When Mediumship Meets Medicine- An Interview With Medium Nick Lodato

Psychic medium and nurse practitioner Nick Lodato joins me for one of my favorite conversations yet. After experiencing an incredible reading with Nick, I knew I had to bring him on the podcast to talk about his unique path, balancing two healing professions, and the lessons he's learned from over a decade of reading professionally. 

In this episode, we dive into:

• How severe anxiety led Nick to discover his mediumship.
• His training with renowned medium Pat Longo and the life-changing Surround, Ground & Shield technique.
• Why confidence—not perfection—is one of the biggest keys to becoming a better medium.
• How to handle "no" responses during readings without losing your connection to Spirit.
• The importance of energetic boundaries, especially for empaths and healthcare workers.
• Balancing a demanding career in medicine while maintaining a thriving mediumship practice.
• Why silence, meditation, and grounding are essential for developing your intuition.
• The role of free will, soul contracts, grief, and personal growth in our spiritual journeys.

Whether you're just beginning to explore your intuition or you're actively developing your mediumship, this conversation is filled with practical advice, honest stories, and reassuring reminders that every medium's path is different.

Nick also shares why he believes anyone can strengthen their intuition, how to protect your energy without shutting down your gifts, and why learning to trust yourself is far more important than striving for perfection.

If you've ever wondered how someone balances science and spirituality—or you're looking for encouragement on your own mediumship journey—you won't want to miss this episode.

Nick Instagram: nvlodato1

Email: Nickspiritual1@gmail.com

Transcript

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 Hello, and welcome into another episode of The Developing Medium. Today we are talking to psychic medium Nick Lodato. Nick was the one that I spoke so highly of after he gave me a reading a few weeks ago, and he was absolutely incredible in the way he worked. And I knew based on how similar we were working in the medical field as well as working, , with our mediumship that I had to have him on and ask him a whole bunch of questions. He's been a medium for 10-plus years. He was lucky enough to work with Pat Longo. I am extremely jealous of that. , And he is a nurse practitioner, and you can really tell that he loves what he does in both aspects of his life. So without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy the interview. 📍 This is Caitlin Kennedy host of the developing medium podcast. A podcast dedicated to learning about yourself, spirit and ways to connect with the other side. I'll give you helpful tips and tricks to make you feel more confident in yourself and your abilities, while also sharing my journey of mediumship. Get ready to get connected! Hey, Nick, how are you today? Hey, what's going on? Thanks for having me Of course. I'm happy to have you here. I had such a good reading with you. I feel like everyone's gonna really benefit from your knowledge and from your experience I'm honored. I mean, your energy was easy to read, as they say, so , , it was cool for me too I'm very happy to hear that. So how did you become a medium? I mean, I don't even know anything about your story. Like, how did you know you were a medium? How did you get to work with Pat Longo? I feel like there's so much I need to know about you. Yeah, , it's a crazy story. But I think for myself, as a kid, I always had severe, severe anxiety, and I think a lot of empathetic sensitive people can relate to that. It came out in different ways. I was afraid to be around people. I was really terrified to socialize. And for me, then the voices started. So it kind of really started with intense anxiety, social anxiety, and then maybe around like 12 or 13, I started to... I kept hearing my name being called, and it was such a crazy thing 'cause I, at some point, I was like, "Is this, like, something mental? Like, what's going on?" around that time, I was kind of in and out of therapy, which, helped to some degree, but I really had no idea what was going on. I was just so anxious. I was feeling everything. It's like being just in, , like a wind tunnel, and the wind is just hitting you. You have no control. You have no shield. So I came to meet Pat, , through another medium named Diana, who was really, really talented. And at that point, I was like 16 or 17, and I went for a reading with Diana just because I think at that point my mother was like, "I'm so with you. I'll try anything." , So I went and saw Diana, and she kind of explained to me, she said, "Look, , you're really open." It was like, I remember it being like one of the first things that somebody said to me where I was like, "Oh, wait, that actually might make sense." And she was like, "You're empathic. You're feeling everything. Everything you're picking up on is not only yours, but it's other people's," and all that stuff. And then she referred me to Pat Longo, who, really is the one who kinda got me started on this whole journey, and she taught me the surround, ground, and shield method, which completely transformed my, my whole energy. , So that's kinda how it all started, and that started around, like, 17 or 18. So I had no idea I would be reading people. Like, it was not a goal of mine. I literally just wanted to control what was happening. Well, it seems to come pretty natural for you. Did you immediately kind of start working with it and start working with people and practicing? Or did you kind of like... You know, some people go through that step back and they're like, "Oh, I don't know if I really wanna do this. I just wanna kind of protect myself from it." Or d- or did you know you wanted to work with that? No, that's a great question, and it is totally different for everybody. Something that Pat would always say is every psychic medium has their own fingerprint, right? So it's always good to learn from other people, but your, everyone's story's gonna be so different. But for myself, I literally at that point just wanted to be normal. I remember having that thought. I was a kid, . I was playing sports at that point, I was in school, and I just wanted to be normal. I felt so different from everybody around me. So once she taught me the surround, ground, and shield, and I really started separating, like, my energy from someone else's energy, I was able to draw that boundary. I kinda started to learn myself. I'm like, okay, I understand how my energy reacts when I'm around this type of person or if I'm around that type of person. And then it probably was... Let's say I started Pat's... And this was back when, , Pat Longo would have weekly classes, and I grew, , very close with her. I probably was doing those classes for about two years, probably until the age of, like, 19. And I remember she was kinda like, "Okay, you've controlled your anxiety now, , let's see what happens if, , I put you in front of somebody." And again, at that point I had no what it was to read somebody , and what that, what came with that. did I know, right? And, , I just kinda went for it and, , of course, I think some people don't realize, I think they think that when you just start reading people, it just is, like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And it's not usually like that. At least it wasn't for me. I remember it being very choppy at first, you're getting kinda, like, bits and pieces. You have to really establish a relationship with your guides and understand... I describe it as a, as translation. It's really you're being a translator. It's, you're speaking in a different energy that's energy. , A different language that's energy. And I think... so that was around 19, and that's when she pushed me to, , try out for her psychic fair. She was doing psychic fairs at that point. And it was very strict parameters. You had to try out, and she had people who scored you, . , And these were random people off the street. And you had... I think it was, like, you have to get above, like, a 90%, which was so, so cool. , But anyway, I was able to, to pass, and then that's when I started... My first exposure to reading was actually at the psychic fairs. So that was kinda how that came about. So you did psychic fairs for a while before you started doing, like, one-on-one readings? Yeah, that's where the business kind of started to grow, right? It was, I started taking on clients who I met at the fair. So the fairs were once a season. Pat always ran a, a nice It was like a room full of people would kind of come in for 15-minute slots. you would end up reading like 12 to 14 people in a, in a day, , and it's kind of like back to back to back. I kind of attributed that, starting that way, as like a real-- It's almost like, baptism by fire because you're just in a constant... You have to really move in and out of energy very quick. So I started getting private clients from the fair. I would have 15 minutes with them, and then, , some people would want more and, , that's kind of how, how that grew pretty naturally That's nice. And then did you ever get nervous doing it? I mean, again, you seemed so natural when you were doing it, but you're just like, you talk about it so eloquently, you're just like, "Yeah, you know, it was choppy, but then I went on this and I did so well." Like, were you ever nervous or thought like maybe Spirit wasn't gonna come through? Oh, totally. I think any psychic medium who says they are not nervous is full of it. no matter how... No matter what level you're at, right? I think there's always that feeling of... I mean, look, let's face it. It's a performing art in a way, right? I mean, you're... I, I'm using the word performance in a way where you are getting up in front of somebody and you're delivering something, right? And, , being genuine I think is step one. Really believe in what you're doing, and not having ego is, is your first kind of foundational steps. But that's where... 'Cause ego is a lot of where, like, the nervousness will come in. And then you- when you digest it, you're like, "Okay, well, I'm nervous 'cause I wanna do well." You know? And really, what is that? I just have to focus on being in the energy and doing the best I can, and giving this person what's coming to me. So I- to me, and even this still happens to this day, no matter how many clients I'll do, no matter how many events I'll do, the anxiety will hit me probably five minutes before, and then once I'm in flow, it dissipates. And I'm like, "Okay, I'm good. I'm in the energy. I'm flowing." , And that's... But that's how it is. And I kid you not, I hear even the mediums who are, like, household names are the same way. It's just, it's just so natural. It's like anything else, I think, in life What I thought was really cool when you were giving me a reading, there were some things that I gave you nos to. There weren't many, but there were a few, and you didn't even ... You know, when people give me nos, I still have that, "Oh, no, I'm losing spirit. I'm getting this wrong." And you just, like, kept flowing. You were just like, "No? Okay. Let me see. I'm misinterpreting it." And you just went, and you just knew what you had, and I really loved that Yeah, no, thanks for saying that. I think-- And look, that came a long time with practice. I think when people first start out, the cut them at the knees. And that's, again, I preach this a lot, but that's, that's your ego. I mean, you-- nobody, and Pat would even say this, medium is gonna be 100% accurate. It, it's, it's literally impossible. And, , I like that word you used, like mistranslation, right? So if I'm being shown something, spirit never lies, right? That was another term that I learned along the way. And if I'm being shown something, I know I have it, right? Like something is showing me this, whatever it is, a symbol, a metaphor. And if I'm saying it and you can't connect, , there's a, a loss in translation somewhere, right? So that's what I usually do, , with no's. and kinda go back to spirit and I'm like, "Okay, show me more," is the magic words that I was taught, right? So can you expand on this? , Is this something that completely getting wrong, or is this just in a different direction? Usually, if you go back and to spirit, and again, the first step in that is not letting it cut your knees down. , It's not letting it kinda completely break you down. 'Cause I've seen that as well, people who are practicing that they're told no once, and it's , it's like the end of the world. So I really... I mean, this sounds so crazy, but I almost don't care when someone says no, because I just-- I'm confident in my flow, and I'm, again, not sitting here saying, "Oh my gosh," , ", I'm so good and amazing." I don't believe that at all. I just am confident in what I'm, like, seeing and getting, and I'm like, "Okay, let me try and make this for you," and of course, like I said, there's some stuff where maybe you can't make it fit, and that's okay, . , , it wasn't meant to be. But the sayings I usually live by are, spirit never lies, and the-- what you're getting, you have to really... And this just goes back to being genuine. You have to really believe , in what you're doing. 'Cause people will feel that, I've noticed too, in session. If you're a reader and you're, like, wishy-washy, especially on Long Island, no offense to Long Island people, but they will eat you 'cause they still sense that, and they'll be like, "This person's not confident, therefore they're wrong," or, "Therefore they're not tuning in." And they will, their energy will shift Yeah. I've had that once or twice when I first started doing in-person readings. I was like, "Oh, wow, Long Island people are really intense." Yeah, we all have, and that's the thing. And look, Long Island, people don't realize this, but we're truly spoiled here because there's so many heavy-hitting... , and that's, again, I think why I got, know, to where I am, where I'm able to read people now, I really attribute to the, to the mediums that I grew up with or- and learned from. Like, these are heavy hitters, people who don't mess around, and I think who you surround yourself with is super important. But, oh, yeah, we... And we've all had that, and that's another thing, too. I think if, if a psychic medium ever said to you, "Oh, I've never had a bad reading or a ba-," I think that's also a lie. There's no such thing. It's like puzzle pieces. , Sometimes I sit with somebody and I'm like, "Oh, gosh, love your energy. We can connect." And I even, I even felt that with you when I sat with you. I was like, "Oh, this is... You're, you have a comforting energy." I was able to do my best work because I could just sit and attach to you. Some people are not that way. For whatever reason, maybe it's emotional, whatever it is, have, like, a boundary, you know? Yeah. Yeah. I actually did a whole episode on this. I was like, I feel so stressed sometimes when people come in. You could, you can feel it when they come in. It's palpable, and you're just like, "This is gonna be a tough one," and you gotta try and break them down. And sometimes you can, and sometimes they give you nothing the entire reading, and you're like, "I need a little something. Like, am I on the right track? Am I with the person I think I'm with? Just tell me yes or no." Yeah. And that's, and that's the thing. It's, I think there's, you know, and again, every medium has their own flow. I, I do tend to, to err more in like a dialogue, I would say, in my readings, and it's not so much that you're asking questions every single other word, but you have to make sure you're on the right track. And I think you have to also... I always tell people in the beginning of my sessions, I say, especially for people who have never been read before, I say, "Look," I say, "Share what you feel drawn to share." , I don't know your life, you know your life, so if I'm being shown, , a beach balloon, to me, I don't really know what that means. I just know it's a beach balloon. You may say, "Oh, wow, that gives me a memory of my Aunt Susan. We went to the beach and she had a balloon." , Like that... My point is, when you deliver those messages like that, I, I do think it's partly on the sitter, to make the connection. I'm the medium, right? Like, I'm just bridging the gap, and I do think it's a little bit on the sitter to say, "Oh, okay, he's talking about Florida, and this cousin of mine lives in Florida, and she just texted me yesterday." , There's gotta be a little bit of a, , , the sitter has to do a little work Yeah, and I love that you said that, 'cause I feel like I could even talk to you about this for hours. But there's, there's... You know, I was always taught yes, no, or I'm not sure, and that's what I've always, gone by. But sometimes you need that little bit more of information from the sitter to say, you know, and you never said to me, like, "Only say yes or no." 'Cause sometimes you're like, they say yes and they smile, and you're like, "Well, now I wanna know what it was." But you can't, you know? Like, so it's, it was interesting it, it, it is interesting, and again, everybody has their own flow. I even know some mediums who would operate in a very, like, I don't even know what to call it. Maybe I'll use the word trance. Like, they would just go. Go, go, go, go, go, and they didn't want you to talk, and they would just want you to kinda shut up and sit there, which is completely fine too. I mean, everybody reads differently. I, myself, am more of like, I, I'm a Pisces, I'm a water sign. I like to really go deep, and to me, the way I get there is really through your energy, right? I'm kinda like digging and sifting through. And it all goes back to the foundation where I'm, like, trusting what I'm getting. , I'm making sure that the connections that I am, am getting do fit for you. , I think there's something, , something to that Yeah. No, absolutely, I agree, and I think that's what makes it such a good reading. Now, you are in the healthcare field, so how do the two worlds collide? Like, what drew you to healthcare? That's a great question. I think-- Well, look, they're clearly both healing arts, right? And I, I don't know where along the lines... I mean, truthfully, my mom was a huge influence on me. She's, she's a, uh, she's a nurse, and I- so I kinda knew since I was a little kid. I don't know if you wanna call that intuition or just whatever I gravitated towards. I, I knew I wanted to be in the medical field. I didn't know how it was gonna play out, but, , I'm so, I'm so glad I went into that field, field because it really balances me out, in all honesty. And they're both healing arts. The way I like to say it is it's just in two very different ways Yeah, Is it hard to work in both fields? Like, 'cause they- 'cause they're so different. I mean, I do it, you know, volunteer on the ambulance, and then I do this, and sometimes I feel like they're two polar opposites, and I have to be, like, different people at each one Oh, absolutely, 100... And I'm glad you, you say it that way because that's kind of the truth. I think a lot of people, , I think when you do this work, sometimes people look at you like you're some, like, supernatural, like, you know, superhero, and I try and remind people, and that's what I try and kind of do in my everyday life. I, I remind people, I'm like, "Look, anybody can connect to spirit." This is not like a... I mean, I know people like to call it a gift or an ability, but it's just, it's just something that, , certain people can do. And point in sharing that is I think I'm still normal, , air quotes I guess, with a, a day job. 'Cause it is so true. When I'm working at the hospital, I have to be on in a different way. , When I'm with a, with a client, I'm on in another way. I'm connecting to something. You know, in the hospital I have to be very cerebral. 'Cause I take it very serious. These are people's lives that are in my hands and, I've worked in critical areas and, , when you deal with death, and I'm sure you could share this too, when you deal with death on the 3D plane and, and it's very I want to use that word. Like, it, it- there's something to it that's... So you really do, I think you have to be healing in another way. You have to be healing with your presence, and that's why I'm a big of preacher of being, I guess I want to say the word responsible for your energy and doing the surround, ground, and shield, making sure that you're coming into the hospital anyway right? 'Cause I wanna be, I wanna be off from spirit, open to hospital work, right? So it's like I have to be protected, I have to be grounded, I have to be very present for the patients and their families that I'm dealing with. So it's definitely an interesting mix. But in all honesty, I would actually attribute, like, working in the hospital as another step for me that made me even better at, like, my boundaries, I had to be. I didn't have a choice. You know, I, I, I had to, A lot of energies take, a lot of not only passings, but people... You know, when you meet people in the hospital, a lot of the times it's, like, their worst of their lives very much, right? So there- there's a lot of energy that's behind that. So it got, it gave, it got me really, really good at, like, setting those boundaries where I'm like, know, this is, this is the avenue I'm on. I'm not gonna switch tracks. So I have a lot more questions about healthcare and this, but I have to pause because it's, the Surround, Ground, and Shields, you've mentioned that a few times. Are you comfortable sharing exactly what you do for that? Oh, yeah, sure. It's super simple, and this was, again, this is Pat Longo's method, which literally changed my life. And I usually tell people, I preface it by saying it'll work if you understand and kind of accept that we live in, like, this energy matrix, right? We're all giving off of... I'm sure everyone's heard of the term aura, right? So we're all giving off energy, and it consists of our emotions and our feelings and even our loved ones connected to us. We all carry this energy with us, right? It's like our energetic baggage. And if you think of it that way, and you're around all these different people, whether it be at work, , school. That was where it was big for me, school, college especially. , But even just friends or family. Everyone's giving off their aura. Everyone's giving off their energy. And when you're empathic and you're super sensitive, you're gonna absorb it. Y- and, and it's gonna affect you one way or the other. And, and for empaths, sometimes it can be very heavy. Some people use the term, right, like, "Oh, I'm around this person, I feel so heavy, I feel so drained, I'm so tired." Like, their, their energy's affecting you in a negative way. , So the method that Pat taught me was literally just putting yourself in a bubble in a, in a nutshell, right? So the surround, that's the first step, and it's all in my mind's eye, right? Thoughts become things. So I literally envision my energy closed off, like, in an actual bubble. So that's the surround. So I have my bubble up. The second step is ground, which is just really feeling your feet in the earth. Some people kind of send beams out of their feet. They wanna see themselves attached to the earth. This is just a grounding method. I know some people, for grounding, they take it very literal and they, like, actually go outside and they put their feet in the grass. You don't have to do that. Um, but this just, it's just really feeling yourself in this plane, right? So you wanna keep yourself grounded 'cause you wanna be in the present moment. That's what it's for. moment, you're surrounded, and then the shield is actually enforcing your bubble in your s- in front of your solar ple- plexus. A lot of energy comes in through the midsection, right? That's kinda like your solar plexus. A lot of anxious, empathic people have really bad digestive problems and stomach problems, so you wanna shield that area front and back. So it's kind of preventing, the way, not to be dramatic about it, but you're kind of preparing yourself for, for war, in a sense, with the energy around you, right? Like, you wanna be completely cl- And then it's funny 'cause I do the exact opposite when I read someone. When I go into session, I set the intention to open my bubble up and to connect to the person who needs it, you know? So it's worked for me. It's, like, literally changed my life, and I think... I've taught, I've tried to teach a lot of people about it. Pat's book talks about it, too. , The Gifts Beneath Your Anxiety, , is her book, and it's such an amazing book 'cause she expands on this, , , in the, book itself. I didn't know she had a book. I feel silly not knowing that, but I'm gonna have to read that now. I just wrote it down. It's a great book, and she uses, like, several examples of people who utilize this strategy and, like, really turn their life around. So it's a great, . yeah, , it's a great read, and, and I can definitely tell from experience, it, it completely, like, shifted my energy and, , my whole life really So does that turn your intuition, like, completely off when you do that as, for the most part? I would say yes and, yes and no. Well, it- I'm coming at it from a different angle 'cause I am, like, a reader, right? So I would say it turns off my intuition hits on other people because I'm not really absorbing as much, right? , I'm not gonna be feeling your energy 'cause I'm... , of course there's instances where things get through. I think we've all had that, right? Where we try and block something, but, like, something's coming to you or whatever. , But it doesn't turn off the intuition for myself, I guess I would say. I mean, I'm a big believer, , that, like, our intuition is really for us, right? It's, like, to guide us, to help us make decisions and, and whatnot. So I'm s- And if any way I could actually say it, it it on more 'cause I'm more present and grounded. Like, it's really... Our lives are so, and again, this is probably something else we could talk about for seven hours, but between social media, texts, emails, , for, I don't know about you, but, like, for me, I have, like, a work phone. I have two cell phones. It's, like, distracting and so crazy. It's so easy to, like, miss out on, like, huge chunks of your day just, like, doing busy work. , I think we all need to be more grounded and present 'cause when you allow the silence to come in, I think that's when your own personal intuition is louder that makes sense. So since you kind of block yourself before you go into work, do you use any intuition on patients sometimes when they're coming in, you're not really sure what's going on with them? Yeah, I mean, that's a, it's a good question. I, I guess what I would say is I do my best from a, like, healthcare standpoint. Like, I, I really focus on, like, my presence being healing. So not so much connecting to the other side or connect- or, like, reading them, let's say. I really just focus on my earthly connection to them, if that makes sense. So I'm, like, using my, my, my presence as a healing force, 'cause I think that also is a huge... And look, nurses have that ability. I mean, I'm sure everybody can share or think back to a moment where, like, their health was either, like, something was going on or a loved one was going through something, and it's like all it takes is that one person to make a difference. And it could really turn things around. So I guess to answer your question, like, fully and honestly, no. Like, I'm not reading my patients. I never really cross that line, and mostly it's for me. 'Cause I tell people all the time, and I joke about it, some of the people who I work with who know about this, I'm like, "You don't want me," or, "Nobody wants to open up hosp-" I mean, that is like, talk about, Terrible danger zone. Like, you do not wanna feel the energy in the hospital. , , I just, I just focus more on, like, you know, the s- I would say, like, the more cerebral, like, focusing on my presence, focusing on, , how can I help this person get from point A to point B, , without reading them, yeah, it's such a tough... I have a, one of my really good friends is a nurse practitioner, and she does, she also says she's a medical intuitive. So a lot of times she'll say, "This is what's going on, but I feel an intuitive hit to do this blood work. Are you okay with it?" Oh, So she phrases it a little bit differently, so it's kinda interesting that way and you know, even to comment on that, I, don't identify as, like, a medical intuitive at all, and I think it's... I don't know if that's, like, a form of my own protection, if that makes sense, where I'm like, "This is my day job, and then this is my, , night job," if you will. , It's like two separate avenues for me. And I've actually had clients come to me, and some clients who know that I work in the medical field, and they've asked me, they say, "Oh, , do you do, like, medical readings?" And I, and I say no. I usually refer them out to s- to other people that I know because I don't... I think the lines get too crossed for me. I'd rather keep it separate. And I think for whatever reason, like, that's just... , like your friend, it sounds like that's just her ability. That's, that's where her, , that's her powerhouse, that's her wheelhouse. And for me, for whatever reason, it doesn't really happen that way. And I even tell people before a session sometimes when, again, when they know I'm in the medical field, I say, "Look, even if I bring up medical things, I'm just sharing what spirit is telling me. I'm not, like, , doing an assessment on you." Like, don't take what I say as, , medical advice 'cause it's, it's... I'm, I'm getting it when I'm in the session mode of, of reading. I'm not using, my medical brain It's so hard. That's something I'm definitely still working on because I try so hard not to give any medical information, and all the time I'm hear like, "Oh, so and so should get their heart checked," or, "So and so should get this." And I'm like, "I'm not telling you this to scare..." 'Cause people can get scared from it too, and you're like, "I'm not telling you this to scare you, but just, I, they want you to go to the doctor and just make sure everything's okay." Well, look, and that's also a very common message from Spirit. I mean, that's a big connection. I literally just had this happen, , today actually. , I was reading somebody, and I think I was connecting to his wife, and we were talking about, They were showing me a heart procedure. And again, that's where I take my medical brain out of it, 'cause I'm like, , 'cause my medical side, I could think like, "Okay, heart procedure, maybe he had an ablation. Maybe he had a cardiac cath." Like, I could start going into... But I don't say... I don't, I don't try and do that 'cause I just- I have to stay in flow. I have to stay, connected. And I- whatever the message was, it was very much around, , like, his wife acknowledging that she knows he had a heart procedure and to make sure he takes care of himself. , It's, and it's very simple, but I try and stay very surface like that or, and I just deliver it as it is. But to your point, that's a, that's a super common message. , I feel like Spirit... And that's another thing too that I learned, right? It's like you ask your guides for information to help the client. Nothing like, no doom and gloom, just like things that you, things that are preventable, you know? Yeah, and it's funny you, you brought up two things here. First of all, whenever I try and talk about readings, I always think for a second, I'm like, I think my, like, medical brain goes in, and I'm like, "Oh, it's HIPAA." Like, I can't talk about a reading, even though, like, no one knows who I'm reading. I could be reading someone from California and, like, no one ever knows. But also that when you go into that medical part of your brain, then you're really using your mind, and we're trying really hard not to use our mind. So that's a, such a good point And it, it does 'cause it'll flip you out. And again, you can even feel, at least for myself, I think, yo look, the s- the ses- the sessions that I do are an hour, right? And through the session you can sometimes feel yourself almost like flipping in and out of flow, right? Where you'll be like channeling a spirit, and then all of a sudden maybe that spirit disconnects or the spirit goes away, and then you're just talking about that person's life. .. My point in sharing that is I think you can't expect yourself to be 100% in flow the whole time. But that being said, when you start turning on, like, your cerebral side, then you're really kicking yourself out of flow. And that's the same thing going back to the no's. Once you absorb that no, and that you have that single thought that says, "Oh my God, I'm not, this is not a good reading. I'm not doing good," forget it. This, it's gonna be an L for you., It's... And, and again, those are hard lessons that we, that we just have to learn as we go. sometimes, ,, it's the nature of the beast, I guess. It's so true. Now, you mentioned your coworkers. Do your coworkers and patients know? No, it's... Patients will never know. I mean, yeah, , to my knowledge. , Just 'cause again, I don't broadcast it. , Even, , my social media presence or just how I've operated, , y- and that's because I just, I worked so hard to get where I am in my, like, day job, in my career. So I never wanted this to overshadow anything, so I really treat it like two separate lives, I guess. But, , so I don't broadcast it. But the, the, the coworkers that do know are either... It's so funny. I mean, look, Long Island and the world at general is small, right? So I've had people tell me, "Oh,, you read my friend's mother. , You read the..." Like, , so it's, like, almost, like, word of mouth type of stuff, and that's how I operate my whole business, just word of mouth. So of course, I'll talk to people about it if they're curious. I won't give them readings, obviously, in the hospital. Like, you have to draw... And look, that's a whole 'nother conversation about boundaries, obviously. , 'Cause I'm sure, I don't know if that comes up for you, but even with me and friends, like, you have to really be... And that's another thing they don't tell you when you become a reader, , you have to really be good at boundaries. But, so that's kinda how I operate at work. I'm very much in... And I've actually even had to say to people before too, I'm like, "Oh, hey, like, , I'm not c- like, I don't really wanna, like, talk about..." I say it in a nice way, but I'm, I'm like, "Hey, I'm not really, , wanting to talk about this right now. I'm, , doing something else." So, and people for the most part are, like, pretty respectful, but it's, But yeah, I'm not really broadcasting it. And honestly, I would even... It's different for everyone. Everyone has their own path. But I think when you do have a full-time career, I understand, like, why people don't wanna broadcast it because of the boundary stuff. Yeah, I definitely have that. Once I started letting people know at work, people were like, "Oh, you could read me any time," or, "Are you getting anything when I'm laying here?" And I'm like, "No, I'm, I'm off right now. That's not what I'm doing." like, gosh. Uh, the, the whole, like, are you, are, do you feel something? Do you see something around me? Like, oh, gosh. And people don't understand, . Again, it's... We covered this, but it's like, you have to have such firm boundaries. You can't walk around open all the time, 'cause that was my childhood, and I was anxious 24/7. I'm sure you probably had similar experiences. I know people, other mediums, who had, like, really severe health stuff go on because of, like, , the mind, body, spirit, and spiritually they were all out of whack. It's affecting them physically. So you really have to be, like... And I tell people, I'm like, "Look, this is, this is a job, right?" Like, and I don't wanna be working, . I- it's, it's not like this is, Pat used to say this, which I thought was so funny. She used to say, like, "You're not... You're, you're a psychic medium, you're not a party trick." , And there's, like, a seriousness to that, 'cause I think, , when you first start doing this work, it's, it's strange, right? It's like, it's weird. You don't really know. You may not be super confident, but, , it's, it's, like, a, a weird thing. , There's, like, a money exchange. It's, , so you may to be on the side of, like, looking for validation, and you may read people who you maybe shouldn't, like friends or whatever. But I think once you hit a, hit a point where you're like, "Okay, I'm, like, I'm doing this and I'm s- gonna be serious about it," really have to draw those boundaries. 'Cause it's ju- it's just not healthy. It, it's, it's really not. And then look, let's face it, people will use you, 100% they will It's true. But it's, it's funny when you were saying like you can't walk around open all the time. Sometimes I'll be with some of my friends who are mediums, and they'll walk into a room, they're like, "Oh my God, the energy is so intense here." And I'm like, "Where? I'm fine. I don't feel anything." I'm like, "I shut down. Should I... Am I a bad medium?" Like, I don't feel... But I guess sometimes they're just a little bit more open and sensitive than I am, and I'm like, "Oh, this is a lot." Well, yeah, and I guess it's different for everyone. And that's the thing where it's like one of those things where, , you could sense maybe the energy of a room or another person without full on going into reading them. , You may be able to say, oh, I like that person's vibe. Oh, I don't like that person's vibe. Like that's... 'Cause again, that's something I think we all have the ability to do. , Like how many people, I hear this all the time from clients, they're like, they'll say, "Oh, the vibes are off," or, "The vibes are this, the vibes are that." Like, what are you doing? You're really reading energy. You're in, you're translating the energy, , that we can't see but we feel. So I think, to that extent, of course, and of course I've probably had those moments too, but I really, try not to. 'Cause again, I don't wanna entertain like those, those people who just take advantage. That's, that's really my like focus. I'm like I, I just can't be giving constantly, you Yeah, and I think for you and I, it's very different because of seeing so much in the medical field, you know, seeing death and everything. Like, when we shut down, we really make sure we shut down as much as possible because we don't wanna feel everyone else's emotions around us. It can get very intense very intense. And I think, I, I tell people all the time, the two, at least in readings and sessions, and I've learned this not only in spirit but also in my day job, the two biggest energetic shifts in life are birth and death, obviously, right? So usually what happens if I'm reading somebody and there's like a baby coming in somewhere, someone's pregnant, it, it, like, it comes up a lot very frequently, right? Where spirit will say, "Oh, I see that this person's pregnant." It's a huge, like celebratory thing. And then obviously, of course, the death, the transitionary, , and that's something that's so, especially when you're in the medical field and you're, and you're seeing death up close and personal, and dealing with, , those things, , it's very serious. That's, that's kind of what I usually say. And yeah, it's not something, it's not like a willy-nilly thing that you wanna be open energetically for. And I even encourage people, like I've told other people this who are not readers, the surround, ground, and shield method can help you regardless. Because if you do work in a hospital or you work in the medical field, whatever capacity you're in, there's a lot of emotion, a lot of energy, a lot of fear. The surround, ground, and shields will help you. 'Cause a lot of people don't realize, but subconsciously they're being drained. , it's an interesting phenomenon, but, the two worlds, would say, kind of complement each other but are very different Absolutely. And I was gonna ask this of your patients, but since your patients don't really know, I'm gonna ask this family-wise or friend-wise. If you say something to someone just off the cuff, like they're like, "Oh my God, I'm bruising so easily," or something, and you're like, "Oh, maybe your iron's low," or something, do they immediately think it's like an intuitive hit and they're like, "Oh, I should go take..." You know? Like, , like are your friends and family like that, or are they very much like chill? That's funny. I would say my family is very chill about it, and probably because, you grow up with them. They, they know you before you became the medium, right? Like, that's... And I think that's something that's so important too with friendships, 'cause I've also witnessed friendships shift, , after I kinda quote unquote came out in so many ways. People started becoming, don't know, there's no other word to use bes- besides strange, ? And I think a lot of it is lack of knowledge. I had f- people, like friends start asking me, like, t- to make them bets, parlays. Like, like I'm like, I'm not like a, is this gonna happen? Is that gonna happen? Like, asking me about like world events, and I'm like, "Look, I'm not Nostradamus." Like, this... , so... those people I usually slowly start to cut off. But, , I, I think it's super important as a, as a reader, as a spiritual person to have a good tribe around you, like a spiritual community in a way. People who understand you, like you referenced. Like, you have friends who are mediums. They get you. They understand, ? And I have that too. I have spiritual friends who I rely on, who I can vent to. Because they're not gonna take advantage of you. I mean, look, spiritual people can take advantage of you, but the people you want to surround yourself with, they're not gonna take advantage of you. There's, they're people who could help you. 'Cause the regular humans, quote unquote, s- sometimes they just don't understand. So I think with friends, I have, I've definitely had friends take my word as like gospel. And I even make the jokes. I'm like, "Look, I'm not Jesus Christ." I'm just saying this because it, 'cause I wanted to say it. Like I'm not, , I'm not giving you, , gospel here. Yeah, it's a tricky, tricky dynamic. It, it definitely can be... And for the most part, I always gravitate... Like, you wanna find those people who knew you for you before, like, anything weird happened. Yeah. That's a really good point. I think I'm dealing with that a little bit right now with shifting friend groups and trying to figure it all out, so it's nice to hear that other people have gone through it too It's so tricky, and even, again, I know other people in the spiritual space where... And it's tricky, like, being, I guess, I would almost say growing up, for example, , there's probably a lot of friends of yours going through transitions in their life, right? So it's like the marriage and the kids, and when am I gonna be pregnant, and am I gonna have a boy or girl, and, , is my husband cheating on me, and, which girl is he looking at? It's like it gets a little crazy and kooky, and I understand different avenues of, different areas of life, everyone has their different worries. But I feel like when you're growing up, , 'cause you just wanna, you're, at the end of the day, we're, and this is the thing where it's like we're human beings, we just wanna fit in. You just wanna, , have connection, and I think that's why I try and drive home a lot. I'm like, look, anybody can do this work. It's just, okay, maybe we're a little bit more sensitive than the next person, but we're not aliens either Absolutely. Did you say drive home? 'Cause I was just talking today about how, like, when you have an energetic day, you have to, like, drive home with the radio off 'cause it has to be quiet. You have to, like, center yourself again. Yeah, I've been doing that a lot lately. That's funny you said that. I've been catching myself. I'm like, "Oh, wow, it's so silent in my car," 'cause I'm just... You're driving. But listen, I think been trying to maybe do that on purpose too, because it's a little bit... Like I said, the br- the-- we're so distracted by everything It's true. And it's so funny 'cause I get in my husband's car and it's always music on. You get in my car and it's silence. You have to, like, figure out if you're gonna listen to something. And I'm just like, "Why is your music so loud? Why is everything going on? I'm overwhelmed by all the noise." Oh, that's dark. Oh, yeah, it's, it's, I think silence is good. Probably, I would say more people have to sit in silence. And, and I say this a lot to my clients too. I'm like, "Look, your, your own intuition," 'cause again, we all have the ability to connect, we all have the ability to, get some answers in our own life. It's gonna come... subconscious is gonna talk to you through silence. It's not gonna be, , when you're on Instagram or TikTok. That's not... I know people love to watch the, tower card readings, but like , that, that's not always gonna be your, your answer. Like, you have to kinda sit in silence and figure it out Do you sit in silence? Do you meditate every day or once in a while? Yeah, I mean, I, set the intention to meditate every day. , I, I probably should be doing it more like everyone else. I think before I do my clients, I have a pretty, , the days I don't work, I, I usually fill with clients. I'll do a couple clients, and I have like a pretty, I guess strict routine. So that will include meditation, even if it's for five minutes. It's just about a matter of like surrounding myself, grounding myself, and then setting the intention to open up, right? So I start to... That's when I start to connect to their spirit, and I start to kinda capture their energy. , I usually... I'm a big, like, I'm a big Jesus guy, so I call in Jesus, I call in Archangel Michael 'cause, and again, I'm sure you could comment on this too, but, , doing this work, I, I call on, , Jesus to kinda give me the words, right? And then I call on Archangel Michael to protect me from... I usually say like, "Protect me from any and all negative energy," right? 'Cause let's face it, when you do this work, that's kinda like the not so fun side, is you open yourself up, and sometimes when you open yourself up to certain people or things, that's when there could be some like more of a negative low vibrating stuff too. That's another thing I usually explain to people. I'm like, ", it's not all like sunshines and rainbows." but that's usually where I put my meditation in. I, I definitely wanna spend more time like meditating me for, for sure. That's something I have to work on personally, but definitely set a lot of intentions as I open up And you were talking about a little bit about your schedule. So how do you balance? Do you work like three days and then you do clients three days, or one day off? Or how do you- Yeah, that's usually, that's usually what I do. , If I work, let's say, for the hospital shift, I usually work three days in a row, and then I'll have four days off, let's say. I usually will try and limit to, like, two clients a day, the days I'm off. Obviously, , the days I'm working, I don't read anybody. , The full day. , So the days that I'm, off of my day job, I'll do my clients, and I try and balance it out, , the best I can. Obviously, again, it's something that I'm learning too, like with balance and energy, because it really is... Different people will drain you in different ways. Different sessions are maybe more tougher on your energy than other sessions, ? It's just how it is. somebody's more, like, low vibrating or they've been through a lot of grief, and they may carry that in, like, a heavier way, and you kind of have to navigate that energy. , You're really absorbing a lot of what the person brings to you. So I find that I try and... and I have to get better at it, but I try and space them out, so that way I can... I don't know how you feel after you read, but, like, for me, sometimes it could take me, like, an hour or two to feel normal again You feel drained after? Yeah. I would say, , again, depending on the connection, depending on, , what was discussed, it can be, it can be draining or it's like a weird... I'm not sure how to describe it. , You're connecting to something, right? So it's almost like a comedown maybe. and you have to like readjust. Like, that's the best way I can kinda share it. So I think . It's an interesting thing, and that's something I think people don't... Like, again, like regular people just don't understand. , They... And that's the whole thing when people just ask you, "What do you see around me? Like, what are you getting?" , It's like you're not really understanding. Like when you're, when you're really doing a reading and you're really connecting, there's a lot, there's a big energy exchange between you and that thing. Whatever you believe in, there's something going on there. So, and that could be, yeah, very draining. It's exhausting. , So yeah, I have to definitely try and balance like my own like relaxation time Yeah, I find that when I give a reading or directly after, I'm like really hyped up 'cause I think my vibration's so high, and then I c- when I come down, I crash so hard. And one of my teachers said that, , he, he did some kind of study and he found that giving an hour reading is equivalent to like six to seven hours of exercise. Damn. , I believe that, in all honesty, I do. And I think it... Again, for me, it just all depends on the client. Sometimes when I read somebody, like even yourself is a great example. You're high vibrating, you're in this space. kinda get up there and flow easier, where maybe if it's somebody, again, who is , we, we said this in the beginning, people who are closed off or people who are coming to you. And I tell people all the time, "Look, you should be skeptical," right? You should be looking for things that really make you feel like you're connected to your loved one, , and through the session. But then there's some people who take that to the next level, and they almost, like, can't wait for you to be wrong. So, like, those sessions are also really difficult, too, because people don't understand. Like I explained about the surround, ground, and shield. We can really influence our energy around them, and those people who are closed off, you have a very closed down energy. And if you're consciously saying or subconsciously like, "I don't want this person to read me," or, "I don't want them to get something," You're gonna influence that energy. So my point is, it takes more from me to penetrate that. , Luckily, I, I think those types of clients are super far and few between. Most people who come are, like, so great, and they just want, , a good connection, and they're really looking to, , enrich their lives in some way. So most of the time it's great. But you do get your, I call them, , duds. You get your duds here and there I was gonna say even sometimes too when people come in and they have that, I feel like sometimes spirit can hear them and spirit like, "Oh, they're afraid," or, "They don't want this." And then they don't come through, and then they're like, "Well, I told you you can't do this." And I'm like, "It's you don't want it, and the spirit knows." I tell people a lot, when you read somebody, there is like an, I don't know what other word to use besides like there's an intimate connection with someone when you're exchanging energy, and there's a trust that has to take place. And I think when you are putting in your mind that like you don't want s- you don't want this to, to work or, or you're blocked off to it, and some people I could even just say emotionally may not be ready to hear certain things that their loved one has to say. Maybe they're still grieving. That's why I tell people, I don't know what your rule is, but I usually tell people when somebody passes away, you definitely have to give it, I even like to say at least six months, because you wanna get past that, like, acute grief phase, ? Like if you're into a session and you're desperate and there's like, That desperation, first of all, we can feel, and it puts a, puts a damper on the reading, if you will, because it's not gonna be as genuine as like if you're in a good s- mental head space,, to receive something. That's my point. You have to be open to receive. And I tell people all the time, even family members, 'cause I refuse to read my family, I send them to people and I say, I, I say the same thing every time, , 'cause my family's like normal, right? They, they don't read people, so they're just, they're looking to get read. They wanna connect to mom, to dad, whoever. And I say, "Look, just go in there with an open heart and an open mind and put that out there to u- to the universe, and I bet you you'll get what you're meant to get." And that's usually what I, the, , the trick to the trade. You, you really should not come in with, with high expectations Do you connect to your own loved ones? 'Cause there's some mediums that can. I can't, but there are some mediums that can connect to their loved ones, so I'm just curious Yeah, I think that's a good question. I would say in short, yes. I definitely-- I guess I'll use the word like include them in like my prayers, in my... When I do meditate, I include them in my meditation. So I'm, I'm definitely feeling their presence around or I'm connecting with them. , I'm not having full dialogue or if I'm like reading somebody and their parent is coming through, where you're having like a full dialogue with them. So it's more of just like feeling their presence, honoring them, , cherishing them in that type of, in that type of way. So that's kinda , how I would say. But I've definitely had family m-members come and visit me, which is always, , humbling and nice, and I try and tell my family members, , who, that was like and who came and, and , what took place. But , yeah, I even had-- I've had, , f-like friends and even, , I had like clients pass away who come and visit. So it's always nice when like a spirit pops in and just says hello Yeah, that sounds really nice. Maybe one day. Maybe I'll open up a little more. I don't know. Who knows? Maybe it's some, like, boundary you set, , and for whatever reason for, for now that's how, that's how it is. Some people too, I've noticed this, is, like, the whole thing, like, when I read somebody and they're always like, "Like, I don't feel... , i don't feel my mom around me. Like, why don't I feel her?" And I'm like, "It doesn't mean she's not there. I think you're just thinking too much into it." , And maybe that's, like, the simple answer and, and maybe that's not always the case, but I find for a lot of people, . they push too hard. And that's another thing, even with reading and mediumship, , some of the people that I came up with, it's like when you... like when you push too hard or when you want it too bad, it's just not gonna happen. It's like, it's like anything else in life. You have to be in a flow. Like, you have to be, know? So I don't know. M- I tell, usually tell my clients that too, though. I'm like, "Look, if you're not feeling them, I think you're m- probably looking for them too much." I kind of like that a lot. Yeah, yeah, makes sense. No, it's, it's the truth, and I think, , again, that goes back to the whole grief thing. 'Cause I, like, I don't know about you, but, uh, doing this work, I've learned so much on, like, a psychological level. I think this is more, like, sometimes I call it psychic therapy, because psychologically there's so much that goes into things, and grief is really interesting, and I think you, , you're constantly trying to connect so, so deeply and so hard in a way that it's, it sometimes almost, like, blocks it, almost does the reverse. 'Cause we're also still here to have a life, and that's what people struggle with. It's like, how do I have a life? How do I move on? And this person's not here, and I'm not feeling them, and, , it creates, like, a whole, creates a whole thing I'm gonna go back for a second 'cause you were talking about dreams. It doesn't seem like you have come across this yet because your patients don't know, , what you do on the side. But one of my patients, she was telling me about her son recently, and she was like, "Oh, he has a lot of trouble sleeping," and they couldn't figure out why. Took him to a bunch of different doctors, and they still can't figure out any reason he's having trouble sleeping. But he talks sometimes, and she's like, "The things he says are really weird." And part of me feels like there might be a little bit of him being a medium in there, but he's only seven, so he can't really, like, figure out how to articulate what's going on and why he's scared to be in his own room, why he's scared to sleep., Do you ever feel like sometimes there could be something spiritual going on with your patients that isn't something physical? Like, they are a medium, like their anxiety is coming from, being too empathetic and not knowing how to shut down. Do you ever... Like, how would you handle that, I guess, would have been a question to you? Well, lot of the patients, and I guess this is maybe where, , like our roles differ. Like a lot of people that I'm seeing are in the hospital, so it's more like acute setting. So I don't dive into their personal life so much, in all honesty. But I would say, like when you ask me that question, where I go is even to, to my, to my clients, , just my spiritual clients where, you know, obviously when I'm reading and I'm in a session, everything is... N- nothing's off limits. So I could be talking about their children, and a lot of the times, , kids are super open. Kids, I think, c- come into this world very, very open. Somewhere along the line, for some reason, I think certain kids close down or their sensitivity shift for whatever reason, whether it be environment or just natural development, I'm not sure. But I've definitely had instances where , I have felt that anxiety , from a client of mine is 100%. I'm like, "Look, like I think your child or even you, like y- there's... You're a medium. Like you have spirit around you. , You have to protect yourself, you have to ground yourself, , , there was even, . again, I operate the same way, spir- I call it spiritual HIPAA. I don't ever, , share anyone's identification and, and whatnot. But I had a client of mine who their, I forget if it was their son or daughter, but one of their kids, who was probably around six or seven, sharing all these like insane details about like her mother that like there was just no way, , that the, the kid would know this. So the type of stuff, and I tell people, I'm like, "Look, you need to foster that." And if they're, if they're having trouble sleeping at night and if they're scared, you have to teach them that in control. , They can control the energy around them. You tell them to go away, you set boundaries, you pray. Like you teach the surround, ground, and shield. So I try and relay that message to them. , As far as, , a- as far as patients, I guess it's just, it's, it includes all people. really believe there's a spectrum. It's like I try and compare it to like athleticism. , Some people are, they're like, they're born, they're LeBron James, right? Like they could just pick up a basketball and they're like a phenom. Other people can't even, , stand on one foot. So it's like that's the same thing with spirituality. It's the sa- there's a spectrum, and you may be on the realm of openness. Doesn't mean you have to talk to dead people. It doesn't mean you have to read people. But you may be super open to the point where you're anxious, you're sensitive to people's energy. You have... , a lot of people have those things where it's like, "Oh, I thought of my friend, and then they texted me." ? It's like you have those like premonitions. That's all like spiritual in nature. I think that's all,, like quantum physics, if you will. There's a lot of energy around us we don't even understand. So I try and just kind of teach people , and again, it just, it's because I, I don't get to talk about it at work, 'cause again, it's a very professional setting, obviously, and I'm more or less dealing with their illness. But I talk to my clients about it a ton, the spiritual clients, where I'm like, "Look, like, this is why you should protect yourself, and this is what I think is happening. Maybe you're super sensitive on that spectrum," and that's just how I see it. Like, that's how... I, I feel like people understand that when I describe it like athleticism. It's not as scary, I think, ? 'Cause I think some people think, like, oh, you're a medium, so, like, you're special or... It's like, no, like, it's just, something shifted and . , we don't know h- how or why or what, but, , but yeah, I try and explain that I like that. That's a really good way of putting it, 'cause I think a lot of people are also afraid, you know, if they do try, 'cause they're like, "Oh, I really wanna connect with my mom or dad. I wanna know they're around me." But they're like, "But I'm afraid if I open up, then everything's gonna come through." And I'm like, "That's not, you know, how it works necessarily. You can control some of it. You know? Like, you can control your energy , And that's the thing, you could set intentions, and I think, , having... It's a very, I almost wanna use, I don't know if I should use the word unnatural, but I guess, like, to sit in front of somebody and read them, not, it's not a common th- it's very unnatural in a way. And what I mean is, , it's not a big path that people go down, and I think even if I look at people who become, like, professional psychic mediums who do it full-time, very few amount of people, ? At least I'm talking, like, household names who are, like, super common, right? Like, that's my point. And I guess what I'm sharing is, like, it's difficult to do that. It's not an easy thing. So I guess what I'm trying to say is for the, for your average person, connecting to mom or dad is, like, the perfect way to get into spirituality 'cause you're like, , "Oh, I get signs from them. , I was meditating and I asked my mom to send me a penny, and I found a penny on my walk." , Something so simple like that is how you communicate with them. Like, that is, like, , a perfect way I think you could put that. Yeah, that's a great way. Get people start, start, start doing it on their own to see that they can do it, and then they can decide how far they wanna take it Exactly Now you have seen kind of both sides of the spectrum here. , What do you think that we're here to learn in life? Ooh, that's a good question. All right, so I think it's different for everyone, a little bit different for everyone, depending on your life path and I- I'm a big believer in soul contracts, right? So it's like I'm sure you've heard, , I need to learn X, Y, Z and I sign on the dotted line, and then when I come here, I have , the gift of free will, right? I think that's the gift that grants us w- we have free will, we can make decisions, . I use a funny example for clients. When, when they ask me like very psychic questions, I say-- I always preface, I say, "Look," I say, "This is what I'm getting now, but this could change because you can start doing drugs tomorrow." Like, right? And it's a funny way of explaining to somebody that you have free will, , you can do whatever you want. Some people forget they have free will, but that's besides the point. when you're here, I think we're really meant to experience love, connection. It sounds so simple, but growth, , in our own... Whatever that looks like, whether it be career growth, spiritual growth, connecting to family members, and everyone's so different. I've read people before, and I'm sure you've had-- you have, too, where it's like I tell somebody, "Look, like, I think you were here to parent your parents." , Sometimes that, that happens for people. The dynamic is, is shifted. I, I am definitely, , a, a believer in past lives in so many kinda ways where I think some souls will kinda change their, like, okay, your mother was your sister or your daughter, and then it kinda shifts the dynamic, , for what you feel in life. But I think when I kinda clear away all the fog and when I read people, I think what really matters to people is just, like, love and connection and personal-- like self-awareness, too. Like being aware of , your own ener- like what energy am I bringing, ? Am I making people smile or am I making people nuts, , that I think is a huge factor, too. Yeah, and I love that you mentioned growth 'cause I feel like everyone, you know, you start out one way, you grow into another person, you grow into a whole 'nother person, and the goal is to always become the best version of yourself Exactly. It's... And that's the thing. It's, it, you don't know... And that's the beauty of life, right? Like, we don't know. That's why there is such a mystery to it,? As much as you do have free will and control, I do think there's a little bit of percentage of maybe, I guess I could use the word fate or mystery, where it's like, okay, which direction am I gonna go? ,, 'cause you're also dealing with everybody around you who has free will, right? So there's a lot of decisions and, and whatnot. And that's why I always tell people to like, listen to your gut, listen to your intuition. What does your gut say? , What's your knee-jerk reaction? That's what you have to follow, 'cause I think it will lead you to growth. . And that's why it's good. I tell people all the time, I think change is great. I think change is like a scary thing, whether it be the people in your life or job stuff or whatever, but like you have to move towards what makes you uncomfortable. That's like the key, I think, to growth 100%. We always joke at the firehouse, like, you know, firemen hate change, but they love change. You know? Like they, once it's there they love it, but they hate it initially. A l- and so many people are like that, too. I fi- and , that's... And again, that goes back to just being awareness, , being aware. And I think some people, like, they cling to, , relationships because they don't want to either be alone, 'cause that's, , a big change or it's a b- it's fear. There's something I heard recently that was like s- it stuck with me, but it was like, the devil scatters and God simplifies. And what I like about that is I think when you're in the position of fear or, , like, fear of change, your mind is so scattered. You're thinking about this, you're thinking about that. What if this? What if that? What if that? And I think when you're in God flow, things are very confident and simple. You're like, "You know what? I'm gonna make this decision and I'm gonna follow through with it," and that's it. And , your thought process, maybe you'll be nervous, but for the most part, you're in flow with that choice and you're confident in it, so I don't know, I thought that was, like, such an interesting... When I heard that, I was like, "Oh, I like that a lot," 'cause it's so true It's so true. I like that too. I feel like that's something I should, like, hang on a wall somewhere. Maybe in my office, like like, I've been saying it in my head every day, 'cause that's kinda how I identify. A- again, it's all tools. That's, and that's how you read, right? You, you, over the years, you, you pick up these tools, and I'm able to kinda tell like, okay, like this person's way too scattered. Like this is not, this is n- this may not be a good vibe for them. This is not, ? So , it's a tool Absolutely. So my last question is always, my closing question is always, is there anything you wish people would know about mediumship or anything you'd like to tell anyone developing their mediumship? Yeah, I think, well, I think what I want people to know is how not easy it is,, and that's maybe for... E- everybody could connect to that, right? I mean, I think even the, the readers , and the clients. , Definitely if you go for sessions, be very grateful of their time, their energy, 'cause it takes a lot. And look, don't get me wrong, I love doing it. As many-- Some days, even when I have those difficult clients and I'm like, "Oh my God," , I still at the end of the day love it because it makes me feel whole. You really get to, to meet so many different people, and you've, you connect to spirit, which is amazing. It's, you get such a whole feeling from that, and it's amazing to help people, truly. , But yeah, it's definitely not easy. That's like the first step. And also, even when you're developing, I would say to just have grace for yourself. ... You're not gonna be, , Theresa Caputo. You're, you're not gonna get a TV show. Just focus on the, the day by day, the person who's sitting in front of me, can I impact them positively? That's all that really matters, and I think you are a true light worker when you do that. So just have grace for yourself. Go slow. Don't compare yourself. like, such a tough thing. I see all the time people are like, "Well, this person is booking these people, and why aren't I?" And it's like, that's all ego. That's all ego. You have to just focus on and now, and... 'Cause I do think when you get more into that flow, things will open up more for you. And I guess the final statement to the final statement would be get comfortable with the no's. Sit in the no's and thrive in the no's because it forces you-- always taught me this too. It actually forces you to be a better reader 'cause it forces you to go back to spirit and say, "Okay, you showed me, an elephant, and this person's looking at me like I'm nuts. So now what does that mean?" And maybe it means, okay, you showed me an elephant. No, this is not Africa. No, they don't like elephants. Okay, this is... Then they bring me to your grandson. Okay, this is the zoo. Are you taking him to the zoo? And then they bring, oh yeah, we just went to the zoo. That's, like, a small example. So I would say thrive, try and thrive in the no's I just had a teacher actually that did an entire class, one of our practices is we had to sit with someone and then say no in like 10 different ways every time. Any information, anything they gave, even if it was right, you had to be like, "Nope." And you had to be like sometimes rude and sometimes really nice just to figure out how to absorb it and like get through it That's so, that's a really... I mean, that's a, that's a harsh way to learn, but that's a really, really good... Because , it's the truth. And like what, and it actually dawned on me as you were asking me too, like the nos, like that's where you learn the most, 'cause then you go back and then you're like, , "Okay, where is, where is this spirit taking me?" And you're asking them for more information. It forces you to do... , it's funny, sometimes I tell people it's not good to be a lazy reader. 'Cause you can sit and you could say, "Oh, I get this, and I get that," and then you just let the person fill in the gaps. But you wanna bring them the validation. You wanna say, , "Here she is, and this is her personality, and this is what she may be looking like, and she's talking about this and this and this." And then, it's more of a deeper connection. But yeah, so I, I try and carry that forward for myself. I'm like, I don't wanna be a lazy reader. And I think the nos force you. You're like, that's a crazy exercise though. That's... Ooh, that's not Well, and then we had to go do yeses for everything, 'cause he's like, "No one ever gets 100 yeses. So now you're gonna get 100 yeses, and you're gonna question yourself all the..." And I was like, "Wow, this sucks." You know what? , That's a really, that's a really good way too because then you're pick- And I swear, sometimes clients do this in session where they're saying yes, and then you're almost, like, getting a double message and you're like, wait, I don't think... 'Cause spirit is very persistent, as we know. When there's something they wanna get across, they will get it across. if you interpret it one way and it comes in and the person claims it, and it, and it wasn't the message that was supposed to be delivered or in that way, it'll, they'll bring it to you again. And then you're really confused, and then you're like, "Wait, but I'm seeing this again now." . So that's interesting. Wow. That's, that, those are good, but that's a good way to learn Yeah, absolutely. It was, it was, , it was a challenge, but it was great. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, it's so funny Well, Nick, thank you so much for sharing all your insight with us. It was great. Yeah, thanks for having me. This was such a good conversation How would you like people to find you? ' I have my Instagram, I have some spiritual stuff on there. I just really don't promote on there. , But on Instagram, um, nvlodato, so N-V-L-O-D-A-T-O one. so that's my Instagram handle. And then the best way to, , book appointment or anything would be my Gmail. So it's nickspiritual1@gmail.com And I will put that also in the show notes so that everyone can find it. Well, thank you again. I really appreciate you coming out today. Thank you. Thanks so much