The figure stood in the doorway looking out nonchalantly, smoking a cigarette. I’m five years old, peering over the edge of my comforter, sitting up wide-awake, frozen to the spot. They walked around my room, came to settle by the window, touched the glass and then disappeared. This was the first time I realized I was seeing ghosts and this would become a defining moment in my life.
Seeing “spirits” or “energies” is not something you typically share in casual conversation. It became a secret I kept to myself- in no small part because of the fear it engendered in others. As an empath this had the effect of doubling my own experience of fear and I tried to push away my abilities for many years. Despite my efforts to shut them out, I continued to sense and experience energy sometimes in unexpected ways.
When I was beginning my career as a Physical Therapist I started having experiences with my patients that no logical explanation could satisfy. I would feel their symptoms empathically before they walked in, feel guided to bring up certain sayings or songs, only to find out they were reminders of loved ones passed, or much needed solace in moments of struggle. There were patients who would tell me their story, and in simply sitting and witnessing them, the pain would lift, finally being given the space and time it needed to find its way to release. These things were happening with sufficient frequency to make me question the boundaries between the linear, logical physical world and the energetic, spiritual world.
Eventually I found my way back to myself, my true nature and my intuition. With support from a beloved mentor I opened to channeling more readily, and realized my empathic abilities and sensitivity are truly a gift, not a curse. Since then I have been able to use my intuition and my clinical training to support others in self-discovery, expanded awareness and healing. It is an honor to help clients reconnect with themselves, their intuitive wisdom and learn to recognize and embrace their own spiritual gifts.