Your first psychic reading: how to prepare, and what to avoid

There is something rather amusing about preparing for a first psychic reading. Some people arrive with a notebook full of questions, others have rehearsed their introduction in their heads for three days, and a few seem determined to give absolutely nothing away. Not a first name, not a smile, not even a facial expression. You could almost imagine they were about to be interviewed by the intelligence services.

Yet behind these sometimes opposite approaches lies the same question: what actually happens during a psychic reading, and how can you make the experience worthwhile?

The answer is simpler than you might think. You have no part to play, no character to put on and certainly no performance to deliver. You come with your questions, your hopes and sometimes your frustrations, and the practitioner is supposed to do their job. That is surely the least you can expect.

A few pointers can nevertheless help you approach your first reading with greater peace of mind, while avoiding certain pitfalls I have observed over the years in my profession.

First of all, choose your psychic as you would any other professional

This is probably the most important advice, yet it is also the easiest to overlook. Before wondering how to prepare for your appointment, take the time to find out about the person you are going to consult.

Psychic reading is a particular field, bringing together serious practitioners, more or less eccentric personalities, occasionally surprising commercial offers and, unfortunately, a few individuals who have realised that exploiting people's worries can be more profitable than helping to ease them.

An impressive website, flattering photographs or a collection of glowing testimonials are not guarantees in themselves. I am personally wary of professionals who promise absolute accuracy, guaranteed results or abilities so extraordinary that one wonders why they have not yet solved a few of humanity's great mysteries.

Take time to read how they present themselves, how they practise, their consultation terms and, above all, how they understand their profession. Transparency, discretion and respect for the client's freedom seem to me far more important than a grandiose title or an award whose origins nobody can quite explain.

A psychic is not someone to whom you must give blind trust. They are a professional you choose to consult, and that distinction is worth keeping in mind from beginning to end.

Should you prepare questions? Yes, but you do not need a fifty-page dossier

I am happy to recommend jotting down a few questions before the appointment. Not because there is a particular procedure to follow, but simply because we sometimes forget what matters most when we find ourselves facing someone we have never met.

You may have spent the whole week wondering where your career is heading, only to find, once the reading begins, that you can think of nothing but a relationship that is clearly troubling you more. That is perfectly fine. Such concerns are precisely what make the experience personal to you.

A list of three, four or five subjects is generally enough. There is no need to prepare a parliamentary interrogation, complete with follow-up questions, supporting documents and supplementary enquiries. A reading should retain a natural flow and, above all, leave room for whatever might emerge spontaneously.

In my own practice, I attach particular importance to impressions that arise without being directed by a story told beforehand. This does not mean you must remain completely silent throughout the session. A consultation is not a mime performance either. There is simply a difference between having a conversation with a client and asking them to recount their entire life before attempting to perceive anything about it.

So prepare your questions if that reassures you, but do not try to plan every last minute of what must happen. You could end up missing the very thing you came to discover.

Should you tell the psychic your life story? Certainly not in the first few minutes

This deserves a little explanation.

Some people, wanting to make sure they are understood, begin by recounting their situation in minute detail: events over the past few years, the circumstances of their separation, family relationships, problems at work and sometimes even conversations they had with an ex-partner the day before.

I completely understand the impulse. When something troubles us, we naturally want to explain the background. Yet in a psychic reading, this abundance of information raises an obvious question: what is actually left to perceive once everything has already been disclosed?

If you spend twenty minutes explaining that your former partner left, met someone else, still calls occasionally and that you are hoping for a reunion, you need not be astonished when you are subsequently told you are going through a complicated time in your love life.

That is not mediumship. At the very least, it is a reasonable command of the French language.

For my part, I prefer a reading to leave genuine room for perception. I do not ask clients to deliver an autobiographical novel before I can begin working. That does not, of course, prevent me from asking for clarification when it becomes useful, or from allowing the person opposite me to respond to what I share.

You can explain which area of your life concerns you without immediately giving every last detail. The conversation then develops naturally, and that exchange is part of what makes the meeting valuable.

Be wary, too, of another misconception: that a good psychic should know absolutely everything without a single word being spoken. Psychic reading is not a telepathy contest. Complete silence guarantees a good reading no more than endless personal disclosures do.

What matters is being able to recognise what is genuinely being brought to you, without confusing perception, intuition, interpretation and simple deduction.

Do not turn your reading into a guessing competition

At the opposite extreme from those who tell everything are those who decide to say nothing at all. Some arrive with a very specific plan: to put the psychic to the test.

I can understand that caution, particularly before a first experience. It is entirely legitimate to want to know whether a practitioner really has the qualities they claim. But turning every exchange into a succession of traps rarely creates the best conditions for a reading.

Some questions could come straight from a television quiz show: “What was my grandmother's first name?”, “How many cousins do I have?” or “What colour was my first boyfriend's car?”

There is nothing wrong with asking specific questions, naturally. But you should consider what you truly hope to gain. Knowing your grandmother's first name might be surprising. It would not necessarily tell you anything about the difficulties you are facing now.

I would rather offer a reading in which the impressions are meaningful to the person consulting me than stage a demonstration designed to produce a few seconds of amazement.

That said, you should not swing to the opposite extreme either. You have every right to be sceptical, to ask for clarification, to point out an inconsistency or to say you do not recognise what is being described. You are under no obligation to confirm a statement merely to please the psychic.

Respect works both ways. You do not need to set traps, and the practitioner has no right to demand that you believe everything they say.

Do not try to steer the answers, either

We all have our preferences. It would be rather hypocritical to pretend otherwise.

When consulting about a romantic relationship, we often hope to hear that feelings are still there, that reconciliation remains possible or that things will eventually turn out well. At work, we would like to be told that the application will succeed, the promotion will arrive or the project we have postponed for so long will finally enjoy the success we had hoped for.

Such hopes are entirely human. They become a problem only when they prevent us from hearing anything else.

I sometimes meet people who, in the end, are not so much seeking a perception as confirmation. They already have their ideal answer and hope the psychic will be gracious enough to give it to them, preferably with a few extra details.

That is simply not how I see my work.

A reading is not a service that dispenses good news on demand. Nor is it about predicting disasters to impress someone. The work is to convey what is perceived, together with the nuances, limits and uncertainties that this involves.

You may hear something that does not match your expectations. You may also remain unconvinced. In either case, you are free to form your own view.

Psychic reading should never take away your ability to think for yourself. Quite the contrary: it should allow you to look at certain situations from an additional perspective without preventing you from keeping your own.

First names, dates of birth and photographs: are they essential?

It is a question that comes up regularly, and the answer depends largely on how each practitioner works.

Some use photographs; others use divination tools, first names, dates of birth or different concentration techniques. There is no universal rule requiring you to supply all this information.

Personally, I distinguish between the details needed to organise an appointment and those that are useful to the reading itself. Your identity and contact information may be requested for administrative reasons, but that does not mean you need to describe your past, your family life or your romantic history before the session.

A first name can be helpful during a conversation. A clarification may sometimes help establish the subject being discussed. But providing ever more personal information does not automatically make a perception more relevant.

Above all, do not send confidential documents, private conversations, medical records or information about third parties in the hope of receiving a better reading. It is neither necessary nor advisable.

You should be able to understand what information is being requested, why it is needed and what will be done with it.

Telephone, video call or in person: a reading is not judged by its surroundings

Another common concern is the format of the appointment. Some people imagine that a reading in an office will necessarily be more serious because the practitioner is physically in front of them. Others prefer the telephone, which allows them to stay in familiar surroundings without having to travel.

For my part, I do not consider distance to be an obstacle to my work in itself. A reading can take place under good conditions by telephone, by video call or face to face. What matters is the quality of the exchange, concentration and the circumstances in which both people can be genuinely present.

An elegant consultation room can certainly make a meeting pleasant. But comfortable chairs, attractive wood panelling and carefully chosen lighting have never constituted proof of mediumship. Fortunately, or interior designers would have taken over the profession long ago.

If you choose a telephone reading, settle somewhere quiet where you can speak freely. If possible, avoid driving, doing your shopping or replying to work messages at the same time. You have set aside this moment for yourself; you might as well be able to enjoy it fully.

There is no need to light candles, burn incense or turn your living room into an outpost of a Tibetan temple. A charged telephone, a peaceful place and a few minutes of undivided attention will do perfectly well.

For a video reading, simply check your connection. If you are coming in person, allow enough time to arrive without rushing. There is really nothing more complicated to it.

Fees and conditions should be perfectly clear

There is one point to which I pay particular attention: the price of a reading should never come as a surprise.

Before booking, you should know how much you will pay, exactly what the service involves and how the consultation will take place. That seems obvious to me, even if certain commercial practices in our profession sometimes suggest that not everybody shares this view.

I have already written about the price of a psychic reading and the differences between cut-price offers, large platforms and genuine quality of service.

The highest fee is not necessarily a sign of ability, just as an inexpensive consultation is not automatically a bad experience. You should simply be able to understand what you are paying for and remember that a price buys a service, never a guarantee about the future.

I am also not keen on approaches that create constant pressure around time, to the point where the client spends more time looking at their watch than listening to what is being said. The terms of a service should be clear, but the exchange must retain its human quality.

And if, during a consultation, someone suddenly tells you that an exceptionally serious problem requires another intervention, an expensive ritual or an urgent payment to ward off some impending catastrophe, I would urge you to be extremely cautious.

Fear is an excellent sales technique in the wrong hands. It has no place in responsible professional practice.

A reading is neither a prescription nor a decision made on your behalf

This is probably one of the aspects of my work that matters most to me.

You may consult because you are going through a period of doubt, because a situation is beyond your understanding or because you need a different perspective. But you should leave with exactly the same freedom to make decisions that you had when you arrived.

A psychic has no business ordering you to leave your partner, resign from your job, break with your family or invest your savings in a project. They may share a perception, suggest a possible development or draw your attention to certain elements. The decision, however, belongs to you.

This is particularly important when it comes to serious matters: health, legal questions, finances or family decisions. A psychic reading is never a substitute for the advice of a doctor, lawyer, financial adviser or another qualified professional in their field.

I firmly believe in knowing where one's responsibilities begin and end. Mediumship, as I practise it, gives me no special authority over other people's lives.

Sometimes a person is particularly vulnerable when they come for a reading. In such circumstances, the practitioner's responsibility is all the greater. The point is not to exploit an emotion, keep a worry alive or manufacture a need to return.

I would much rather see someone leave with enough perspective to continue on their way than convinced they must telephone me every week before making the slightest decision.

During the reading, allow yourself to be natural

We could devote entire pages to the correct attitude to adopt. Yet the simplest advice is probably the best: be yourself.

You are allowed to feel emotional, laugh, ask a question, fail to understand something immediately or ask the practitioner to explain it differently. You can even say that what they have just described means absolutely nothing to you. I assure you, the ceiling will not cave in.

A reading is not a solemn ceremony in which every word must be received in reverential silence. Personally, I enjoy natural conversation, spontaneity and, when circumstances allow, a little humour.

Some subjects are, of course, painful and call for great sensitivity. Others leave room for a smile, sometimes even a proper laugh. Life is not made up entirely of tragedies, and I see no reason why a reading should always resemble a scene from a dramatic film.

On the other hand, you should never feel obliged to confide more than you want to. Some situations touch on intimacy, personal relationships or difficult experiences. You remain free to set your boundaries, and a practitioner should know how to respect them.

Confidentiality, discretion and the absence of judgement are, in my view, among the foundations of this profession. What you come to discuss is nobody else's business, and certainly not material for social media.

What if the psychic gets it wrong?

That is a question we should perhaps ask more often.

No serious professional should claim to be infallible. A perception can be imprecise, an interpretation may not reflect reality, and some predictions may simply never come true.

It takes a certain humility to acknowledge this.

I am wary of explanations that automatically make the client responsible for every mistake. If they do not recognise a piece of information, they are sometimes told they must have forgotten it. If a prediction does not come true, they are accused of interfering with their destiny. And if nothing fits, perhaps, so the argument goes, they simply were not receptive enough.

With that kind of reasoning, it becomes impossible ever to be wrong. Convenient, certainly, but not particularly satisfying from an intellectual point of view.

You do not have to search desperately for a meaning in every sentence uttered. Some perceptions will resonate with you; others will not. You are perfectly entitled to recognise that.

A reading deserves to be considered as a whole, with discernment, rather than trying at all costs to prove that every statement was correct.

After the reading, do not rush to verify every detail

A first reading can leave you with many impressions. Some information may seem relevant immediately; other things may raise questions, surprise you or simply arouse your curiosity.

My advice is to give everything time to settle.

You can take a few notes, particularly about specific details you would like to remember. That helps distinguish what was actually said from what we sometimes reconstruct over time.

Human memory is remarkably inventive. We are all capable of turning a cautious remark into a categorical statement, especially when it reflects a personal hope. It is therefore useful to keep an accurate record of what was shared with you.

On the other hand, there is no need to begin an exhaustive investigation into every first name mentioned the very next day, compulsively monitor someone's social media or interpret the smallest event as confirmation of a prediction.

If someone spoke of a possible development in your love life, that does not mean every notification you receive over the following days is a sign from the universe. Sometimes your telephone is simply telling you that a parcel is on its way.

Allow life to take its course.

A reading can offer avenues for reflection or a fresh perspective. It should not leave you in a state of constant expectation in which every day becomes an exercise in checking predictions.

Do you need to return for regular readings?

No. And I particularly want to make that clear.

There is no obligation to book another reading, no ideal frequency and certainly no imposed schedule that must be followed for what was predicted to come about.

Some people may feel the need to return at another point in their lives, when a new situation arises. Others may not wish to consult again for several years. A few will regard their first reading as a one-off discovery, with no desire to repeat it.

All of these choices deserve equal respect.

I do not see my work as a way of turning someone's worries into a recurring customer relationship. A professional relationship may naturally develop over time, but it must remain based on free choice, never on dependence.

Sometimes it is even better to advise against another reading when the questions are exactly the same and nothing has changed since the previous conversation.

Consulting repeatedly in the hope of receiving a different answer does not necessarily change a situation. It may merely multiply contradictions, deepen doubts and make a decision even harder to reach.

If you feel the need to consult several psychics about one and the same question, ask yourself what you are really seeking from this succession of appointments. Another answer does not always bring greater clarity.

So, how do you make a success of your first psychic reading?

I think the first step is to let go of the very idea of success.

A consultation is neither an examination nor a test of trust, nor a demonstration in which you must actively participate to make it work. You do not need to know the profession's unwritten rules, choose the perfect words or adopt any particular attitude.

Take time to choose your practitioner, make sure the terms are clear, prepare a few questions if you wish and remain natural. You need not recount your entire life before the reading starts, but neither should you impose an artificial silence on yourself.

Above all, retain your own judgement. You can be curious without being gullible, open-minded without being naive and interested without surrendering your critical faculties. I find those three things perfectly compatible.

After years in practice, I remain convinced that a good reading depends as much on the quality of the practitioner's work as on respect for the person who has come to meet them. It should take place without excessive theatrics, extravagant promises or any attempt to impress at all costs.

I also like to remind people that you do not have to believe everything in order to consult. Some arrive convinced, others merely curious, and many bring a mixture of the two. That diversity does not bother me in the slightest. In fact, I would tend to prefer someone who keeps their critical faculties to someone who blindly accepts every word I say.

Ultimately, the best preparation may be to stop trying to become the ideal client. Come as you are, with whatever concerns you, whatever questions you have and whatever you wish to understand.

And rest assured: nobody will ask you to revise for an examination on your own future before you arrive. That is precisely why you booked the appointment.