What to look for in a reader
Finding a good psychic reader isn't necessarily straightforward. Especially if you’ve had a reading in the past and been burned, it can be hard to trust anyone in the space again. Here's a practical guide to finding the right fit for you.
What to look for
Their marketing.
The psychic world is full of self-aggrandising people who claim legitimacy based on some great grandmother they had back in Transylvania. Their website, their social media, their testimonials and their language can be littered with "I’m a Master Reader and I can fix anything". It might be tempting, but this is a very different kind of reader from "here's what I specialize in and this is what a session looks like." A website that's all "BOOK NOW" and no substance is a signal that their readings will have a similar quality.
Do they have a spiritual practice within a lineage or a solid spiritual orientation?
The information you access has to come from somewhere. A reader's connection with the spirit world says a lot about the kind of readings they will offer and what will come through. It also shows their kind of orientation — whether it's more towards solving practical real-world problems, or more geared towards spiritual evolution. A spiritual practice is also going to clear their system so the information they provide is cleaner, and it ensures that their ethics and practice as a reader are being held accountable to some kind of beneficent higher energies. If they cheat or lie, they're undermining the whole basis of their own spiritual support. Which is, presumably, helpful. Their spirituality doesn't have to exactly match yours, but you should be able to get a general sense that they have a credible spiritual system of some sort operating that feels aligned with what you need.
Do they walk the talk?
What's their lifestyle like? A reader isn't necessarily a saint. But if they're positioning themselves as the expert who knows what's best for you, out intoxicating themselves on a regular basis, or showing up through their emotions in a way that says they haven't really done the inner work, that's going to show up in the quality of the reading one way or another.
Personal recommendations
Look for specifics in the recommendations from others. Gushy 'they were amazing' phrases sound great but what you want to look for is 'can they be honest with you?', 'are they able to go into specifics or do they give you vague answers' and 'are they going to give you answers for the level and kind of topic you're looking for?' By this I mean — if you tend to have practical questions about relationships then look for reviews that cover that kind of topic. Testimonials that all say the same three things are a signal.
What questions to ask
How long have you been a reader, and how active with clients were you over that time?
A lot of readers (and clients) love the narrative of 'I've been psychically gifted/special all my life and reading tarot since I was 12 years old.' Yeah, but does that mean someone gave you a deck for your birthday and you didn't pick it up again till you were drunk at a party when you were 23 and started offering readings on Instagram to anyone besides your two best friends only last year? You want to hear not necessarily about the duration but about the quality and frequency of their experience.
What motivates you?
A good reader will own their own more selfish motivations alongside the selfless ones. What matters less is what the motivations are exactly. What matters more is whether they're tracking their own shadow.
What structure does a reading take with you?
Let them explain how they work. It might be totally freeform. It might be highly structured and ritualistic. Everyone has their own style. One isn't necessarily any better than the other. The best readings I've received have come from experienced people who use no props, just tune in. Often my own most powerful readings are like that. Other times, I've had really rewarding readings that have felt like ceremonies and stayed with me as much as an experience as an information gathering exercise. See what feels aligned with what you need but also keep an open mind.
How much does it cost?
You might be amazed at how expensive psychic readings can be. I was. And here, honestly, it’s really hard to correlate price and quality. I’ve seen a lot of psychic readers who charge the equivalent of someone’s weekly wage for a few minutes get raving reviews and people go back so I can’t judge there. In my own experience the best readers charge a fair price. They know their worth but they don’t exploit. That roughly comes in line with other professional services fees per hour, say, for a photographer or accountant.
Something a little bit emotional
A sign of emotional maturity is how people are able to react to your emotions. If they're bypassing emotionally laden communication without some acknowledgement of what you've said, it shows they haven't done the work around that yet.
What a good first session should feel like
The most important thing is physical and emotional safety. Sounds obvious but it's where many readers fall down straight away. If they're not creating a safe space they shouldn't be reading. That means:
They treat you as an equal and respect your intelligence.
They give you options. It's not about telling you what to think or what to do. Even if you're looking for that. They have a responsibility to encourage you to stay in your own authority around your life.
They're able to hold space. They actively listen to you with curiosity. They can mirror your emotions, ask questions, allow space for you to process what's coming through. They treat you with respect. They uphold your needs for confidentiality.
They push back if something's at risk of crossing their boundaries. That's a sign of someone who's clear in what they're doing.
You leave with more clarity and a broader understanding of your situation than you went in with, and enough to make a confident choice about how to move forward. That's a solid outcome. It's not the only valid option though. Some shifts may be deeper, in which case perhaps you're left with some powerful questions instead to sit and work through. That's also good.
What to walk away from
Sitting on a pedestal, using spiritual language as a micro-dominance tactic, claiming personal authority based on 'divine' insight, and any other similar games are a major red flag.
Anyone with a diagnosis, a fix or solution, or an agenda for how you live your life is operating from their own wounds. Even though the guidance that comes through the spiritual channels may be directive, the way the reader presents that should be clean and transparent. Be especially wary of anyone who's crossing the boundaries of their own expertise such as trying to give you therapy or medical advice without the training.
Anyone who's capitalizing on your need for certainty, comfort, or giving you false flattering narratives.
Readings where the information coming through doesn't ring true for you or is in contradiction to your own values or ethics. There's a difference between being open to challenging content and just being fed rubbish that might actually be harmful. Keep your discernment faculty active.
And if you're in a reading and you're thinking 'I should probably leave,' then you should probably leave. You don't owe them the rest of the hour.
