How to Choose the Right Psychic

Millions of people seek advice from psychics every year. This is not surprising. Sometimes, traditional advice simply cannot give you the answers you need, whereas a gifted psychic can often offer a wealth of insight. But how do you find the right psychic? There are so many con artists, and self-proclaimed "mediums" out there. How do you find a professional - someone who's for real?

First, you should be aware of the basic kinds of skill levels for a psychic. Please refer to The 3 Basic Stages of Psychic Development. You definitely want to find someone who is at Stage 3.

Some things to remember while on your quest for the right psychic.

1. Be wary of vague descriptions. This applies to both vagueness in a reading and how the psychic describes what they do. If their process and pricing are not laid out in a clear manner, stay away. This is a good sign that their advice will not be clear either. Communication skills are just as important to a psychic as spiritual insight. Advice that can be interpreted many different ways has little value.

2. Authentic readings charged by the minute? Not all "charge-by-the-minute" psychics are bad, but they do have a well-earned reputation for trying to keep you on the phone longer than you need to be. Authenticity also seems to be an issue here. One need only remember the "Miss Cleo" scandal.

3. Word of mouth is priceless. This is at the top of the list because nothing beats the opinion of someone you trust. If a psychic has been highly recommended by a friend who had a good experience with a reading, then this is someone you should consider giving a try.

4. Be wary of cluttered or confusing websites. If you visit the site of an Internet psychic and find that the site is not well laid out, or if the text on the site contains a lot of overly ambiguous new age terminology, warning flags should be raised. Other bad signs include: a website that is cluttered with irrelevant information (spam), or if it is simply difficult to find the information you need. See number 3 regarding communication skills.

5. Does he or she look like a professional? There's no other way to describe it. When you see a polished-looking business card or a well designed website, you simply know it. While not a foolproof indicator (there are both slick charlatans and sloppy intuitives out there), if a Psychic is serious about making a living at their craft, they will usually invest in a quality image.

6. Avoid Free or cheap readings. You get what you pay for. An experienced psychic will not give serious psychic readings for free (except to friends and family) or charge a pittance. This is because good psychics realize that the majority of clients simply do not value advice that is freely given. This is human nature. When you pay a fair price to a psychic, you'll also pay more attention to the reading - just to be sure you get your money's worth.

7. Run away from anyone who claims to be able to solve all your problems. The only people without problems are in cemeteries. Problems are good - we grow when we face them. Don't expect a psychic to solve your problem for you. Instead, expect a psychic to help you face your problem, and give you valuable strategies you need to solve it yourself.

8. Avoid obvious scams. One of the more common scams that con artists claiming to be psychics will try, is to make you believe you have been cursed. They see a horrible event in your future or play upon recent anxieties. But don't worry they say, they can make it all better with a charm or spell to cleanse you of your "negative" energy, for a not-so-small fee. No authentic psychic would say anything of the kind. See #7 above.