The Spirit World, Mediumship, and Clairvoyance with Psychic Medium Karen Docherty

Internationally renowned psychic medium Karen Docherty  joins us to discuss her connection with the spirit world and her over 25 years experience in mediumship. We talk about how she came to be a medium, the vulnerable place clients can be in when grieving and seeking a connection, and how her own grief was impacted by her role as a medium.

To connect with Karen, visit her website here at www.karenpsychic.com or find her on Facebook @mediumkarendocherty, Instagram @karendochertyspiritmedium, or Linked In @karen-docherty.

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Hello, and welcome back to the grief Charles podcast. I am your host, Amanda. Kernaghan from remember grams. A small business dedicated to helping you support those in your life. Experiencing grief. I hope you'll consider sending someone a personalized card or grief support box. Shipping within the us is always free and we treat each order with special care. Paying attention to every detail. How often have you wish that we could have one more conversation with our loved one? Uh, continued connection. Signs of an afterlife. For today's guest. These things are not some amorphous hope, but interacting with spirits as a part of her daily life. Karen Doherty. An internationally renowned, psychic medium with over 25 years in mediumship. Brings her experience bridging the visible world and the invisible spirit world with a compassionate conversation about what this means in her own life, what it means for clients who are grieving and seeking solace in this connection. And how it has impacted her own personal grief. Let's take a listen.

Karen 1:04

Okay, so when I think about where I started as a medium, obviously as a young child, I was aware that there were other people around that weren't of this world. I didn't know particularly it meant they had died or that they were in the spirit side. I just knew that they weren't like us. But they weren't there to do any harm. And it just really felt very natural to me to know that there was this other world there. So as I kind of grew up from being a young child, that experience still remained. And I would see people, particularly in my grandmother's house, more than anything else. where I would say to my grandmother, Oh, there's, you know, there's a lady in the kitchen and she would just say, Oh, don't worry about it. You know, it's the living that harm you, not the dead. And she was just this traditional Scottish grandmother that would come out with things like that. And she kind of made me feel like this is okay. This is natural, but I didn't at any time, even as a teenager think. that meant I was a medium and that I can communicate with people that had died. I just felt that it meant, you know, I could see things and that was it. Later on. Did you

Mandy 2:13

realize that other people were not having the same experience, or when did you realize that this is not a universal experience for

Karen 2:20

people? Yeah, that's a good question because I really only realised that in my late teens, where I would tell friends things. You know, I would say, well, your grandmother's standing behind you and this is what she's saying. And, you know, they were always very fascinated with it, but that's when I started to realise, well, They, they're not getting this, you know, they don't know this, they don't see this. And so it started to stand out to me at that point that maybe this is something different, you know, that not every person can see. Although it felt very natural to me, I realized then it's not really natural for everyone. And then from there on in, it's, it became more and more and I was aware of voices. Spirit people speaking to me in the evening when I would go to bed and it all became a little bit overwhelming for me until I actually went and spoke to a medium about it. And then she was the one that said, you have to develop this. You are a medium and you have to come and develop it. And once I understood that, I felt like the penny had dropped and I suddenly felt like, Oh, you know, this is, this is why, this is why I'm getting this. And then from there on, and I started my work as a

Mandy 3:25

medium. Did you ever, I noticed you said growing up that your grandmother was supportive and, and didn't make you feel shamed about that or embarrassed or anything, but were there other people in your life who were not the same model as your grandmother? Were there people who questioned you or thought you were weird because

Karen 3:43

of that? Oh yeah, I think the term weird happened a lot, you know, I think through friends and, you know, through even like my mum used to say, you know, I don't know where we got you from Karen, I think you're from the moon, she used to just always say you're from the moon, you're different to your sisters because no one else was picking these things up and I was always a very sensitive child and I think that my parents struggled with my sensitivity sometimes. They didn't always know why I felt things the way that I did or why I seen things the way that I did. So it was difficult for them and they didn't, they didn't actually. you know, make out it was an issue, but they didn't understand it either. And I could feel that. So sometimes I would just withhold things or not tell them things because I didn't want them to think that I was weird or that there was something different. And I think that that is a big part of your mediumship journey when you don't actually know because you do feel different and you do understand that. People aren't going to understand this. You will get called weird, or people will laugh, or people will think that there's something crazy going on. So you tend to learn to trust the ones you can trust. And luckily for me, my grandmother was one of the ones. She used to say to my father, it was, she was my father's mum. And she used to say to him, you know, Karen brings spirit with her when she comes in. They come with her. So she was very mediumistic. But even then, although my dad had grown up with my grandmother being like that, she didn't practice mediumship. So it was always just this thought. And I think when I started to develop at the time, I remember telling my dad who I'm very close to, and I think he thought it was just a hobby. You know, it was something. You know, that you're tapping into, okay, yes, yes, sort of thing. And then he came to see me work one evening at a charity event that I'd done. And he said after, I can't believe that, like you're communicating with people. I can see that you're communicating. The evidence comes in and he couldn't believe it. And from that minute, that's when he truly believed or realized the depth of what I was doing.

Mandy 5:43

Wow, what a wonderful shift to have, to be able to show that and have him see it for what it is, because I think so many people who don't have that Any ability, it's so common to question it and to wonder if it's real and, and you don't want to feel like a fool. So you don't want to like, even though part of you wants to believe so much, then I think the other part of people is afraid to believe in that. So I love that your family was able to come around to that. You mentioned having to cultivate this skill. How does that work? Is there training that you, do you have a mentor or how can tell me what that looks

Karen 6:21

like? So I began by sitting in what we call a circle, a development circle, which is a term used here in the UK, I think. Primarily, probably, where you sit with the same people every week at a certain time and you sit together and you meditate and you ask spirit to step forward and you develop your clairvoyance or your clairaudience and clairsentience and it's just about learning how to use. your sensitivity, learning how to feel spirit around you. So I sat in that development group for a while, but I also went to the Arthur Finlay College, which is in London and it's a prestigious college for spiritualism and learning and developing. But I, and I used to go there to see different tutors, but Mentoring, I didn't get, you know, it was something that I just kind of had to navigate myself and it was difficult at times because although I was feeling these things and trusting what I was receiving, I didn't always have the confidence to go forward because I didn't want to say to someone, yes, I'm a medium. It took me a long, long time to say I was a medium because that for me came with such great responsibility. And if I was this medium, then I had to prove that I was this medium and it was finding the confidence to actually be. able to say this is what I'm doing. So it took a long time in that respect for me to actually be okay with what I was doing. So I didn't have someone saying to me, yes, that's correct. No, that's not correct. It was just something that I had to learn throughout my own time, but. I always knew that my guides and my helpers, my spirit team were keeping me on the right track and helping me develop because of the proof that I was receiving with that, maybe with being asked to do readings or being asked to work at events or, you know, so I kind of knew this is, I know what I'm doing here, but I just need to keep going with it. What is the first

Mandy 8:14

kind of event that you took part in as a medium? And at that point, were you calling yourself a medium or were you just still practicing and trying to learn

Karen 8:22

how to do that? I was trying to learn. So in over in Scotland here, we have a lot of spiritualist churches and centres. And when I was sitting within that circle, the teacher said, right, I'm taking you all to this. event and you've got to be a novice medium. That's what they called it. And you've got to stand up and you have to give evidence. And I was a nervous wreck. Like I just felt like I can't do this standing up, you know, given this evidence and you're all nervous about it. And the other people were nervous too. But the minute we went in, I'll never forget when it was my turn and I stood up, it was almost like, like, I just knew it was fine. And I just knew that. spirit were there, I could feel them, the evidence had delivered was really good evidence and I just felt like this is me, this is what I'm supposed to do, this is fine. And so I'd done that and after that service, that event there was someone in the audience, another medium who was quite known, she was known locally, she was quite well thought of and she approached me after it and said, I want you to come and develop with me. She said, I just feel like You know, you're real, you're genuine, you're authentic. So she kind of took me under her wing after that a little bit and I worked with her at different things, different events, and just really found my feet after that of believing in what I was doing was true and genuine and that I could do it.

Mandy 9:48

You mentioned a few moments ago about your spirit guides who are with you. How does that work? Is it the same spirits that you feel have been with you all along? Or is it that you can just access different spirits at different times?

Karen 10:05

Well, different spirits at different times come in, so that's why I tend to call them my team, because let's say when you start school, you get a teacher for that year that you start school, and as you go up through school, develop yourself, you get different teachers for different Subjects, different times in your life and it's exactly the same. That's what happens with spirit. So if I'm trying to develop my, let's say my clairvoyance in some respect, I will have a guide coming in that can help me with that. And then if I'm trying to develop trans mediumship, I'll have a guide that will come in and help me with that. So there are different ones dependent on what the need is at the time for my own development. But I know that there's a main guide that's been with me. you know, for my whole journey. And I'm very, I communicate well with him and I, and I know him and I feel like when he steps in, I know why he's stepping in. And then there are other guides that I've met along my journey. I never, I'm a medium to say you must know your guides. I think guides will give themselves to you when the time is right. But there are many guides now that I've met throughout my journey that I'm well versed with now and know when they're coming in and why they're coming in. Wow.

Mandy 11:17

That's fascinating. So when you work with people who have lost someone and they want you to access a specific person or a specific spirit, is that something that's possible or how does that work for you? And it, does it feel like a lot of pressure on you to try and connect with something specifically because that person is grieving and they want that connection with the person who they've

Karen 11:45

lost? Yes, you know, I know as a medium, I always would say to someone, I can't guarantee a connection because really, it's not something that you can 100 percent guarantee, but at the same time, there's never really been a communication that hasn't worked, meaning I know, spirit know who's coming. So basically, if someone comes to me, their loved one knows that they are there, they have kind of orchestrated that or engineered that to happen. So. If a mother in the spirit side wants to talk to her daughter and her daughter reaches out to me, then in my mind, why would the mother not be there? So for me, although I've got to say I can't guarantee that, it wouldn't make sense for me that the spirit person didn't come through. However, the levels of communication may differ. So if someone has recently passed, it might mean that the communication isn't as strong, or there's a lot of emotion surrounding that. So it takes longer for that communication to happen. Whereas it might be someone else that comes through and they're strong and You know, evidential and the, the communication is no problem at all. So it can vary, but I was, I would always tell the person who's coming to me, I can't guarantee anything, but I will try. And if I get the person through that you're looking for, and I don't feel it's a strong connection, we will try again in a week's time, or we will try again another day, because I want to make sure that you get the best of the communication from that person. And you

Mandy 13:15

mentioned strong emotions. Is that a block for the connection? If somebody is really struggling at the moment, does that prevent that connection from being stronger?

Karen 13:27

It doesn't prevent it at all and it doesn't block it. What it does is if, if someone comes to me and they've lost someone only weeks before, What can happen is that person is still in shock or an emotional place and their loved one in the spirit world will come in and they will want to make that communication to give them the proof that they are okay and that they're still with them. But what can happen is the recipient is so emotional about it that they won't take it in properly. You know, it's an experience that's quite surreal for them. And really a communication from the spirit, because it is sacred and because it is just in that moment and it's very present, you want the recipient to get the best out of that communication. So if. If they are too emotional or too upset, I would rather wait just a little while until they were settled and they could understand what was taking place, but it definitely won't block their loved one coming through. Wow.

Mandy 14:23

Have you, in your personal life, ever lost someone close to you? And in that experience, Were you able to connect with them in the spirit world or is it harder to access, like, the people who are close to you in this life?

Karen 14:39

It's definitely harder for me to access the people that I have crossed over that I've been close to, but not because they're not there, just because I don't have the privilege of just, you know, connecting because I'm a medium, I have to wait for that communication the same as anyone else. So although I know where they are and I don't have any doubt of where they are because of what I do, it doesn't mean I can always talk to them and really, or hear from them, I should say. I always talk to them but I don't often hear from them. But I, my mother is probably my closest person that's passed away and she passed away seven years ago and that was obviously very difficult and she had a difficult time before she crossed over so it was hard to watch. But it gives you, it gives you the context of what's taking place. So I work with people every day that have lost people. And what I felt it done for me was give me the other side of the experience too, you know, not just the mediumship side of things. But when my mom was crossing over, I sat with her the whole night before she crossed and I could feel her spirit move. I could feel that her spirit was. shifting, that it was disconnecting from the physical body. I could feel every part of her journey as a medium. And I was talking to her and telling her just go mum, it's fine. Like you're nearly there. Just, I kept saying to her, make the jump. I know that you're frightened to leave this world behind, but we're all okay. And I just kept encouraging her to go. And when she did actually let go of the physical body, I could feel the room fill with her energy, absolutely elated energy, and I remember the the nurses coming in to tell me, you know, do you realize your mum has passed away and I said yes, but I was, it was almost like an adrenaline because I could feel that she was okay and that she felt And Oh, I'm still here, you know, like my mum was very frightened to die. So it gave me a sense of she knows now that this is okay, you know, and I knew that she was all right with it. So I was happy for her because she needed to leave the body. The body was very sick and it was, you know, she had a terrible time. So I was happy for her. But of course, the grief sets in after that, you know, you're grieving your mother. So the grief side of things still come in, even though I know where she is and that she's all right. Was

Mandy 17:02

experiencing that with your mom, has it changed your practice at all as a medium or influenced how you work with your clients when they come to you and they're grieving

Karen 17:13

someone? You know, I thought it would. And the reason I say that is because two nights after my mom passed away, I had already committed to a charity event an audience reading, and I didn't want to let them down. And I kind of thought, should I go? Should I not? And I sat with spirit and I. Decided I'm going to go and I went and I remember saying to Spirit on the way there, please don't bring anyone through for me that passed with cancer, because that's what my mum had. I don't think that I could talk about it because it's just too close to what's just happened. And would you know that every person that came through that night for me had passed with cancer. And. At the time, I was like, this is unbelievable. But I had to go with the flow and I had to bring the evidence and I had to deliver that. And after it, I felt like, well, it wasn't fair for me to ask that really, because it's not up to me who comes in. But more than that, what it, and I think this is the reason that, that it happened that way. It was to show me that when I am working as a medium, I am removed from my own. emotions, my own grief. I'm working for spirit. I'm working for the other people. So it really showed me that I can still work in a powerful way without being too affected by that in that sense. So I was really grateful for that experience and going forward from that, you know, losing my own mum really. gives me more empathy, of course, about the whole process. But I think I always had that anyway as a medium. I always felt people's pain. I always felt their grief. I've always felt what they needed, what I needed to nurture, what I needed to look after. And so it has affected me, of course, in some ways. But I think as a medium, you're always aware of other people's pain and suffering, always.

Mandy 19:00

And I guess in a way, being a medium and feeling so sure of what's next and that there is a spirit realm and that it's not the end in the way that some people may believe that it will be maybe, I'm just assuming provides an extra layer of comfort in knowing that it's just a different realm whereas I think people who don't have that gift I don't want to believe that, but without the evidence that you have or without the experience that you have, maybe it's a little more difficult to feel secure in that knowing.

Karen 19:38

Yes, definitely. I mean, obviously my two sisters experienced the same loss of my mom as I did. And they're not media mystic, but they know what I do, but it's all, it's obviously easier for me to say to them, but mum's all right. You know, I could feel it. I felt her the minute she passed, I, and I can tell them all of that, but for them, they didn't feel that. So for them, it was that feeling of, well, how, how can you know, are you sure? Is she all right? You know, they had all the questions and I was answering the questions, but I felt for I thought, I'm so blessed to feel this. And they don't feel this and it leaves them in that unsure place of things, even though they believe in what I do, they believe that there's a spirit world, all of that, but you have to feel it for yourself. So I know that I am very blessed to have that knowledge and carry that knowledge with me. And really what I try to do is just really share that with as many people that as I can, that I feel need that so that it helps them.

Mandy 20:36

I always wonder why is it that some people can feel that and some people can not. I have always been a big believer in mediumship and my mom was a big believer in all of that. And then she passed away, and I just expected, like, I'm going to be getting signs all the time, and I'm going to feel her near me all the time, and have dreams about her all the time. And it really wasn't my experience, and that was very surprising to me, and made me question these things that I believed in. So, what is it about, Some people do and some people don't

Karen 21:09

as far as mediumship goes, you're born a medium. So it's something you're born with. It's something you're always meant to do. Whether you answer that calling or not, it's not up to the spirit side. Some people will have that and maybe never discovered it or maybe think they shouldn't be doing it for whatever reason. But if you're a medium, you are born a medium. So you will feel things on a level that maybe other people don't. Psychically, we can all pick things up because we are all psychic. So when we come here, we come from the spirit realm. We come here, live our life. And then when we die here, we go home to the spirit. So when we are in the spirit side of life, the communication is only mind to mind because there is nothing physical there. So when we come here, we all still have that psychic ability, that mind to mind communication. All of these skills can be developed but mediumship has to be part of you and part of who you are. As far as, you know, signs go from your loved ones, I agree with you in the fact that people expect, you know, to have these big bold things that happen to them that's going to tell them that their loved one is okay and it never really happens like that. You do hear of things happening on some scale but it's quite rare that it would be massive like that. It's more about us fostering our own belief in the fact that they are there. And when we believe in that, truly, we will get signs, but they will be very subtle. The spirit side, you know, if it could say it like this, if the spirit side of life could come in and appear in front of us or give us a massive sign, they would all be doing it. They would all be doing it because there's not one person in the spirit world that wants their loved one to suffer because they don't know that they're still alive. So they can't do it in that way because they're working from a whole other. place, a whole different energy, a whole different vibration, different frequency. So it just can't happen like that. So other things will come in. Small signs will come in. Coincidences, which are synchronicity, will come in. Maybe a song will come on the TV, just as you were thinking of your loved one, their song might come on. It's little things like that that come in. But unfortunately, our brain will interpret that as coincidence, or it will interpret that like, well, Maybe that was our song, but maybe I'm just thinking that that's a message. You know, our brain will keep trying to make it logical, but our soul wants to connect with the experience. So it's more about believing in your soul a little bit more and just going with the flow on it and you will receive signs.

Mandy 23:41

I love, I have had a lot of guests on the podcast and quite a few bring up signs that they feel they've had from their loved ones. And I always love that topic and talking to people about what they've experienced and how they interpreted it and everything. I think it's fascinating all of the different ways that that comes up for people. I will share when my mom died the night. After she died, I had a two year old daughter who was like, just learning to talk, didn't have tons of language by that point. And she was asleep and we were all asleep in the bed. It was the middle of the night, like three in the morning. She woke up and sat up and I felt her sit up and I tried to lay her back down to go to sleep. And she took my arm and was caressing my arm from like my elbow to my hand. And she said, as clear as day, this is hard. And it was the strangest experience I've ever had. I, and then as soon as she said it, then she went, lay back down, went right back to sleep. And I got out of bed and I wrote it down because I was like, I feel like I'm dreaming, but I want to remember that this actually happened and that she actually said those words. And it was one of the only experiences in my life where I've felt very clearly like it was a communication to me that was not from her,

Karen 24:57

but it was very beautiful. And when it happens, it does feel very. surreal, you know, but you know, your soul knows it was true. Your soul knows that that was a real experience. And that was from your mother. That was from the person you were looking for because your two year old wouldn't come out with that. That's not something that would be said. So your soul knows it to be true. And that's why you believed it, right? But when there's signs like music or a certain bird that comes in the garden or whatever, sometimes your brain will just make that logical. And there's something to be said for looking for the logic because there are other people that say everything's a sign from spirit. You know, if the lights go on and off it's spirit, but actually there's a storm going on outside. So it's electrical, you know, you've got to make it logical to a certain degree. But if it's something that there is no logic for, if it's something that stands out like what happened to you, that absolutely is your loved one. And the biggest thing that you can do is thank them for that and say that you received the message because there are so much, there's so many times that I know that spirit come through and give a message or give a symbol or something to their loved one and they don't. And I know that I can feel the frustration from those in the spirit side, almost saying, Oh, I nearly, I nearly managed. She nearly believed me. You know, she nearly got that message. And I always feel so bad because they try so, so hard. So if any of your listeners do have that experience, Even a tiny part of them feels like it was their mother or father or whoever it might be. Just say thank you and take it that it was, because that person in the spirit world will be delighted that they managed to reach you.

Mandy 26:42

I've never thought about it from the other perspective, but I like that.

Karen 26:46

I think sometimes we don't ever think of it from, it's human nature to think of it from our perspective, but as a medium, I'm very aware of what the spirit world think of things as well. So every time I work with someone, I will thank the person in spirit for trusting me with their loved one and saying, I will take care of them. You don't have to worry about this because it is, it's a hard thing for them to do as well. Wow.

Mandy 27:08

I have a random question that I was thinking because you and I are meeting via Zoom and technology and we're living in a world now where that's becoming more and more common, whereas people used to often only meet mediums in person, face to face, and I imagine that those are services that some people are offering virtually. So I'm wondering for you, is that something that you do virtually and if it is, is it more difficult to connect with With the people or the spirits that you're trying to when you're not in the same shared space as someone

Karen 27:43

else. You know, it's quite a common question because when the pandemic happened, and everyone had to kind of go online, right? So everyone had to get used to doing things online. I had already been doing online reading, Zoom, video, FaceTime, Skype for a long time, because I have clients all over the world. So that's, It's the only way I can connect with them. But when the pandemic happened, people even here, I'm based in Scotland, so people in Scotland had to go online to do it if they wanted a reading. And they were all saying the same thing, like, how does that work? I would rather wait and see you in person. And I tried to explain to so many people, it doesn't matter to me where we connect. When I'm connecting with your loved one, they are coming to blend with me. So it doesn't matter if I'm in this room, your room, face to face, telephone, none of that matters for me as the medium. Some psychics will want to be with the person in the room because they will feel into their energy because they're sitting right in front of them. But I can do that on a screen. If I was connecting with you right now, I could still read for you from where I am because I'm working with the energy of spirit. So it's a slightly different thing. So for me, it makes no difference because I've done it for Such a long time now, and if you think about it, there is no time or distance in the spirit side of things. So if I'm working with a lady in Australia, for instance, and I'm bringing through her mother, her mother is with me and with her at the same time. There is no time or distance. It's the blending of the energies that counts. So for the medium, it shouldn't make any difference. Wow, that's

Mandy 29:17

hard to even wrap my mind around because everything for us is so physical, right? And we're thinking about space.

Karen 29:25

I remember doing a reading for a lady actually in Australia, and that's what came to mind when I was seeing it. And she was obviously on the screen and I was talking to her about her mother and she was like, yeah, that's right. And I said, no, she's telling me that behind the computer screen, so obviously I couldn't see that. You have her cup, like you drink tea out of her cup. And she said, Yeah, and she reached and she got the cup and she held it up and she said how can, how can she see that if she's with you and then I had to explain to her she's not, she's with you as well and she's with me as well and we went into all that and she was the same, she's like I can't get my head around that but there is no distance, there is no time, it's just a presence, you know, so they are always with you even if they're somewhere else at the same time. Wow.

Mandy 30:11

What about for people who have never been to see a medium before and aren't sure what to expect or maybe are nervous or aren't sure what to believe, what kind of advice do you give to first time people who are reaching out to you?

Karen 30:26

I always say to people, if it's an event, for instance, I will speak to the audience and say, look, there are going to be a mixture of beliefs in here. You might be sceptical. You might be a complete believer, or you might not know, you know, how you feel about this and that's why you're here. But whatever you do, just be open, be sceptical until you have proof that the medium you're going to see is evidential, but always be open. There's a difference. You know, between the two. Some people think being sceptical means put your guard up. Don't tell the medium anything I've had people come for readings in the past and I remember one jumps out, this girl walked into my studio and as she sat down I said that her father was there and she said, okay And I said and he's telling me you didn't have to take your ring off and put it in your pocket And she had done it just before she came in because she didn't want to give me any clue about her life, whether she was married, whether she wasn't. And she started to laugh and she was like, I can't believe you just said that. I said, you don't have to worry. I'm not here to pick up on, you know, clues and things like that. But I understood why she done it because there are so many fraudulent. mediums as well. I mean, you get that in every walk of life, no matter what you do. So people do need to be aware that they're not given too much away, but don't have your guard up, be open, because if you're not open to what's taking place, it's harder work for the medium, but it's harder work for the spirit side as well. So you want to go with an open mind, but just tell yourself that I'll wait to see what I feel about this. And a lot of it's about the feeling of it rather than you know, the, the physical sense. It's about how did you feel in the presence of that medium? How do you feel that medium dealt with things? And that will give them either the belief in that medium, or they might think that medium wasn't for me, but I might try again somewhere else. And then they can gauge it for themselves.

Mandy 32:18

Yeah, I guess that leads me to another question where when we talk about going to see a therapist, for example, often you could have therapists who are all equally as good at their job, but I might not connect well with a specific therapist. We don't vibe well together, and so I have to move on to someone else. Is it the same in your field where maybe you can have a stronger connection if Maybe you and I wouldn't have as strong a connection as someone else or how does that

Karen 32:46

work? It's exactly the same. You know, there's, there's different mediums for different people. So I've seen mediums when I was going through my journey before I was like working as a medium, I would go and watch mediums all the time. Some mediums I connected with and resonated with other mediums. I was like, Nope, that's not for me. It's a different style. It's a different way to do things. It didn't sit well with me. doesn't mean they were a bad medium or not. It just meant that it wasn't for me. And the spirit world will choose mediums that they can work through as well. So, you know, if my grandmother was coming to work through a medium, my grandmother would choose someone that she felt resonated with her. So there's nothing wrong with saying, you know, that. That medium's not for me or, you know, I didn't feel that that blended too well. And likewise, I will get people coming to see me. 95 percent of the time connect with every single one of them, but there might be a couple where I think that I'm just didn't. Feel the energy of that as well. But that's human nature too. You know, you're going to blend with some people and other people you're not. So I don't think it's anything to worry about, but it's something to be aware of. And if you connect with someone or believe in them or believe they're authentic, then that is half the battle with this kind of work. And to not be

Mandy 34:03

afraid to try someone else. If, if your first experience isn't what you were hoping for. Absolutely.

Karen 34:09

I mean, anyone that goes to see different mediums usually have varying stories. You know, if I say to someone, have you had a reading before? And they say, well, yes, I've had four or five readings over my time and two of them weren't great, but three were fine. You know, there's all, there's usually a varying degree to these stories, but it's for that very reason that there maybe wasn't a connection there. Sometimes it's because the medium Couldn't read for the person or whatever, but usually it's an energy thing. That's what I

Mandy 34:38

would say. I think there's a misconception or a belief that you mentioned fraudulent mediums or and how that can appear in any walk of life, but I think people assume that it's worse with mediums. And so what would you say about that and how common do you think that really is?

Karen 34:57

Yeah, I think it is worse with mediums and the reason for that is because you're dealing with vulnerable people. So when there are fraudulent mediums out there they do a lot of damage to mediumship but also to the people that they're talking with. And then a genuine medium has to come along and pick the pieces up of that. So It is very difficult sometimes but it is something that happens a lot. And I think that, especially now with social media and, you know, everyone can go online and find any medium, psychic, whatever, or people can do one course and then say they're, they have a certificate. So that means that they're a medium. And all I would say is mediumship is very sacred. It's, it's. very special. It's not something that every person can do. It's something that someone's born to do. It's almost like saying, you know, if you wanted to be a singer, let's say Beyonce, you know, is a phenomenal singer. Well, we all can't be Beyonce, even though some of us might have a singing voice, you know, that we can carry the song, but we can't be that. So it's not about trying to be someone else or trying to be the medium because mediums are amazing. It's about. Trust in your own journey, trust in what your purpose is in life. But for those that are going to find mediums, please be always aware that if it doesn't sit with you, then it doesn't sit with you for a reason. And the fraudulent side of things I mean, I've had people coming to me. I remember a girl coming to me, she was about 21 and she'd been told previously by a medium that she was at college at the time. And she was told that something bad was going to happen to her. In college. So this girl gave up college, went back home, was frightened, she didn't want to go out with friends, she didn't want to party, because of what this medium told her. And she came to me and I went through everything with her, put her mind totally at rest, said that was not from a medium, that was Some, that woman was doing something else, it was nothing to do with you. And the relief that that girl felt and started living her life, and that's the kind of damage that can be done. And it's awful, but all we can do as genuine mediums is pick up on that and try to salvage something out of it or put people's minds at rest.

Mandy 37:08

How could she or anyone be able to spot that maybe this wasn't authentic? I would say. What signs can people look for in that situation? Any

Karen 37:20

mediumship experience should be healing. It should be uplifting, healing, emotional, yes, because you know the subject matter, but you should come away from a medium feeling uplifted, more powerful healed in some way, close to your loved ones, all of the above. If you come away from a medium reading and you're feeling worried, concerned, fearful, upset, It wasn't from spirit. Spirit don't bring that. The spirit world want to bring healing. They want to bring comfort. They want to uplift. They do not want to upset or bring bad news or negative stuff. They don't do anything like that. So if you are experiencing that through a medium, they're not, they're not mediumistic. It's not coming from the mediumship.

Mandy 38:06

That's so helpful to know and for people to know before they go. What. What would you say to people who are listening to the show, who are grieving and who've just had a loss, like what advice do you have for them and when, you know, whether they want to go see a medium or whether they just want to feel closer to that

Karen 38:26

loved one? Every grief is different for every person. So when you're grieving is a very, very personal journey. There's no right or wrong. There's no way it should be. I know we have guidelines like we'll say, well, maybe in two months you should feel like this or five months you should feel like this. For me, it doesn't work like that. It's a very, very personal thing and it's a personal connection. So if you are grieving, if you're listening to the show and you are grieving for someone. Biggest thing I could say is please remember that they haven't left. Please remember that they are still there, even though you might not feel them right at this point in your life, but they are there. I can assure you of that. And the one thing to do to feel close to them is keep speaking to them, keep validating them. If it's, let's say your mother, that's in the spirit side. Keep speaking to her every day, you know, every morning I get up and I say good morning to my mum. I don't hear my mum saying good morning back to me, but I know that she can hear me. And just by having that knowledge that my mum knows I'm asking for her or speaking to her, that brings me comfort and connection, even though I don't feel the connection coming back the way I am assured that she will hear me. So keep talking to her. Keep validating them. The more you do that, the more they will pull in closer, the more the connection will build and you will get your proof at some point that they are listening to you and that they can hear you. And using that to kind of navigate your grief is, is a good thing because It will, it won't take your grief away because grief is pain because we've lost that person, but if you have the knowledge that they can hear you and that one day they will respond to that, it lets you navigate that grief in a, in a different way, in a more powerful way.

Mandy 40:12

That's incredible. Thank you so much for being here and for sharing all of this with everyone. I would love, I know you mentioned that you can work in far distances in our world. So how can people reach out to you and work with you? And yeah, what kind of resources can you give us?

Karen 40:29

If if you go to my website, it's karendocherty. com, everything is on there, whether it's one to one readings, mentorship, courses even just to chat about something, if you have a question, it is me that answers every question, every submission, it's not someone else doing it for me. So you know, if anyone is listening and they do want to reach out, they can do that at karendocherty. com and I will personally answer any questions.

40:56

If you're interested in learning more about working with a medium. Karen's website will be linked in the show notes. And if you notice anything in your life that could be assigned from your loved one. Let's take her advice and thank the spirits around us. For today's journal prompt. Right about an experience that you felt may have been assigned from your loved one. Let the writing take you in any direction at Leeds. Thank you so much for listening, please make sure you subscribe. Share this episode with anyone who could benefit from it and as always visit, remember grants. Anytime you need to send a little love to someone who is grieving. Thank you and have a wonderful day.