurship Interview with Michele Risa

Michele Risa is very passionate about Kundalini Yoga and Conscious Entrepreneurship. find out more about Dial-Up Yoga and other projects she is developing in this segment of Psychic Street Smarts.

To find out more about Michelle Risa go to www.BeyondBodyMindSpirit.com

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Frances Lacombe and Maria Losue on Sandplay Therapy

In this segment of Psychic Street Smarts, I was guided in the modality of Sandplay by Frances Lacombe and Maria Losue. Intimidated at first I was surprised how easily I got into it and made some self-discoveries on the even though I was hosting the the show and on air live.

To find out more about Sandlplay you can contact Frances Lacombe call 416-427-7514 or go to www.sandplay.ca

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To find all available episodes of the show go to "Psychic Street Smarts"

Halloween on Mad Dog and Billy Show!

Halloween fun was had in the wee hours at a winner's house in Maple Ontario thanks to the The Breakfast Show with Mad Dog and Billie and Virgin Radio 99.9 ! What an experience for the neighborhood! I am sure that a couple of media vans and several cars invading their quiet neighborhood was really something for the folks in this part of Maple. And the fact that they brought a truck full of chocolate from Cadbury .

Bringing a mini studio to the this home is no small event I am sure! It was a neat process to participate in and I am quite sure I only saw a fraction of the work and planning that went into it! I can say that the winners were great hosts and I had a wonderful time meeting all the people associated with the show and this Halloween promotion!




Being on the air that early in the morning was really an eye opener! Although I drank half a can of Red Bull energy drink to do it and will never drink that stuff again I did really enjoy the experience! LOL Mad Dog and Billy really are full of zany energy and yep I needed to tap into it to get into the vibe of on the air between 6 and 9 am on Halloween day.



A morning person I am not, but once there in all the excitement and antics, I truly had a blast with the Mad Dog and Billy and the wonderful winners! It was a privilege to give a live on air reading to the winner of the radio contest. She was a wonderful person and really the whole family are great people!

Photos courtesy of Cathy and Fabio the prize winners

Thanks to The Breakfast Show with Mad Dog and Billie and Virgin Radio 99.9 for a fun filled Halloween!

Photo courtesy of The Breakfast Show with Mad Dog and Billie and Virgin Radio 99.9

Soul Mate… The MOST misunderstood idea in modern spiritual circles today…

The idea of a Soul Mate is not a new concept, but it has to be one of the most misunderstood concepts within modern theories of new age and eastern spirituality. Again western thinkers (or non thinkers and those who wish to practice spiritual bypass as the case may be) have taken this term out of context and done much harm to the desperate seeker who is clinging to an old relationship because of some misguided concept of Soul Mate. People who are not thinking or who want pat answers to this life may be spiritual dilettantes who do not really want to work on themselves. Much of the time these folks are the neediest of people and will cling to the idea that there is one “Soul Mate” for them and will not in many cases move forward with their lives even when the other person does.

It does not help that some readers are unscrupulous and will take advantage of these vulnerable seekers by promising special spells and rituals to bring he lost lover back. When the seeker realizes this is a scam they are understandably angry but still many of these seekers are just not ready and willing to hear the blunt truth even if the reader does try to be honest with them in a kind way.

For a reader like me, it is absolutely painful at times to try to get through to such desperate folks that there is not just o

ne person for each of us but, rather that as we grow and change so to will our “ideal person” change also. This is the fact of the matter but it is not what some really distressed clients want to hear. I have found myself in the awful position of having to tell the seeker like it is that the ex (assumed by them to be their Soul Mate) is NOT coming back. It is a difficult thing to do but the reputable reader will not feed into hopeless delusions. Even with trying to do that though the reader is then blamed for the seekers problems and usually the seeker moves on to the next reader who might tell them what they want to hear.

So What IS a Soul Mate Anyway?

Soul Mate as I understand it is NOT a perfect match with whom you are meant to spend the rest of your life in a rosy, fantasy love relationship, rather this term refers a concept related to reincarnation where in the Soul Mate acts as a mirror for the individual to learn from.

Yes you will feel comfortable/familiar with this person should you meet them as they are similar to you and brought to you to show you something about yourself. Many people report feeling like they have known that person for their whole lives and yet the come to a psychic trying to figure out why the relationship went bad.

Well, being in a relationship with your spiritual mirror is not always easy and can in fact be unpleasant. The biggest problem in modern spiritual circles though is a serious misconception of what a Soul Mate really is.

There are 3 types of relationship mirrors/ Soul Mates. As Arianni Masters at (http://www.soulmaterelationships.com/soulmatearticles/soulmatedefinition.htm) so concisely expresses it:

One is the mirror of who you were. This mirror gives you the opportunity to see how far you have come, the chance to experience the karma that you have already cleared. So don’t get caught up in this relationship worried about why it is coming back at this time, thank it and let it go.

A second type of relationship is the one that is mirroring where you are now on your path. If an issue or person has an emotional "charge" to it, then you still have work to do. This mirror is the hardest to look at because it reflects the things you have not yet finished in your karma. These are the things that we are the most blind to.

The last type of relationship is the one that mirrors your potential. This allows you to have a glimpse at who you could be, if you wanted to. This person is usually someone that you idealize and put on a pedestal.

Now let’s look at this explanation more closely. Nowhere does Arianni Masters say that the Soul Mate is the person who you are supposed to be with for the rest of life. Nowhere does this author say that there is one person who is just for you and who will be there no matter how messed up you are to fix your life etc etc. In fact this author makes it quite clear that the reason for these relationship mirrors/Soul Mates is for you, me us as individuals to learn about ourselves so we can grow spiritually and clear karma. It is not about fixing or changing the other person but rather about looking deeper into ourselves and gaining insights that will help each of us to move forward in a positive way.

Quoting Arianni Masters again:

“… the more you clear up issues for yourself, the more you ARE the ‘right’ person, the more you will attract the person you are looking for.”

With that in mind, my comment to past, present and prospective clients who might be in a hopeless place in their romantic lives is simply that the reading is for you and is about where you are at and how you are going to work on yourself. Desperately seeking a so called Soul Mate (as per the common misuse of this term) when you are in a bad will only lead to a situation where you meet a similar negative match because like draws like.

If you are depressed and needy at the time you meet that person you think is the one likely if they are drawn to you they are also depressed and needy also. But be aware that there will come a point where one of you will raise your energetic vibrations and so the connection will become uncomfortable and one of the pair will feel they must move on even if the other does not want to let go of the relationship.

For the one feeling left behind this can be difficult to accept but travelling from medium to medium or psychic to psychic and expecting that they can cast a spell or do some magic or even predict when the ex partner is totally unrealistic. And yet too many people expect exactly that and then become bitter and spiteful and feel abused when they do not achieve the desired result or hear what they so badly want to hear.

The best a medium can do is connect with your deceased loved ones and bring the messages of encouragement forward that they have for you so that you can move forward with your life. The best a psychic can do is tell you the type of person that is a good match for you and give you glimpses into your life situation pointing out possibilities where a change in actions and behaviors on your part might led you to the result you want.

Don’t go to a reader and expect that by some miracle that this intuitive worker will change your life for you. This is not what psychic readings are about. Readings are only a guide for you to consider possibilities that you as the seeker might not have thought of. Readings for most people are a time when they connect with deceased loved ones and find comfort and perhaps some new directions to try. Readers can point you in useful directions but the path you take and the choices you make are yours alone. The only one who can change your life is you!

Simplifying Life... the Adventure Continues... Taking Care of My Body, Mind and Spirit

As we enter summer I am aware that I have been making very good changes in my life. I cleared out a lot of material clutter and emotional nonsense and now want to get back to a healthier me! With that in mind I started a new nutritional cleansing and fat burning program. I had not done anything like that before so I had no idea what to expect but all the other changes seemed to work out well so this was again the next logical step.

I had heard that Isagenix has allowed others to have very noticeable, positive results so I decided to give it a try. I was introduced to Isagenix on Wednesday June 11 and started the regiment on June 19. In less than a week I have seen a drop in my weight and a change in my body shape. I have way more energy and I am able to do more psychical exercise and fun activities that I have not be able to do comfortably for years! I am most pleasantly surprised by the rapid changes that are happening because I feel GREAT and am even happier because those around me have noticed these positive changes already as well.

As a person with Cerebral Palsy I am not as able to get around physically. This means I am not as physically active as I would like to be. This coupled with unwanted weight gain since I turned thirty resulted in constant pain, fatigue and depression. I used to think that these things unwanted weight gain, constant pain, fatigue and depression were just things I was going to have to live with but now I have found and easy and healthy alternative that is having very positive results.

Since I started using the Isagenix products I have found that I am more focused and clients have commented that my readings have become even more accurate. All I know is that I am feeling a much different connection to the energy and that it is on a stronger flow. I am grateful for the different changes I have been able to make in my life and am so excited about what the future may hold.

Funny how changes happen all at once! I am so glad to have found different things that work for me at this stage in my life.

Are you ready for positive change?

Are you ready to discover a healthier you?

Are you ready for a system that enables you to reach your wellness goal?

Are you open to opportunities for success?

If so please go to my website catherinemacdonald.isagenix.com

Please also fee free to contact me directly at 416-253-6742 for more information and check in with my blog often as I will continue to share my success with Isagenix on a regular basis.. Feeling SO good I can't wait to see where this this lifestyle change leads!

Eliminate the Material Clutter and Emotional Nonsense and Simplify Life: A Path Peaceful, Focused and Grounded Living.

For the last few years I had over extended myself and allowed life to get way too complicated. Being in the midst of a newly successful business and trying to balance that with a new relationship and then also dealing with people around me who whether they knew it or not were not respecting me as a person let alone as a friend, I had to make changes.

The funny thing about changes is that we do not always know why we are compelled to make them at the time. But there are just times in life when there is no other option but to change the direction where we are headed.

For me I became aware of my need for change in about February. I was anxious and unsettled and I could not figure out why. I mean business was good and I was enjoying a very loving relationship and I had lots of friends who were an important part of my life. Regardless, I needed change. And the message seemed to be “You need a simpler life. You must simplify things!” Now I do psychic readings for others and I do not pretend to get messages for myself in that way so I put message in the category of my body, mind and spirit telling me that it was time for change and making it impossible for me to ignore the message.

In March I took a good look around my place and decided I needed to get better organized. I thought once I am better organized I will feel like my old self again and life will be back to normal. With this in mind I did two things, I hired a professional organizer and a house keeper.

The professional organizer was wonderful! In just a few days she helped me to reorganize my space and I felt some of the stress lift. Then I got into a routine with the housekeeper coming in every other week and more stress lifted.

But then the pressure came back even heavier. I thought what the heck is wrong? After much thought I realized that there was still some things I needed to Simplify in my life. I was way too busy and I was not enjoying it anymore.

In the end of March I realized that I would need to make other changes. I was not sure where to start. I had just gone back to school, I was running a development circle, I was teaching a course at my church and I was doing a weekly radio show. So that meant I was out 4 nights a week and working on the other night as well as days and weekends. I had taken on too much but how do I make the changes I needed to?

April would go by and I would finish teaching the church course and so some of the stress lifted. But I was still out 4 nights a week and not enjoying what I was doing anymore. I knew I needed to make changes but where do I start?

Well in May the stuff hit the fan and I was shown where the changes needed to happen. It was not easy and in fact to tell the truth it was very painful. But I knew I had asked for help in making the changes that I needed to and when it was made clear to me the path to take I chose not to avoid it. I understand that it is an energetic shift that needed to happen.

So in that time I started to take a good look around and continued eliminating unnecessary material clutter and started working on the emotional nonsense. I cut the radio show spots in half and finally started being truthful about certain individuals and situations in my life that I felt were way out of control. For me this was very much a Spiritual house cleaning that needed to happen. Since I had done that work in the material level of my life this just seemed to be the next logical step. It is amazing how taking decisive actions and making clear statements about where one stands can be freeing. Now does not mean that this kind of change is easy. Far from it! It was probably the most difficult change of all that I had to make but it was necessary. In many ways I felt like I was walking off a cliff and did not know where I would land but no matter once the changes started to happen I just had to ride them out.

There are some folks involved who are quite put out by my recent actions but you know they will just have to get over themselves. My life does not revolve around them as much as they might assume otherwise. Once I realized that I could much better do without certain people in my life, I was also able to take a break from the meditation circle that I had been running for over two years with the possibility of starting it up at some other later date. I will miss some of those people I had connected with but there are others who I now know it was time to move on from.

With that in mind I am regaining my focus and my peacefulness and realize that any of the sort-term negative fallout from the changes I have made will be far outweighed by the positive long-term gains that will be there in the future.

I am often saying to clients, state your truth, act on it and stick by it. Some may not like it and may target you for it but you are on a more important path in life. There comes a time when one needs to eliminate the material clutter and emotional nonsense and simplify life. If you can do that you will find a personal balance of body, mind and spirit and with that will come peace. You will also rediscover your focus and enter into a more purposeful direction in your life where you know you are solidly grounded in what you are doing. That is what I have experienced in the last few months anyway. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store now!

“Stop Messing With My Life!” Famous Last Words of a Psychic Reading Junkie.

“You are a Crap Reader!” “I wonder if she’s reading that right…” How often I hear these phrases when I am not going along with other people’s agendas, doing what they expect or telling them what they want to hear. Working as a Spiritualist Medium there is of course an expectation that I am a spiritual person and that my focus comes from that perspective. I would like to think that most of the time that I am spiritual and serve Spirit well or at least that I try to do that to the best of my ability. Unfortunately the spirit communications that I usually see as gifts can weigh heavily on the heart at times.

Of late, I have been feeling like some people expect that I am just there to suit their needs and for their benefit even when it might not be balanced or healthy for me and that if I were a truly spiritual person I would just accept that role without question. I am sorry to disappoint them but that is just not realistic.

Now with clients it is natural that they will make certain demands of the reader and that when they are in crisis may be even more demanding than normal. I can live with this and it is just one of the costs of being in this work. But where does the reader go when THEY are in crisis? The easy answer to that is they should rely on their angels or spirit guides. While I am able to do that most of the time, recently I have been dealing with a tremendous amount of stress because of the agendas of others and their demands on my time, energy and talents.

I accept that I have allowed the situations to develop and know that I need to change things but how do I do that when certain patterns are entrenched? How do I accommodate my need for changes and yet continue being a good friend to those I care about a good instrument for Spirit to teach through and maintain my integrity as a reader? How do I make the changes I feel I must make in my teaching and spiritual work without offending others who have become comfortable with the status quo and feel that this is exactly the way things should remain? How do I deal with the expectations of others when they themselves have no clue what it is like to be where I am at?

Sadly the burn out rate in the helping professions is very high as caregivers and health and social work practitioners of all kinds get caught up in always being “on” or "in service" to others. It is no different in the psychic industry. Those who truly care about people struggle very hard to balance the needs with others with their own needs. I have found that I allowed things to happen that I now wish I had not.

For example: while having the title of medium or psychic can be a great conversation piece at parties and social gatherings it can also be a drag…. I mean just because I can do readings does not mean I want to do readings all the time… Like the doctor who goes to social functions and is asked for free medical advice being asked “can you read for me?”, “what do you see around me?”, “what do you get from Spirit on this or that?” gets a little old after a while.

While I can and do deflect this natural curiosity with humour there are just some people who do not realize when they are over stepping the bounds and do not seem to take hints very well and I suppose this is where the reader needs to be blunt and matter of fact about feeling hounded and then disrespected when what is read is not what the person asking wants to hear.

Unfortunately being brutally honest with needy and sometimes disrespectful people who take advantage is not so easy to do because situations are usually complex and are complicated by these people needlessly involving others because they are so intent on deluding themselves. Usually these folks who stress the reader out are very good friends with good hearts who the reader is very close to who are for lack of a better word “reading junkies”. With clients when this happens the reader can refuse to read and eliminate the problem but what can you do when it is a good friend who is pushing the boundaries of comfort and not aware (one would hope) that they are doing it?

To deal with this I am the fan of the direct approach but people do not tend to take it well when the reader refuses to read for them especially if they are stressed or obsessed about one issue or another in their lives. People also seem to think that their problems or situations should be an exception and for that reason you should read for them because it is “spiritual to give” and you should read because you are their "friend". This might be true but at what point do you tell a junkie that they are a junkie? And how do you handle it when that junkie also happens to be a valued friend? Where do you find the balance and the courage? And what if they are telling half truths to others around you because they want what they want no matter what?

Most of the time I feel the blunt approach is best but there is always the one friend who you know is hoping for a reading and hinting around it and so the reader is in the nasty position were it might be tempting just to give in and so it goes. This same friend may also be someone (who because you care about them) you really don't want to expose for their "he said, she said" talking behind the backs of others behaviour because you do not want to hurt that friend or others involved. But in my opinion half truths and behind the scenes "he said, she said" stuff has to be stopped especially when the half truths are impacting the reputation and health of the reader being put in the middle of all of it.

Reading for friends who are also junkies is not so difficult if these junkies like what you have to say. BUT what about when you are forced to tell them what you see and it is not what they WANT to hear? For example, the good friend is in a bad relationship and wants to know if it is going to work out, should the reader tell the friend if I see problems or not? What about the friend who is infatuated with someone and it is not being reciprocated at the same level as their intentions? What should the reader say? Should one risk a friendship to state what they see as truth? In a perfect world, I would say yes that you as the reader owe it to your friend to be honest and when Spirit gives a message you should give it as gracefully as you can. But we are not in a perfect world, as the reader you take the risk of offending the friend and hurting feelings. So now what? Tell them what they NEED to hear or what the WANT to hear. My integrity forces me to fall into the first option. It is about what they NEED to hear.

Most of the time I can handle their disappointment and the friendship is not damaged in anyway. But when the friend then begins to question your motive and integrity and clarity because you are being truthful and blunt and they just don’t want to hear it then there is a problem. I mean how can a reader be valued as accurate in reading the other areas of the friend’s life and then be treated as unreliable just because what is being said is not what that person wants to hear? My thought is a reader is either accurate or not. The reading junkie cannot have it both ways.

I am not sure how many other readers have gone through this but I know that I am probably not alone. If I knew then what I know now I would do things much differently but even when more experienced readers tried to explain how and why we need to set boundaries I only got part of it.

I fully understood why a good reader never reads for their partner and I am blessed to be in a solid relationship where I am NEVER asked to read for my boyfriend. But when it came to friends I was soft and gave in far too often. Funny how I was seen as accurate until it was something these "friends" did not want to hear and suddenly my reading ability and intentions were then in question. I can handle that and perhaps this is the catalyst to make some healthy changes. Since some friends were put out by what I had to say maybe they will ask for readings less often from other readers in the future? Perhaps this is the start of them standing on their own and trusting their connection to Spirit and the Universe rather than constantly seeking readings? And what is the reader's responsibility in enabling a psychic reading addict to feed the habit? I know in one case I was weak and let it go on WAY WAY too long and now I am being made out to be the the one who is bad or who has a problem when all I did was choose to be honest with all involved and extradite myself from a VERY messy situation .

Being told by the reading junkie to “stop messing with my life" was interesting because until this point this person was so wrapped up in readings they had stopped thinking for themselves. Where is their own personal responsibility in living their lives and so who was it that messing up their life? Although it was not easy to be brutally honest, when there got to be too much “he said, she said” nonsense and a whole circle of friends became involved, it had to be dealt with and I still think laying out all the facts for folks who only had part of the story is the only way to go… For the junkie who goes from reader to reader time will tell which perception is right and all I can say is I stand by what I said. I continue to say to anyone who puts others in such a situation of being in the middle: where is the junkie's personal responsibility in all this? Energy follows intention and if the intention is dishonest and wrong nothing good can come of it and that applies to both the reader who is afraid to speak their truth and the junkie who is using readings to avoid experiencing life in a real way.

Follow the link to hear more about the problems of the psychic reading junkie phenomenon and why I work hard NOT to be part of it by working as a Spiritualist Medium... Because of my training as a medium I also chose to stand up to those who have abdicated their own personal responsibility in their lives even if they are valued friends. Psychic Junkie: A Memoir

Healing Messages Come From the Least Expected Places…. Thank you!

I met a very in tune lady on Monday, I must say we made a real connection and for me it was the thing I needed. Sometimes people can say things without knowing what they are touching upon.

As the past few blogs show I have been dealing with some very negative circumstances in my life and was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, and through the kind and sensible words of this woman I was given what I believe was a message from Spirit that helped me to better understand what it is I am to do and learn as a reader and a teacher and why I was being challenged at this time.

While some people might not like what I have said in past blogs, I say what I think at the time to get others thinking too. More people tend to appreciate it than not so I guess that is a good thing. And in the case of this in tune lady who answered some struggles I was having; she saw something valuable in what I am doing and decided to connect. So it goes to show that you have to put your thoughts out there. Some may not like them and so be it. On the other hand, by being real and true to myself and honest in the work I do I draw amazing people to me and so will always risk offending the naysayers, and the negative jealous sorts for the chance to meet genuine, connected people.

I just wanted to take time to thank Julia and Spirit for touching my life though her words when I really needed it.

Life Catalysts: Never What You Expect Them to Be…

Many times in my life I have been told that through my spiritual work that I am meant to be a catalyst in the lives of others. While I accept this as part of the purpose behind being a Spiritualist Medium there are times when it is a very stressful to be handed this job. It has in the past hurt me deeply to see friendships end and to realize that I am really alone in the way I see my work but I have come to fully trust Spirit does things for reasons and that in the end it works out as it should.

While I fully expect Spirit to hand me the role of catalyst in the lives of the people around me, I do not pretend to know how this will play out. I don’t think I am supposed to have that insight and I am suspicious when people around me start trying to tell me just HOW I am meant to be the catalyst in another’s life because this usually proves to be little more than some folks using me, my energy, my talents and the things I am connected to as a way to fulfill their personal agendas. Most of the time they are unconscious that this is what they are doing and it comes to a shock to them when situations do not work out as they plan them to.

I am not shocked that their plans are kyboshed however, because it seems to me that SPIRIT decides in what way someone is to be a catalyst and Spirit does not usually explain exactly how the change is going to come. Usually even I do not know who I am a catalyst for until the event has come about and the changes are happening. All I know is that Spirit presents situations where I (as the catalyst) am forced to act and react in a way that is best for me and that is exactly what I have learned to do.

Self-preservation being an instinctual tool, I can sense when I must speak my truth in a blunt way and for some this is the catalyst in their lives that they least expect. Sadly but not surprisingly, I find that these folks with agendas are so focused on changing others to fit their notions of how life should unfold that they do not realize that Spirit is actually using me to be a catalyst in their lives rather than the lives of the people they hope and expect to change.

I used to think I was just imagining it but the more I go through experiences with people the more I am convinced that I am a life catalyst but that as a catalyst I am never quite what the people who’s lives I change expect me to be. While this used to bother me I now think it is how Spirit uses each of us to help those around us grow.

With that in mind I know I am blunt and say the things that some folks are not ready to hear but I am definite in saying what I am compelled say and adamant in knowing that I am guided by Spirit regardless. For this reason I stand by what I say and will face whatever consequences might come out of being truthful with those who ask for my advice and psychic impressions.

For those who might not really be able to handle the blunt truth then do not challenge me to be a life catalyst for others unless you are willing to risk change as well because you will find I am never what you expect and that the changes you plan for others might be brought to your life instead because that is how Spirit works.

Balance of Body, Mind and Spirit: a lifetime to Achieve or Not?! Is there such a thing as too much Therapy?

Of late I have been presented with the idea of the spiritual journey as a means of healing. While I fully agree with this notion, my question is: At what point does the spiritual journeyer truly come to a state of healing? Is it supposed to take a lifetime or are we able to find the balance of body, mind and spirit at some mature point in our lives and assist others to do the same from a healthy perspective. Is there some point where the seeker can exit the “client” role where they need to fix themselves and enter the place of being a balanced seeker who can enjoy being in a state of healing and still continue their personal growth on their spiritual journey?

As you can imagine, working as a Spiritualist Medium/ Psychic Advisor I meet a lot of people who are in a constant state of feeling “damaged”. By this I mean they are constantly in therapy and seem to see themselves as addicted, broken or needing fixing in some way. They seem to flit from this modality and that modality, this practitioner or that practitioner but they never seem to find the answers they are hungering for and hunting after. Is there such a thing as therapy overload? And is the real issue that these folks are hiding behind the “I am damaged” thinking so they can avoid experiencing life in all its hues both positive and negative? Are these people in therapy as a way of doing emotional bypass?

Now as the reader, you might think I am talking about clients of mine but this is not the case. Most of my clients do seem to be able to find their balance while most of the people in a chronic state of feeling “damaged” tend to be other New Age parishioners that I have met as a professional in my field. While it might be quite natural that these people who are in self-discovery to want to help others in some way, I really wonder if it is healthy for such folks go into alternative counseling work when they are in the constant state of feeling damaged. At what point does the constant attitude of feeling being feeling “damaged” emotionally, spiritually and psychologically as a practitioner become unhealthy and just plain bad for potential clients?

I am not saying that seeking out various methods of therapy is bad thing and certainly other methods aside from psychic readings such as soul coaching, past life regression therapies or channeling sessions are very helpful to some folks. I am the first to say try something out and see if it resonates with your own spirit. I am also the first to look at the psychic industry and say there are lots of people feeding on the misfortune of wounded souls who are looking to them for help and that is totally wrong. I am simply asking at what point does therapy lose its value and become an addition?

Sadly, I do see a disturbing trend in the New Age/Alternative healing and counseling circles, which is where those in the position of counselor are wounded healers and projecting their own issues onto their clients without even realizing it. While it can be useful to encourage clients to explore different methods of self-discovery through various forms of counseling, at what point does the person learn what the life lessons are and get on with the business of living life?

For example, I go to my doctor when I am ill. I am presented with a diagnosis and options for dealing with the symptoms and the underlying conditions that are causing the symptoms. It is not up to the doctor to fix me although there may be some medical procedure that the doctor does that will help and that is required. My health is my business and it is up to me to take an active role in it. And having said that if I am constantly going to doctors then there is a continued problem that needs to be resolved and once I resolve it I get on with life and hopefully put preventative measures into place so that I do not constantly need a doctor’s care.

I suppose I see counseling spiritual or otherwise in the same light. In my opinion, the goal of counseling is a tool that helps the client to get on with his or her life. It should not become a lifestyle in itself ala counseling for counseling sake. At what point can the client make the choice as to how much is too much when the counselor they are using seems to be thoroughly out of balance? Seems to me that most clients look to their counselor as a guide as to how they might fix their lives. Most people who are in counseling are in the place of being lost souls. They tend to emulate the ideas, attitudes and behaviors of the counselor until they start to feel more centered in themselves.

But what if the counselor is all over the place spiritually, emotionally, energetically and psychologically? How can these practitioners successfully aid clients/seekers in finding a personal balance of body mind and spirit when it seems their own life is way out of whack? How can they provide a forum for clients to find balance when they themselves unable to find or maintain their own balance of body mind and spirit? I am not sure I have the answers but these are serious questions that need to be answered by us as professionals who present ourselves as therapists, channels, psychics, coaches and spiritual directors with the credentials to facilitate others in their spiritual growth and life choices. Sadly, I see to many practitioners who go into the field to fix themselves to the detriment of their future clients.

While no counselor is perfect there are some key red flags for the seeker when choosing a professional no matter what modality they specialize in.

1. Does the counselor know when they are out of their depth and know the process for referral to other necessary alternative and mainstream mental health and medical/counseling services? Or do they just continue the counseling relationship well after it has become dysfunctional?
2. Does the practitioner maintain strict confidentiality unless the client is seen to be a danger to himself/herself and others? Or does the practitioner divulge personal details from sessions without thinking or when it suits their agenda even if it is inappropriate? While the client my not know this for sure they can get a feeling for it based on what kind of information this practitioner shares with them about others in the session.
3. Does the counselor have proper boundaries when it comes to practitioner/client relationship? For example do they maintain professional relationships with their clients or do all their clients somehow become personal friends of the practititioner and the boundaries become muddied? If your counselor is too chatty with you and divulging personal details about other clients to you as a “friend” you can bet your personal stuff is not kept in strict confidence no matter what the practitioner might say to the contrary.
4. Does the practitioner have enough grounded experience in their chosen modality and can they provide real resources to show what their methods/ teachings and spiritual assumptions and judgments are grounded on or is it just imaginative psychobabble and New Age fluff that is considered to be by most people to be substandard pop psych?

How you as the reader answer the above questions for yourself as the client will tell you if your potential counselor is sound or not. It is up to the client to be proactive in the counseling process and in choosing your practitioner. Be observant and if something does not sit right with you then do not ignore it. Likely where there is smoke there is fire.

How can New Age/Alternative counseling practitioners expect modalities such as psychic readings, soul coaching, past life regression therapies or channeling sessions etc. to be part of the mainstream when too many of the current New Age therapies and the practitioners who provide them are seen as “flakey, ungrounded, or unstable” by the vast majority of the public? If nothing else, even if practitioners do not agree with the mainstream view of the work they do; they have to ask themselves the hard question as to why the New Age healing, counseling and therapies and the practitioners involved with them are viewed as suspect y other professionals and the public at this time. What is it we need to do to change this perception? While I do not profess to have the answers I do think these are just some of the questions we must ask ourselves if we make a living in the psychic industry and the New Age field because I am sure the clients will be asking even if we don’t.

Perhaps it is up to the professional organizations and the colleges that are certifying alternative therapy professionals to also ask these hard questions and more thoroughly screen those who apply to their programs and organizations. Whatever the future holds for these New Age counseling modalities that seem to be the latest craze, there will come a point where accountability measures and certain standards must be put in place and practitioners will have to meet and exceed these benchmarks of responsible care in order to be considered reputable by the public whether they like it or not.

Ed and Red's Night Party Spot

Working as a psychic allows one to meet and greet folks from a variety of social circles and the media tends to love psychics for some reason. I would guess that Ed the Sock and Red his vivacious co-host are no exceptions...

In late November I was invited by the show's Communications Liaison to do a guest spot on Ed and Red's Night Party... I must say that when I first talked to Roxane I thought yeah sure... (I get lots of people who tell me that they are in the media so they can get a free reading. Not sure why they think it works... I mean as a psychic I might just catch on if someone is trying to scam me right??)

Anyway, Roxane and the gust spot with Ed the Sock and Red (Liana K) turned out to be very real! What a blast! Crazy set and a fun bunch of people who enjoy putting the show together. It is a lot of work but a lot of fun too from what I could tell amidst all the organized chaos!



For those who don't know Ed the Sock, he is this obnoxious grey sock with bright green hair that smokes a cigar. He prides himself on saying the unspeakable on TV and the show is campy and yet loads of fun. Lots of scantily clad young women and Red (Liana K) tend to appeal to the mostly male audience. Red (Liana K) for her part as co-host has her hands full trying to keep Ed the sock in line but usually she manages to pull it off.

Now I must say that at first I felt slightly overdressed for the occasion and for me that was a good thing LOL... Seeing all the hot tub girls in their various styles of bikinis and undies and bras was really something. Yep TV and photos do add 10 pounds and these young ladies made me very aware of just how much weight I have put on since my mid 20s. My mild insecurity aside, once I got over the shock of seeing the go go dancing and the hot tub girls at work, I got quite comfy and felt quite welcomed on the set...

When I told friends I was doing a spot on Ed and Red's Night Party they warned me that Ed was gonna make fun of me and as one friend put it "he's gonna eat you alive!" Much to my surprise and relief Ed was quite tame, but then there is nothing quite like being interviewed by Red (Liana K) with Ed the Sock over your shoulder making obnoxious, distracting comments... All and all it was quite an entertaining experience and believe it or not I would do it again in a heartbeat!

As to when the interview I did will be aired I am not sure... Perhaps some fans of the show will let me know if I don't catch it...



The show airs on City TV Toronto at 11:30 pm on Friday nights and is re- broadcast on the same station at 11:30 pm on Sunday nights. If you want more of Ed and Red you can always find them at http://www.edthesock.com.

Spiritualism and the New Age Radio Show

As of October 2007 I started hosting a weekly radio show called Spiritualism and the New Age on www.radio.com that airs Thursday evenings at 8 pm! The experience has been very interesting and a heck of a lot of fun!

For me hosting the show has allowed me to meet a variety of spiritual seekers from a variety of spiritual paths. It has also given me the opportunity to talk in detail with trusted friends who I see as like minded seekers.

To check out the latest podcasts you can go to Spiritualism and the New Age Podcasts to listen to and download the podcasts You can also find the most recent podcasts on my website at my website www.spiritualcat.com

Paranormal in Brampton...

It was the end of November when I was asked by a paranormal research group to work with them on a case they had coming up in Brampton. Now as a Spiritualist Medium/ Psychic I am used to working in my home, in the churches, doing parties but I have not really gotten into ghost hunting per say so when I was asked by the head of Jeff's Paranormal Investigations to work with them I figured why not?

As a psychic and medium who posts her contact information I get a lot of contact from folks who say they are into paranormal investigations and are in the media. Most of these people have been delusional and nothing came of the contact they made with me. Now with this as my background you will understand why I was skeptical when Jeff called me.

There was something in the conversation we had that told me that I wanted to work with these people. They turned out to be very knowledgeable and committed to serious research. It was a truly interesting experience for me.

We arrived at the home where the haunting was happening and the family there were very frightened. The were so frightened in fact that they had given their notice an were moving out that next week.

Now while I was in the home I did not feel anything evil or negative but these folks were already scared out of their minds. With that being the atmosphere I did a walk through of the house and was able to describe who was there and why they were there.

The family were very religious and somewhat superstitious and they were grateful for any help that myself or the paranormal researchers could offer.

As I walked through the home I did feel various locations that were warm or cold. The mother's bedroom and the basement were areas of strong activity. As the spirit entities made themselves known I was able to describe and older man who spent a lot of time in the home being cared for before he passed. I became aware of a choking sensation and described that only to find out later that it was that kind of choking sensation that made the mother afraid to go to bed at night.

It was my understanding at the time that someone else in the home prior to this family living there was the elderly man's care giver and that he was there looking for her. As it turns out the occupant in the house was his neighbour and she did look after him until he died.

Another active spot in the home was the basement. It was here that I was able to sense a man who lived on the land as a farmer before the subdivision was built. He was upset that people were on his land and was the spirit that was doing his best to frighten any people who came to live in the house. I had the sense that he liked to make the lights, t.v. and radio as well as computer do strange things. I later learned this kind of physical manipulation of electronic equipment was what had the family convinced that the house was haunted and that something evil was bothering them.

I was able to explain to the tenants of the home that he was a farmer and that he had apple orchards. He was upset because as he got older he was no longer able to work the land as a farmer and his sons made him sell off the land. It was his anger and unwillingness to leave that put him in contact with the present family and it was his desire to get them out of the house that made him effect different electronics in the home.

Now the best part of all this was helping the family come to terms with what had happened. There is a great deal of satisfaction in helping folks understand and lose their fear of the spirit world.

As it turns out the family did move but a least they now understand what happened to them and can rest assured that they are not cursed or possessed in any way.

As for the paranormal researchers they also experienced similar physical sensations and are in the processing the video and audio recordings to see what they were able to pick up...

I would love to work with Jeff's Paranormal Investigations on future investigations should there come another opportunity.

Psychic Reading with your Morning Java??

The following article was published in The Toronto Star. Fun things to do in Toronto before 8am.

DAYBREAK DIARY

TheStar.com - entertainment - The city that's still asleep

The city that's still asleep

In which our intrepid reporter ventures out at sunrise to prove that, yes, there is life after dawn

Aug 16, 2007 04:30 AM

Michele Henry
Staff Reporter

Words to live by at 6:20 in the morning: "Just don't go out wearing no underwear."

A man who calls himself Smiley, lithe with a natty braid stretching down his back, delivered this advice to no one in particular as he feigned a stumble through the front door of Vesta Lunch. It's a 24-hour truck stop at Bathurst and Dupont Sts., notorious for its surly wait staff, crusty clientele and vinyl bar stools.

"How are ya? I'm drunk," he says. "I'm kidding. Gimme a coffee." He plunks himself down at a stool near mine and snarls in my direction.

There it is: my initiation into the world of early-morning Toronto – a world shrouded in semi-darkness, with idling garbage trucks, the odd jogger darting between fluorescent street signs and people who lurk in laneways or pontificate like Smiley.

I blink in his direction, but glance past him through Vesta's floor-to-ceiling windows. The scene outside resembles a ghost town: Cars streak across the empty road. Traffic lights chirp for no one. It's quiet – even a bit eerie when the pulse of the city isn't thumping.

This is the first day of my hunt to find out what's on in this city between 6 and 9 a.m. as the subway squeals into motion and most locals hit the snooze button. The challenge is to pinpoint activities that don't include wandering aimlessly, praying or exercising.

Toronto's a bustling metropolis by day, but it was a chore to find quality leisure activities that fire up in the post-dawn hours. Cricket fanatics like to hit the pitch before 9 a.m., but most clubs are members only. Toronto spas open fashionably late, so manicures are out of the question. Forget about champagne and orange juice at 6 a.m. – the Four Seasons won't even serve fancy alcohol before noon. And gambling? Hustlers usually sleep in. But there are slots at Woodbine, which are open 24/7.

Many activities are unpredictable. After-hours clubs promise to be packed past dawn, but doors often shut early, with no warning. A handwritten note tacked to the entrance of a 24-hour bowling alley greeted me at 7 a.m. one morning, explaining the place was closed because of an "emergency."

On the upside, the sidewalks outside Toronto's many bakeries fill with the smell of fresh bread and coffee is plentiful.

My first stop, after wrenching myself from slumber at 5:45 a.m. this morning, was Caffé Brasiliano on Dundas St. W. It opens at 5:30. The espresso machine screeches to life, sending a jolt of noise through the café. Some patrons perk up and nod in mutual fatigue.

Plumber Jonathan Fernandez and other labourers, all calloused hands, work boots and lunch pails, sip from miniature espresso cups, outside. It's a daily ritual.

"It's always the same people in here," Fernandez, 21, says. "We're like robots."

So are early morning exercisers. An aerobics class at Extreme Fitness at Bay and Bloor Sts. is packed.

"Knees up," yells the instructor. "Keep moving."

Everyone's bouncing like a bunny on crack, but there's a camaraderie as they shed their fatigue. It's as if they share a secret, an ownership of this more efficient, quiet world.

The light strikes me when I leave the gym. And I'm shocked, almost angered, to join a sidewalk teeming with fast-walking pedestrians.

Late risers. Who do they think they are?

Where to live it up while everyone else is waking up

A handful of early-morning sites we visited on our week-long quest:

---

Comfort Zone, 480 Spadina Ave.

No klub kidz waving light sticks. No one barfing on the sidewalk. I'm disappointed. It's 6 a.m. and The Comfort Zone is closed. Manager Jose swore the after-hours club, open past 6 a.m. Friday to Monday, would be jumping, but I arrived to find the doors padlocked shut. Reliability before 9 a.m.? I think not.

---

Metro Golf Dome, 125 Milner Ave.

Feel like swinging a metal object before your morning coffee? It takes 15 minutes to get from downtown Toronto to Scarborough at 6 a.m., where I round into the only driving range that caters to golfers jonesing for an early-morning swing. The green's already carpeted with golf balls and the air's thick with Type-A tension. Golf's a serious, take-no-prisoners game, even at 7 a.m. "Sorry, can't talk, few more swings, then gotta go," one golfer says.

---

CAFfÉ BRASILIANO, 851 Dundas St. W.

A few patrons flop limply in booths at the back of the restaurant, and jolt upright when the espresso machine comes to life. The dimly lit space gets busier by the second. Owner Ken Connors is chipper, but not in an annoying way. "You're not gonna find anything around here that's open at 6 a.m.," he says of downtown Toronto. No one gets up that early – except him. "You become a morning person when you're in this business."

---

Bowlarama West, 5429 Dundas St. W.

Narrow windows surrounding the front door reveal a lights-off but lively bowling alley with all the charm the sport has to offer– moulded plastic benches, flashing lights, win-a-prize kiosks, shoe rental, snack bar. That's why it's extra disappointing to find the doors of this 24-hour joint, inside a strip mall, shut at 7 a.m. A handwritten note taped to the door explains the alley is closed due to "emergency."

---

Vesta Lunch, 474 Dupont St.

This 24-hour truck stop at Bathurst and Dupont Sts. never fails to amuse. One patron slumps over the counter. Another cracks wise about coffee with waiter Manuel Cornejo, 24, who says there's a steady stream of customers in the early morning even if it doesn't get too busy.

---

Jet Fuel, 519 Parliament St.

The stainless steel bar is swarmed with patrons, bleary-eyed and in desperate need of this high-octane coffee. The barista can hardly keep up with demand. I smack a handful of change down on the counter, plunge a few spoons of sugar into my tall to-go cup and exchange friendly words with a few random patrons. In and out in under seven minutes. A few sips of the appropriately named brew and I feel like I can fly.

---

Moksha Yoga, 1498 Yonge St., second floor

It's 6:30 a.m. and about 95C in this room. I'm not sure if it's possible to stay awake when it feels like I'm lying in a pool of heated molasses. There are about 10 people in this early morning hot, silent yoga class – and I'm in for 90 minutes of posing without any spoken instruction. The class is calming and surprisingly energizing. And at this time of day any worries about seeming uncoordinated melt away.

---

Commisso Brothers & Racco, 8 Kincort St.

I'd wager this is as close as Toronto comes to serving coffee Italian-style. If you're not in the mood for an early-morning veal sandwich – or ravioli, roast chicken, lasagne or a cannoli – sidle up next to the bar and shoot back an espresso. At this wee hour there's more Italian than English spoken in the convenience store/grocery. While the parking lot out front is deserted and dark, it smells of baking bread.

---

Psychic, 63 Superior Ave.

Spirits don't sleep in even if people do, says Catherine MacDonald, 37, who operates from a closet-sized room in her basement apartment. This psychic doesn't often do early-morning readings, but is available almost anytime by appointment. She's cheerful and ready by 8 a.m. when I arrive to have my fortune told, and says channelling the deceased comes naturally at any time of day. "To me, it's like second nature," she says.

---

Extreme Fitness, Bay and Bloor

Sweat is in the air at 7 a.m. The instructor's voice is booming and exercisers are too tired to resist her instruction. But as the music picks up so does our adrenaline. There's nothing like an early-morning fitness high to put life into perspective.

---

Ruby Chinese Restaurant, 1571 Sandhurst Circle

Managers open the doors at 7:45, even though food carts don't start rolling through the banquet-like restaurant until 8:45. Tables fill quickly with diners, newspapers in hand, waiting for freshly steamed dumplings, sticky rice, pork buns and congee. English is a language spoken sparely by staff, so dim sum serves me well. I just point.

---

Four Seasons Hotel, Avenue Rd. and Bloor St.

At 8 a.m. breakfast-seekers are dressed to the nines – full faces of makeup, not a coiffed hair out of place and Windsor-knotted ties. The well-to-do can dine on tofu-cheese, turkey sausage and egg-white omelettes, which is what I choose to eat, at tables spread with white linens. Morning paper's free and chatter is all business. Breakfast, with orange juice and tea, comes in at just under $30.

---

Michele Henry

Source: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/246692

Spiritualism In Toronto Really Needs to Examine its Leaders!

Yep I have been reading discussions at www.beliefnet.com lately... There is a thread in Intuitive Counseling called Job Possibility where a a poster is asking advice on if they should claim potential work income since they are on Social Assistance...

The poster's Plan A is to claim the income and the Plan B is to "get paid off the books". Now as someone who is on Ontario Disability Supports I can understand the draw to the Plan B. What I don't understand is the first reply to that poster that encourages her to go for Plan B! The reason I find this advise reprehensible is because it is given to the said poster on an Intuitive Counseling discussion board where the person is basically asking for a reading! The most unbelievable thing though is the fact that it is a Spiritualist Minister from Toronto who is dispensing that bad advice!

According to this minister:
"

	spiritalk 4/19/2007 10:31 AM	2 out of 9
	Go with plan B. Unfortunately government programs do not come with any wiggle room for aiding the recipient to get on their own feet. There design is to stifle any growth. God bless, J"

That tells me two things... 1. that this so called minster is not above scamming the government in her own financial practices and 2. that she has no clue how irresponsible her off handed advice to that poster really is...

And when called on it this so called spiritual leader tries to excuse the crappy advice by making the following statement which Beliefnet has since removed from the thread: To see the original thread in its entirety at the time this blog was written you can go here

"

	spiritalk 5/18/2007 10:24 AM	8 out of 9
	I councel no one to do anything that is against their very nature. It is funny that cat can talk when she takes from the public coffers and then pays her bills from other sources of income. Pot calling the kettle black? Well.... The fact is that government plans have no wriggle room for the sincere worker. When that worker has come to terms with their own direction and found their feet, they tend to make excellent contributors to all of society. It just seems that the red tape can get in the way of sincere effort. The reason for saying go with plan B was simply to get yourself settled, then pay into the future with your own prosperity. I have seen it work time and again. And it was even reported as a newspaper story in our local paper. Wake up and smell the coffee...to be spiritual does not mean being a doormat for those who are so judgemental as the posters here. God bless, J"

I say balderdash! You are making these posts on an intuitive counseling thread and so you ARE counseling the posters who have asked for advise there! Gotta really wonder what goes through the heads of some people that is for sure...

I mean I guess the message from this so called minister is it is ok to cheat now and pay it back later??? And what happens if this poster falls out of favor with the said minster? How fast would she be the first in line to tell the person how she is lacking integrity and be threatening to report her?

Knowing how some folks can be vipers both on posting boards and off it is not a chance I would be willing to take! I can only hope that the poster has the good sense to ignore this woman's advice!

And for others who may have dealings with her it does put into perspective just how screwed up some so called spiritual leaders are! No wonder people treat spiritualist churches and their ministers as suspect! One thing is for sure she is clueless re her comments about the financial situation I am in and my status with regard to claiming income with the provincial government. But then given her logic she should have no issue if I WERE defrauding the government because she is advising another in writing on a public discussion board to take that action.... Go figure!

Yep I believe the word you are looking for is WTF???

Being Part of Spiritualism... True Free Thinking

Lately I have been reading a tirade about how people hide behind computers and are not involved in Spiritualism. The person behind the tirade assumes that because people no longer want what she is offering means that they are no longer involved in or interested in Spiritualism.

Funny how when you leave one Spiritualist Church its leaders assume you have left Spiritualism for good. Usually when one leaves a specific church they left because of leader ego issues and nasty politics.

As you search for a spiritual home have a good look at the congregation. Those with little no congregation usually have this problem because they are controlling and have tried to dominate others who used to willingly work for their churches and have now left.

The church I am now connected with has a growing congregation because the management really does work together. They don't have a Reverend and maybe this is a very good thing. Most of the Spiritualist churches that do have a Reverend are saddled with this individual's ego and need to control every aspect of the organization.

I am not saying that all Reverends are bad but way too many of the ones I have met have lost sight of working for Spirit because their warped egos have gotten in the way. This is a weakness of human nature that some folks think they are above. The sad fact is that those who think they are better than others they condemn are usually the worst offenders of the very personality faults they find in others in Spiritualism.

To them I would say just because I finally had to good sense to remove myself from your churches does not mean that I am no longer involved with Spiritualism. Now I am truly a free thinker and have never been more content.

Mediumship Demonstrations at Britten Memoiral Spiritualist Church

Emma Hardinge Britten 1823-1899

As mentioned, I have been invited to work at Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church. On Sunday, May 6, 2007 and Sunday, May 20, 2007 I will be providing demonstrations of mediumship.

If you are interested in learning more about what a Spiritualist church service is like you are welcome to attend Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church located at:

657 Lansdowne Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M6H 3Y2
Canada
416 - 532 - 1197

Hope to see you there!