Grieving to Believing with Renowned Psychic Medium Deb Sheppard

Our special guest today, Deb Sheppard, is an internationally recognized certified psychic medium, spiritual teacher, bestselling author and speaker. Her incredible ability places her in the top 3% of most accurate in her profession and Deb has even been featured on CBS, NBC, FOX & more! 

In this conversation, she opens up about her gifts as a medium, her personal journey with loss, grief and spirit. Plus she shares more about the story behind her bestselling book, "Grieving to Believing -Discovering the Afterlife" and what YOU need to know!

Show Notes:
Deb Sheppard is an internationally recognized certified psychic medium, spiritual teacher, bestselling author and speaker. Her incredible ability places her in the top 3% of most accurate in her profession. 

She has shared the stage with global spiritual leaders, including James Van Praagh, Michael Beckwith and Sonia Choquette. When she’s not at live events, giving readings or teaching her spiritual philosophies, she’s recording episodes of her moving YouTube Series, Grieving to Believing: A Medium’s Mission to Bring Parents Peace, hosting her popular podcast Spirited Straight Talk and empowering hundreds of her mentoring students each year to let go of their limiting beliefs in order to be open to the spirit world. 

Her book, Grieving to Believing - Discovering the Afterlife, is a two-time Amazon bestseller which tells her personal journey - at times raw - of her own healing process and how her abilities work. 

With hundreds of media appearances, Deb ,has been featured on CBS, NBC, FOX iHeart Radio, Daily Blast Live, the Jones Radio Network and more. She’s also been syndicated on 150 stations nationwide and a frequent guest on many of the top TV and Radio stations in Denver for years. 

Known for her compassion and keen sense of humor, Deb is based in Colorado and recently married the love of her life, Dana Nieto who is equally loved and admired in Deb’s community as her chief organizer and co-host on Spirited Straight Talk.

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Transcript

Hey beautiful soul Welcome to Spirit Speakeasy. I'm Joy Giovanni, Joyful Medium. I'm a working psychic medium, energy healer, and spiritual gifts mentor. This podcast is like a seat at the table in a secret club, but with mediums, mystics and the spiritual luminaries of our time so come behind the velvet ropes with me and see inside my world is I chat insider style with profoundly different souls. We go deep share juicy stories laugh a lot and it wouldn't be a speakeasy without great insider secrets and tips. You might even learn that you have some gifts of your own. So step inside the spirit speakeasy. Hey, beautiful soul welcome in for another episode of Spirit Speakeasy. Today we have such a cool guest. Her name is Deb Sheppard. I'm going to introduce her in just a moment here. But she is someone who has been a working medium for so many years now. She also teaches and does live events and retreats and has been on so many different broadcast networks and has a show of her own on YouTube and a podcast and she really is just such a beautiful open soul who teaches and shares from the heart who shares her own experience. She's an award winning author to boot and really just gets to share all of this experience with us today and through her book which is called grieving to believing discovering the afterlife, but we talked about so much more than that. And she really shares a lot with us about her mediumship some examples from her own work. So I know that you're going to really love this conversation with a fantastic psychic medium teacher healer speaker Best Selling Author Deb Sheppard. Hey beautiful souls welcome in for another episode of spirit speakeasy. I am so honored to introduce our guests today. Her name is Deb Sheppard. She is an internationally recognized certified psychic medium spiritual teacher, best selling author and speaker. Her incredible ability places her in the top 3% of most accurate in our profession. She share the stage with global spiritual leaders including James Van Prague, Michael Beckwith and Sonia Choquette. She's so busy but when she's not alive events giving readings are teaching her spiritual philosophies. She's recording episodes of her moving YouTube series grieving to believing a mediums mission to bring parents peace, hosting her popular podcast spirited straight talk and empowering hundreds of her mentoring students each year to let go of their limiting beliefs in order to open to the spirit world. Her book grieving to believing discovering the afterlife is a two time Amazon Best Seller which tells her personal journey. At times she shares so raw in this book you guys have to read it of her own healing process and how her abilities work with hundreds of media appearances. Deb has been featured on CBS, NBC Fox I Heart Radio, daily blast live, the Jones radio network and so many more. She's also been syndicated on 150 radio stations nationwide, and frequent guest on many of the top TV and radio stations in Denver for many years known for her compassion and keen sense of humor. Deb is based in Colorado, and recently married the love of her life. Dana Nieto, who is equally loved and admired in Deb's community as her chief organizer, and co host on spirited Straight Talk. Welcome in Deb, how are you?
Thank you so excited about being here and meeting you, Joy.
Absolutely Good to have you. I feel like I have so many questions for you. But I just want to tell you that I loved your book. I feel like it is so raw and vulnerable and really does give so much insight to the reader about how your personal life experience is so intertwined with your journey with your spiritual gifts and teachings. So thank you for the amazing work.
Thank you. Well, it sounds like you're doing kind of the same thing, right? We're sort of on the same path trying to help with the healing.
Absolutely. Yeah. You shared in the book that one of the biggest ways that you started to open up you started meditating, and then you became really drawn to Fung Shui away. Is that still something that you practice and teach? Oh, absolutely.
All the time and I still teach it and I use it. I've been doing it probably 24-25 years. And I never have a lot of experience that maybe you had or other people where they're very young and they're, you know, they're seeing ghosts and dead people and they're hearing voices that really wasn't moving. I had a few of those experiences. I started leaning into feng shui when someone a girlfriend of mine told me about it because I was in one of those crossroads where life was not Going well, as you know, we know that there's times where we're learning those lessons, and we just feel challenged. And when I started Fung Shui, it was the first time I felt like I was more empowered that I had somewhat control. And that energy that I started feeling is when I started recognizing people who had crossed, were showing up talking to me, and not what I imagined ever. And I'm like, Hmm, but never afraid of it. And because of that, I continue because I know that there's power behind energy, and power behind how we feel in our space, and things like that. So I think it gives people an opportunity to have an intention, especially when they're wanting to manifest or clean out clutter or kind of gives us some clarity. So yes, it's been something I'm passionate about and still continue to do.
Well, there's so many things, even in what you just said that I just want to highlight one, we can come into these gifts at any time in our life. I was in my probably 30s, when I started becoming aware, and much like you, you know, we'll talk about this in a minute. But like, it's funny, because it seems like with with each medium, there's some story of like, in retrospect, I saw things, you know, that I don't identify. The other thing that you that you mentioned is essentially that we can move into this spiritual work through any number of paths it's just absolutely drawn to did you really have much understanding or feeling about energy before you start learning about Fung Shui? And will you give us a little definition for people?
Sure, sure, absolutely. Fung Shui? I remember when I first heard about it, well, how do you prepare it to eat? You know, I thought it was like a food. Right? It is, you know, originally, it's a 1000s of year old technique where you place items in your home or your workspace to create a flow of energy and all of it. So we go into a space and go, Oh, this is kind of creepy, or, you know, it feels heavy, or we feel light hearted, or it feels cold. And so we all we all pick up on energy, how we feel, you know, you can have the same floor plan but decorated differently and how you feel is is what happens even when you collect maybe antiques, there's an energy around that the things that we collect or have been given to us or people that click those kinds of things. So it's how we feel energetically. And sometimes we feel it, you know, by our mind, we feel it with our body, and I feel a lot with my body. So that's a piece of it, where you just want to I want to get out of here, right? This is not feeling good or safe. And we want to just run. And there's other times where we just want to relax. And if you think about hotels or spa is or things like that, how do you feel so it's energy. And they use all the elements, you know that earth wind, fire, water, and part of it is understanding how water moves. And that's how you feel is it rushing or is a calm? And that energy is how we can open up. And if you feel safe, that creates a space for us to meditate, connect with our guides connect with our loved ones. That is what we're creating a sacred space. What
is so beautiful, and I love the way you're talking about this. It's something I always say, you know, we talk about energy in our common life so much more even though the woowoo stuff is like sometimes in the closet. How many times have we heard someone say Do you know to your point, oh, this, there's such great energy in this lobby or, Oh, that meeting, there was some tense energy in there. It's, it's, we all know what it feels like. It's just a lot of people don't know that we can manipulate it, manage it work with it in our own space.
Yes, absolutely. You know, animals are not told it's not real. So if we look at a dog or a cat or any wild animal, they understand that vibration or energy, humans are told to do things literally. And so we forget to use our intuition. Just like when we meet somebody for the first time, you're like, Hmm, something feels off or I that person, I just, I feel like I've known them forever. We have those energetic connections, but we don't understand or have words sometimes to describe it, and get the clarity. And I think that's what happens with both of our teaching is helping people get that clarity. What does it feel like? What is it Where's it from? And like, when you meet someone, and you go, Oh, I just want to spend more time with them or can't wait to have this meeting over dinner over? Yeah, so it's the same thing is is the space that we live in? And I think a space can also tell us about that individual and tell us, you know, are they feeling overwhelmed? Do they feel like there's if they have a lot of clutter and they're keeping things that no longer resonate with them. They're holding on to that past where sometimes it's time for change, and we're not willing to have change? Well, and
I love it too because it's it's such a you know, sometimes even as spiritual workers ourselves are mediums, we can't always see our own stuff. So it's such a good like physical indicator, you know?
Absolutely. I think it's, you know, it's like the plumber that he always has the leaky faucet. It's the same with us, but you know, it's turning it around and when you are helping so many people it's hard I just sit back and go, Okay, what do I need to reflect on? And I think when we look at our spaces, sometimes it can help us. Like you said, the, you know, the closet, how cluttered is that closet? Are there things in there that are not going to, you know, they don't fit anymore, but we're holding on to it or things in there that someone gave us that we're no longer connected to. So it's, it's bringing that energy and I want something new. And it doesn't mean that those items don't have memories and positive things, or negative. But we hold on, and we hold on to things and don't make room for that expansion.
That's such a good point. I mean, how often do we hear people saying that they feel blocked or stuck or, and it's like, okay, maybe there's, you can create some fresh energy in your space, we're stepping into springtime here. So
I think two people want to be in, people want to be actively, like, I want to do something to make a change. And that was where I was like, I feel like I'm sitting just waiting for something to happen. For the end, I didn't understand the language of the universe. But then I was thinking I wanted to participate and be in partnership. And now I know it can be in partnership with that energy. And when you have the understanding that you can manifest with intention and use the energy in your space, all of a sudden, you feel more empowered, versus maybe the victim or just waiting, or you know, and we hear, you know, waiting for the other shoe to drop, or I don't feel like I can, you know, change make these changes. And so it kind of makes us an active participant in our lives. Well,
and in your personal story. I there's so much synchronicity and, you know, wow, synchronistic things throughout you know, your journey and the way you tell it, and actually personally to me too. But you were talking about in the book, how you started doing this Fung Shui and your space and really clearing it out at a time that was a tough transitional time for you for your family and your life. And then as you kind of move through that process. Lo and behold, unbeknownst to you, the spiritual gifts start opening up and you did start hearing I'm guessing it's more of the internal, you know, subjective clairaudience is probably what's happening and all the all the ways did you. You said you gave the message and you it was really validated. And you knew like, okay, something's happening here. But what was your process from there? Once you realized, okay, something's shifting in me.
I didn't have a mentor. And so it's like, I opened up the vortex. And originally when I called my friend, and I said, I think and I had not met her father, and her father was coming through. And I said, you know, Susie, I think your dad's here. This is what he's telling me. Thank goodness, she was open minded. So it sort of started this snowball. And I thought, Okay, that was kind of cool. From that point, then the floodgates opened, and I would be at a gathering with other women and having a glass of wine going, Oh, my God, your dad's your, you know, your grandpa and I, I kind of was crossing a lot of boundaries, you know that no, no, that this is not appropriate. This is not the place to be. So I had to kind of reel it back. Because it was not, I didn't know, to shut that off, because it's not the place to do it. And I think a lot of people that open up their abilities, they just, you know, they have no filter. And I think you need to have a filter, I think it's important to have some ethics when you do this work. But from that, as it kept opening, I went to see John Edward, and when it's in the book a bit more detailed in the story. And I know it wasn't there for a reading, but I just thought I am drawn to go, what's the reason. And then on the way home, there was a radio station, a local radio station that was on, and they had a medium on, she had a medium, said the psychic. And I said I need to call that radio station. Well, I didn't find out too much later, that when my husband took it when we had a break during the event for John Edward, he was listening to a baseball game and was on an am station, I did not turn it back to an FM station. So I know the universe definitely had something to do with it. And after a and I still didn't have a practice. I was still trying to figure it out. Like what is this all about? What do I do with this. And it can be overwhelming in the beginning especially? Well, I ended up getting on a radio at that radio station. And it was right after 911. And I did 52 readings on and off the air. And the DJ, which is still a friend, she said you can either lean into this, or you can walk away this is your opportunity. And even driving to the station. I was thinking to myself, either this is going to be 15 minutes of fame or 15 minutes. Don't ever do this again, because I wasn't sure if I could do it. And it was complete trust and that's where the doors opened and became a regular on this station. I still have a passion for radio. And it was it gave me the confidence that I could do this. And that's where I took the career to another path
right it's such a great wanting to because sometimes we don't realize I call them the bread crumbs. Sometimes we don't realize those bread crumbs of Oh, yeah. I'm just interested in this group mediumship reading with hundreds of people that's kind of expensive for no apparent reason. Right. And
I wasn't expecting to reading because I, that was not my intention at all. I would check it out. Absolutely. It's,
it's interesting. It was sort of similar to my first group reading that I had been to I was already just started developing, and I was there and all of a sudden, I knew like, Oh, I'm potentially supposed to do that. And then even as it came in, I was like, wait, what? Like, no, that's, that's crazy, like, so I think people just don't realize that sometimes it is us kind of fumbling towards and giving our free will agreement as we go. And not like we have this plan all laid out that we can see so clearly, like, it encourages people to know like, hey, this,
I like the word. I like the word fumbling. That's exactly what it was. It was like fumbling, you know, yeah, how it feels like, I don't know where I'm getting direction. And for me to go to John Edward, there was so many, there's probably two or 3000 people there, and I could feel the pain. And I'm sure you can, too. And part of it is, it's okay to be a messenger, maybe I can help a few people. So fumbling,
I love that you talk about being so openly empathic in your energy. I know that's common for so many people, do you have tools that you use to kind of manage that in the moment? Are you just doing some grounding?
You know, I have a philosophy and I think everyone has their own tools, a belief system, I don't do the white light protection thing. I think if I'm in my power, and I'm standing in that place, have good boundaries, throughout my day, and my throughout my life, that whatever comes in energetically, that could be difficult or toxic, or whatever you want to call it, then it's something I have to learn, it's about building those muscles within, to be able to manage that versus going in with fear, don't go and going, Oh, I may be attacked, or I may, someone may take my energy. I feel that if I'm not in alignment with myself, and I'm not being vigilant with that, than I need to pay attention. And if something shows up, I'm, I'm not doing something that the universe is sort of like tapping me on the shoulder and said, You got to strengthen those muscles a little bit more.
I love that philosophy. And I think it's part of our discernment as sensitive humans to say like, okay, that emotion, I feel that that doesn't belong to me. You know, I feel that out there. Now, I'm just going to be me in my, in my space. Yes,
yeah. And I think it's just a learning process. And if we're caught off guard, with something, usually, I think, from my experiences is I look back and thinking, all these other things were going on, and I wasn't paying attention. And it's those breadcrumbs. It's those signs that we are here to learn as well as anybody else. For
sure. And it's it's always a process. I believe, I know, I'm not sure if you knew Mavis patella, the the incredible, beautiful medium she is, but she's with AD in her 80s and just passed away within the last couple years and would say that she was still developing still learning. Yes,
absolutely. And I think of any intuitive person that teaches or is a medium feels like, Oh, I'm done with those lessons. I was like, oh, there's lightning coming. Because we're always on the growth journey. There's no, there's no ending, as long as your feet are on this, you know, on this planet, we're here to grow and learn. And that's part of that process. And it's really good for our ego. To know that we're still learning.
Oh, it's so true. And and how amazing that you you know, in that moment, just put yourself out vulnerably. I know, in the book, you you explain how you actually made friends with that radio host? And then you know that that did? She even told you in that moment? I think like, Okay, this is changing everything. And then you agreed to continue in the work. So we do have choice. The way Yes.
And I think a lot of people have a fear around this, like Something may come in, that's not good. And I always say if you have good boundaries in your life, you know, if you're being taught to learn something, nothing is too scary for us to handle. It just feels that it's not that we know the knowledge around it, and we haven't gotten the wisdom around it, to learn more. So
it's so true. So the the beauty of the book is its inner woven with your understanding of your gifts and your life journey. And then your own personal grief journey, which you shall really openly in the book about. I highly encourage anyone who's lost anyone to just read your story and what happens and one of the things I really love that you give to all of us as a gift in the later segment is this kind of like what to do and what not to do. Which I think you know, to your point in the book, we really don't especially in US culture, we don't really deal with grief and death particularly challenging passings, completion of suicide overdose. See, you know, the more difficult, not that any passing is easy, but the ones that have the more challenging emotions, others and I just I love that you were inspired to include that, you know, here's what to never say,
Yeah, I don't know if you go there or clients come to you and talk about how others can make them feel guilty. And my husband suicided, my nephew, and I've had several others. And there is a lot of shame around mental health. And I am an advocate for getting him into health, I'm so glad that now these younger generations are really stepping into not having it be a stigma anymore, they're owning it saying I need, I need help, I need support. And I think that's just so wonderful. But there was a stigma, and there has been that, you know, suicide means that you gave up or you were selfish. And so people will judge that, especially when there's a religious kind of intention around it. So people will say, Well, how do I help somebody? How do I support them? And we talked about holding space and holding spaces, you know, it's not about giving advice or taking them away from their pain, but just being there and being a good listener, and not to put your beliefs on on them. But, you know, what did they need at the moment and let them go through that process, because we want to fix it. When we see people suffering, we want them to not suffer, we don't want them, we want to fix it. And, you know, grief has its own path and its own timing, and there is no timeline at all, when you begin to shift, how you grieve or how you see your grief. And when we put our own agendas on it, the person feels guilty, and they really don't do what they need for their grief. Even if we have similar grief, it's not the same. Right?
Yeah. And it's just it's just so beautiful how you share about how having to work through that journey of forgiveness and, and forgiving the other person and that releasing of control that, like the illusion that we ever could have controlled or made different someone else's choice or behavior. I think that's just so powerful.
Yeah, I think a lot of people, especially with suicide, they believe that they could have made a difference. And I think we can, I think there is a lot of things that we can do. But there's many times that we have no power, no control, the person's made that decision. And it's where we feel guilt and shame that we didn't rescue or no, and I'm sure you're doing this work, too. There's times where the person made the decision, and you have no power, we can't force them to go get help, we can't force them to make a change. And I think it's coming to terms with it is what I call a cancer of the mind that we understand it is an illness more than a deficit or a label, something like that. I think it helps us to heal better or heal in a better way, like people that have cancer or people that die in a car accident or things like that. I
agree. And to your point, I love that it's being D stigmatized in many ways. And, you know, even if mental health is a spectrum, you know what I mean? It's like, oh, yeah, we may need help for only a time period, or only a transition period in our life, or maybe an ongoing, just helpful additional support as part of our, you know, we don't think anything about if someone says, oh, I go to the eye doctor for a checkup, you know, every year and, and how much perhaps more people could be helped and guided. And I
love that. I love that I love the way you said that. Beautifully said,
well, thank you. And I just really am so grateful that you shared so openly, it must have been immune and say I guess that was so challenging to really have to sit down and articulate. And I think it just such a different perspective, because you lived the experience rather than just knowing the experience.
I think the other thing too, is people may believe on some level that because you're really intuitive and you you talk to your guides, and you talk to loved ones that we should know, you know that we should be able to have the ability to prevent certain things. And it's knowing that you and I are no different than anyone else in the world, that we are still living in this life. And we're not always privy to information, and we have to be able to be okay. And that's, I think it helps people maybe a little bit to think that that it's no different than the rest of us. We all are trying to you know, figure it out. We all have our own compass and sometimes the direction goes a different way and, and just learning to be kinder to our selves as we connect with all these people in our lives and that they have their journey and path to
I felt so important as spiritual practitioners in any modality. We still have these human experiences and we still go through loss and just for context at the time that your husband passed, you had been Working in your mediumship in your gifts for about 10 years, is that right at that point?
Probably, yeah. I'm forgetting how old I am these days. Yeah, sure. It was probably I'll say it that way. And, you know, he was very, very supportive of the work. And he was one of my biggest cheerleaders. But it doesn't mean that people don't have their own challenges in life, too.
So private struggle is so powerful. And we do never know, to the depth of of what someone's going through which you absolutely Oh, clearly in the book. Well, thank
you. Well, hopefully, it helps a few people, you know, and I can be on any type of loss. Some of that was directed toward the mental health part just because I think there was so much shame around it. And even his parents were telling everybody he had a heart attack, because they didn't want you know, a lot of pride. Yeah. And he was his dad was retired two star general. So you have all that pride going on, and you don't want people to know. And that can be really even more difficult for a family to heal,
and society to leave, because then it becomes a family secret. Yes. Which as we know, a lot, a lot of unraveling the secrets as part of healing.
Let's dig into that a little deeper, like,
exactly. And it's, it is so brave to be able to share it and to be able to give people I mean that I want to call it a cheat sheet, but it's not quite it's a couple chapters of like, we were saying what what not to say what's appropriate to say how to give someone space for their own grieving process, and just giving people permission that grief looks different for different people, which I know you see in your work as a medium across, you know, across everyone.
I think a lot of people too. And you are correct, I think America is the US has more difficulty understanding how to support people going through grief. About It wasn't a class in high school or something, right. Like, this is what to say. I think the other thing is when someone has an immediate loss, if they haven't experienced something themselves, they assume this is what the other person wants. And that's what we're projecting what we think we would want versus what is that individual what so even just asking them, and I think we think we have to know versus no, just be curious, be curious and say what do you need in the person I don't know, then go well, I'm just here for you. And it doesn't have to be elaborate. It doesn't have to be a lot. You don't have to give them direction. And especially don't give them direction about how you believe a lot of the work I do and it could be with you too, is how it's about our belief system. And sometimes our belief systems are one way until we've had a significant loss and our belief systems begin to have a challenge. What do I believe? Where do I go? And I think a lot of people don't go to mediums until they really have a significant loss. And this may happen to you, but they don't tell other family members or friends that they're going to see me because they don't a lot of the time. Yeah. I like Oh, no one knows about this. And it's because there is a feeling of is this real? Can I really hear in tow when tell they have a successful session, and then they are usually more willing to tell a friend or family member? Because there is so much of a negativity that is around what we do.
On sometimes they're waiting for that, that kind of in to show that okay, that this person might not judge me for saying this or Yes. Yeah. So fascinating. That is the way it works. It's now especially these days, you know, in the last however many years we've seen shows on television, you have your show that I really am excited to talk about. It's becoming a little bit more normalized. But then on the other side of that coin, we as mediums we have the challenge of the layperson, perhaps not understanding the significant amount of editing that's happening. And that we don't, you know, to your earlier point, we don't do sneak attack readings where we just jump out on people in the grocery store and ruin their entire day.
They're just not ready to hear it, you know? Yeah. So yeah,
there is a boundary around the way.
Yeah, absolutely. And I think, too. Yeah, it is come out of the closet, which is really nice. But there's still the people that have a certain faith that this is not something that they agree with. But I think everyone has to find their own way of healing. This is not for everybody. You've got to find what works for you. You've got to find where your healing can be. And I think it's gonna be unique for everybody. You know, I mean, I think I think going to a medium can be very healing, but that can't be the only answer. I think it's one one A tool. Okay, here's
one step on the journey. You know, as we all know, once someone does experience a significant loss, it opens up a whole nother avenue of our journey that we might not have wanted, but are getting either way. So absolutely, yeah.
Yeah, it's interesting. It's always different. As I'm talking to you, I'm like, Yeah, you get the language, someone gets language. Oh, my gosh.
And we don't have great language around what we do, because you know, you're talking about in the book, when we say I feel them, or I sense them, right. There's, they're communicating this, it's not the way I always tell people, it's like, they don't stand next to me and talk in my ear, I wish they would, but it doesn't work that way at all. So it is a an educating process as we go.
And I think it's also having them understand different personalities are going to come through differently. And the way you're wired to get a download versus me will probably be different as well. And then they want to know, well how to animals come through. And you know, so, to me, when someone gets really curious, I love to answer those questions. But till you get the real big skeptics at once, you know, really want to test. So it's all over the gamut when we come to help people are wanting to understand what we do.
That's so sure true. And I love that you're showing it publicly on your YouTube show. It's called grieving to believing a mediums mission to bring parents peace, it's a series, you know, what's your inspiration for that? And will you tell us a little bit about the show and where it is?
You know, I think we we all know we're gonna die. You know, it's it's not a big surprise to you. Right? Yeah, the only guarantee taxes and death, right. But when we look at anyone that has a child, I don't care what their age is, when someone loses a child, I, fortunately, have not had that happen to me, I can't imagine what they go through. Because it's, we're not prepared for that there is no way that any parent can even put their head around it. Because our job is to protect our job is to make sure that they're safe, make sure that we would like we put our life on the line for that for that child, even if that child pushes your buttons. And it's a challenge. And it's been challenging since day one, it doesn't matter. And part of it, there isn't really, you know, something that was devoted to helping these parents and I have so many people that were clients that became friends. And they really were letting me know how they were feeling what they were going through, and how what people were saying to them and their loss of children. And it was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking to hear. So I wanted to take that avenue a little bit to let parents know that you're not alone, there are other people that are feeling that pain, and it's okay. Because people would say, well, they've been gone a year and a half, it's time to move on, or they're in a better place. You know, they're there with God, and God must have been there time God wanted them. And those are things that are really difficult and painful for any parent. So as you said, I tried to educate people that haven't had those experiences, but giving giving parents a place where they know that we really understand, even though I can never understand hopefully ever, what they've been through, but having that community for them. And I think there's a lot of communities out there that are for people to heal with their grief, that are just for parents. And I think that's fabulous. You know, it's wonderful
for anyone listening there. A lot of people don't even know how often do we have clients that don't know that these groups exist, you can Google in your local area for you know, parent grief groups, and there are many nationwide, different organizations doing wonderful work creating unity for parents could have
lost and this includes parents who have lost children in utero, too. I think there's that piece where, where they're not given support as much as a parent that has lost a child that's a teen or 20 or 30s. And I think there's that other group that feels you know, they're not being recognized and validated and heard. Yeah,
that's such a good point. It is, can be a more of an unseen group or on thought. Yeah, in the show, are you I know you're doing the education piece? Are you doing readings?
Yeah. So I don't know we have a producer that they set it all up the interview, do, you know sort of like to know what to expect and things like that. And then I don't know who they've lost. I know there's going to be a child, but I don't know if it's in utero or whether they're in their 50s Or how their child passed, but other people will come through as well. And of course, eg for babies come through, but their child can come through really strongly and help them to know I mean, I think the biggest intention for a meeting was to help them to know that their child or their loved ones around and who they're with And as we were talking earlier, especially if there's a suicide or there's a murder, you know, are they who are they with? Are they okay? That's, I think the number one question. And then helping them understand that the child is seeing, Oh, you're traveling or you graduated, or you got a new job or you moved, so that that parent and family members can start going, Oh, start having a little bit of peace and healing. I don't, I know, it doesn't go away, it might change and shift. And my goal I'm sure yours is to is that shift will help them be able to see signs from their loved ones. I mean, that's, to me always the goal, you know, I don't want you to depend on me, I want you to be able to, yeah, I want you to be able to feel them and connect with them.
Yeah. And to your point, I mean, anyone I believe I think you do too. And anyone can feel sense, see signs from their own loved ones, you don't have to identify as a medium or spiritual whatsoever to be able to participate with your own loved ones. I mean, they, they're eager to science and communicate. And it's so powerful in healing, like you said, a mediumship reading is not going to fix everything, but just that the opening of the mind to know I had one recently, they had lost a kiddo. And she was communicating how she really loved that they did these special ornaments for her at Christmas time, every year. And every year, the family shared stories about her and it just, it meant so much to the family to know like, Oh, she does No, we do this that we carry on this way for her. Don't
you feel there's that sense of like almost their body relaxes. And I feel that there's a sense of my baby's okay, my child's okay. And even though we want them here physically with them, of course, there's a sense of, oh, I can make that connection. These things I'm doing they are aware of. And that's the reason we keep doing this we keep doing this work is to give people that little nugget to say they do see the ornament, they do see these little tiny things, which is so cool. Good for you. So proud of you. I
mean, it's one of my favorite parts of evidential mediumship especially if the communicators really making their personality evident and, and kind of being themselves so to speak. I think that's so healing too, because then it's like, okay, they are, that's them, they themselves, you know,
I did a session years ago, it's probably now probably 15 years ago, 16 years or probably 16 years ago. And their daughter died of SUDEP, which is sudden unexpected death from epilepsy. And we are still friends. And in fact, she raises money for for epilepsy and does galas and walks and Medford I get to fortunate to do be an emcee for some of it for their galas. And when she first met me, I'm I'm moving my hands, her daughter was 15. And I was moving my hands are doing these things. And she says, I knew without a doubt you were talking that was Chelsea. And when that happened, it was really she said that no matter what I said, which came through but it was all of the active things that I did, that made her say this is her and that that's what's when you see that personality, you know, you and I don't know that person. And so that's the power behind especially I think younger people I get this with young males, especially they are in my space, they like to mess with my technology. And they're very animated, which is a lot of times how their personality was when they were here physically, for sure. And
I that's I love that when they can, when the I don't know the way I want to say it is when the blend is good enough that they can affect my mannerisms. Or I'll say a word and even as I say it, I'm like, okay, hold on. That's not good. I use a little Lassie or you know, it was not whatever it is, you know, a funny term or I think people don't realize that that can be part of what happens in a reading.
And I think for the the individual that we're doing the session for, they may hear the word but just think it's a memory and versus it is actually them communicating or hearing that family member. And for you and I that's that's not something that's not the language. That's not the words we would use on the mannerism. But when you pass that on, then they know the word Lassie or the ornament. They're like, yeah, that's what they're talking to me. They can they can put it together. And that's pretty powerful in my opinion. Yeah.
And to your point, someone that we've never met in wouldn't know and it's just so much extra validation for the recipient to get it that way.
I have a question though. Yeah, I have some of them that love to swear. And I'm like, okay, they're, they're throwing the F bomb or throwing they go Oh, yeah, that was them. They were the potty mouth. They were like, I'm like, okay, so that can be really powerful. Like they're just swearing up. You know, swear like I say Learn.
Yeah, the colorful language is funny. And sometimes I find it similar to you with young males, but the technology and the moving things like that they think they're funny or that they'll be letting me know that they think they're very handsome. Yes. It was simply recently, and she was like, Oh my God, that's my brother. Like. He's very handsome. Yeah.
That's really nice.
It's not all. It's not all sadness in the sessions. Yeah, there are tender moments, but there's a lot of laughter that happens as part of healing. Do you agree?
I actually apologize beforehand and say, I will bring in Baghdad humor. And the reason for that is when it helps me. So we talked about the energy that we take on, if you're ever around, a lot of nurses and nurses have some of the most disgusting humor. And it's because they're always dealing with really difficult situations. And so that humor shifts those a little bit. So when I bring in the humor, it helps them actually relax and helps them when their right brain helps them like Oh, yeah. And I always say, I'm not here to be offensive of your grief or to be disrespectful. But it does help. And our memories are better that we can hear the messages more clearly, when we can raise that vibration, we talked about that vibration and energy. And the energy, when you have humor, we all Lighten up, we'd lighten up the the energy in the space, and it helps the person hear more versus I would say it's the constipation, you know, where they're like, you know, you're brilliant. Yeah. And to have a little bit of humor, which can just kind of balance it a little bit. Yeah, to bring that in like this. Take a deep breath.
That's such a good point. Do you have any kind of a question that's just popping in for me? Do you have any recommendations along those lines for someone that's going to receive their first session or who's attending a group reading, the type of energy that they can bring with them to contribute, a lot of people don't realize the sitter contributes?
Oh, big time. In fact, we really talked to whoever we're reading for sort of their homework, and it isn't to make them feel like we need that homework. We do it for them. Because a lot of times, and I'm sure you've experienced this, where they think that they're going to hear from their mother, that's what the who they want to hear from, and they may have a friend from high school that shows up or a grandfather shows up or a dog that shows up their ex's mother in law, you know, they're like, I don't want that. I don't want to talk to them. I'm like, Well, I'm sorry, they're here. But part of that is helping them understand that there is a lot of them over there that want to say hello, and to be prepared that anyone can come through. So part of that is when they do a bit of homework that they can identify that we're not spending time. And then the person that does come to the you want to hear from, we can spend the rest of the session with that. We recommend to have them understand the language we're talking to a meeting, you get this, they don't have any vocal cords, they don't have a body. So we're using all of our images and senses and, and things that we pulled together to understand what they're saying. So it's energy. And they're thinking, well, they're just talking to us, and you can get it that way, depending. But it's a variety of ways, depending on that soul. So it's helping them really be open. I've gone back to the 1200s. And people know their genealogy. And individuals will think, Well, I didn't know them well, or they have been gone a long time ago, it doesn't matter. So it's having them know that anybody can come through. And to be open to that, because you and I are messengers, and we are only able to communicate with who shows up. And when they are unable to identify, we always get kinks the hopes, we're spending all this energy, because it's almost like it gets stuck. And I've learned that I can usually move past it. But sometimes I have someone so stubborn on the other side, they won't let it go. Like working with that person. So I think it's letting them know that, you know, if you are going to a family reunion, you may not have seen that cousin in 20 years. Yeah. You know, you may not like that person, but they're still going to show up and say hello or apologize or make that connection. So I don't know if that's what you do. But it's really letting them know we don't know who's gonna show up. They don't RSVP. It's
such it's such a great point. And you know, I you talked about it in the book, too, that it's, it really is through the faculty have our own memory, life experience, things that we understand the way I always tell people is so that they can get us as close to their story to help express what they need and one but we're not going to see them in physical form because they don't have that physical form. And I
will get I will give them in a physical form if I need to see that. I don't know how you identify them. There'll be times I'm like, Oh, wait, like I'll say, Yeah, you're dancing hear in the recliner, drinking a beer, that's all I'm getting? No, like, that was him, you know, I will get the visual in order to communicate, but they might get a lot of communications within that. Is that how you get it to,
just like you said, it's a little different with different communicators, it's usually through those subjective pictures, it's often I get a lot of thought word songs, which is kind of fun, especially if I had one that was they used a beautiful song for the wedding and then the same song for the memorial because it wasn't that many years apart. And so that was such a cool experience to hear that kind of playing in my head. It's a lot for me through feeling and understanding the emotion that they're expressing in whatever the context is. It's the emotion is so important, I think,
I think the hardest is, if it's the hardest, just things that kind of come up where someone is my age or older, and they think they've only had three people ever die. Oh, wow. Yeah. And you're like, you know, I probably had 20 people this year, you know, you're thinking about it, where they get very limited that way, or they want to know, the the nickname or something that I can't identify or get or they're not giving it to me. And I think there's lots of I can give you my intention of why that happens. But I think that can be hard because I don't think that sometimes people get the closure. At the time. Even though we're working really hard to be that messenger. I
would love to hear your thoughts on why holding on to a specifically catchphrase or nickname. I've got thoughts on this too. But I'm so curious to hear experience,
I think once
in a while, but it's just not it's not a guaranteed. Yeah.
And I think there's a couple pieces one, it might be that I don't get it to keep me humble. I think there's a piece of that. I think it's a piece of the person trusting that all the other information that they're getting is enough to be accurate. If you're getting 95% of accuracy, then that little part. I feel like it's definitely that I can't refer to it's something not in my dialogue, the words I've used or in my language. And I think the other part is it's just sometimes we we can't get the lottery numbers, we can't get certain things. And I think that's part of our ego, to keep us in our you know, this, we're getting what they can give us. And that's all we can do. I think for the person they believe, have heard or seeing experience. If I can't get that, then maybe it's not real. And I think that's probably where they are on the path anyway. Yeah. So it's part of their journey, they're healing and they're maybe not ready to hear certain things. That's
such a good point. And I don't know if you'll agree with this. But I tend to encourage people to just open up their mind beyond that, because a lot of times if they're just waiting and filtering for that one, you know, nickname or word they're missing everything else.
Yeah. And we can only do what we can do. And I think that's the surrender part that can be really a challenge, because we, we can get very attached to wanting them to start their healing process. And that's where we have to like, I don't believe them, but letting go. But realizing that we're only one part of their healing, we're, you know, they have so many other factors. And we're maybe not that one, but then you get the other person that go, you just changed my life. I've been struggling with this. Now I can move forward. So then you have those balances, otherwise, I wouldn't do this work. So you know, to me, it's all about the the yin and the yang, the balance of it all? Oh, yeah.
And to your point, we may not fully understand where we're picking them up on that journey and journey. You know, we're all in a different place at different times. Absolutely. I always see it as just being like one lantern on their path just to illuminate that little square. And that's it. And that's my only responsibility. Yeah, my best shot.
I like that. And that's, that's where we have to just understand that we're not there to be it all for them. And there's so many different organizations and things that are helpful. And we're just one little, little piece of it were one spice in the in the pasta, you know, as
the food true. To your point and to your I'm so grateful that you did this for us, you actually have an ingredient that people can add to their sauce, you have a 30 day energy shift. We've been talking a lot about energy, will you tell us a little bit about what that course entails?
Yeah. I think from what I understand, you love to teach too, and teaching. I love being a medium but teaching and watching people get the aha was and starting to find their own connection to the universe, their own ability to know that they are very powerful that they can manifest that they can connect with their loved ones or their guides. It's such a such a big thing for my heart, you know, really, oh, just this excites me. So the 30 day shift, it goes into Who energy around your home so Fung Shui which is my passion and people that become experts in Fung Shui are actually like 30 years they study it. So this is not something you learn, but you it's a constant process. So
it's to others
is it everyone has a different philosophy on it, dreams, dreams are so powerful, you know, it's where we connect with our loved ones, and we connect with their guides and and I think probably like you, when we are getting messages from the loved one, they're their lessons are metaphors. And dreams are the same way. So when you have a dream, and you're able to detect or dissect that information, you're being guided, and I'd love for people to go, oh, that's what that means. That's what you know, working with your guides, is another piece of it. And I'm trying to think the fourth, there's four pieces to it. But it's all about, you know, you can download it. So you can do it at your leisure. But you can go in and go back and listen to it. Because I think the first time we start doing this kind of work, it's a little overwhelming. And there's Yeah, and they're like, wait a minute, what words are you using? What does that mean? And what can I do? So with all of those things, we're able to learn where our intuition Oh, the other one is chakra. So your energy centers? So yeah, when you're when your body feels a particular way, you know, how can you shift and heal? And so especially with your heart, or do you not trust or you don't have a voice? Do you not feel like you can stand up for yourself? And of course, the third eye, how do we open up the third eye and a lot of people don't open that third eye, but they're not grounded. And they're like overwhelmed and a lot of energy coming in. So it's creating all those balances in our life. And they're fun topics. And they're all things that you can do simplistically, at home, I teach kiss, keep it simple, sweetie, I believe that, you know, we build up on what we learn that foundation, and to have fun with it. So I just love to teach.
That's amazing. It really I love that it just kind of puts the power in the individuals hand of like, Hey, you, you feel stuck, you feel like you want to shift like you want to grow, like, here's some tools and my own practice. And
the biggest thing I teach is neuroplasticity, and part of that is looking at our brain and know that we can rewire our brain, I was raised in a very strict religious home. And, you know, doing this kind of work was not in my wheelhouse. And I think a lot of times we get stuck because our belief systems are no longer serving us. But we don't know how to shift that. So we can start opening up those other things and looking at life a little differently than our belief systems can empower us. So big smile with you with that one. I
love that. And I think it's so important to remind people that it's a it's an unfolding journey. It's not like, you know, might not implode everything right away. It's, it's something we can do gradually. And like you said, at your own pace on your own time.
I think people even when we're stuck, people are fearful of change, because they know what they're feeling is familiar? Yeah. So we stay with what's familiar, because at least we know how to deal with it. So change could be a challenge. But if we look at it, that you do have the ability to change as you're comfortable, that can be very helpful for some individuals.
Yeah, yes. Back to your book, which I'm gonna link in the show notes for everyone, so you know, where to find it. But you do give this series throughout the last few chapters of these questions to start asking ourselves and it's so I could imagine it would be so powerful coupled with this energy shift program that you have, because it's like, then, you know, shifting and looking at things and then starting to just gently ask some of these questions about, you know, like you were saying beliefs or feel about something or kind of looking at things from a new perspective.
And I think for a lot of people we forget to ask ourselves, we look outside and see what other people are doing. That must be happiness. That must be this that must be that. But we're all wired differently. And how you and I, you know, came to be mediums. There may be some similarities. We haven't talked about that. But it's all unique. You know, we didn't grow up and go, Oh, I'm going to be a media that was not now obviously, in our radar list. Yeah. And on the list. So I was very surprised. It sounds like you may have been to, people may be surprised that they are highly intuitive, but they've never taken the opportunity to dig into that. And that energy. I have so many clients that say I'm just so sensitive, I feel everything I have anxiety, anxiety is the big thing right now, everyone feels with all this anxiety. Well, if we're able to understand it, we were able to manage it. You and I pay the bills by based on understanding the energy right? So when they can take that anxiety or that overwhelming sensitivity, and be able to say, oh, I can do something with it. I can, you know, be able to use it for the betterment of myself or maybe even others. It becomes empowering. So true. So beautiful. He Yeah, have
to be afraid of it anymore. So yes, how amazing is that? It's kind of The key thing I think, well, I just I just loved the book so much. It's called grieving to believing discovering the afterlife. And again, we'll link it in the show notes. I told you we're going to do this and I'm pretty excited to hear your answers. We're gonna tell ya spirit Speed Round are for fun and easy questions for dev. Let's see her and
deep breath. Deep breath.
Have a little fun. Shake it loose. Yes, I'll
shake it. All right. Will you
share one thing that really shocked you? Or was unexpected about your mediumship gifts when you first started to understand them?
I think number one, I get asked a lot was I ever was ever scared was ever fearful. Was that did it ever scare me? No. I mean, and for me the work I've done. I mean, I've done, you know, murder cases worked with the detectives. I've seen some horrific things. I have always been honored that I are able to be a messenger. So never afraid. But people have asked, you know, and I'm glad that I don't want to watch scary shows. Yeah, so like, I don't want to watch something that's scary and frightening. But I think the biggest thing is that it felt peaceful. And I think that's the biggest surprise is that I never felt fear base, which I think that I came on this planet probably to be that messenger. Yeah. So it doesn't feel it wasn't ever scary. I
love that answer. Because it is such a common question. You're right. If you got to spend a day in the spirit world, you got the full tour, you got to spend time with everyone you've ever known has crossed over. And it's almost time to return to your life. And your guide tells you that you have one hour left and you can spend it with anyone who's on the other side. Who do you choose and why?
It can only be one. No, it's no. Good. I like it. No rules there. Probably two grandparents that I never one of them I never met and the other one that I only knew for a year. I think they probably are somewhat impactful to me that I never had a chance to physically meet with them. And then probably two of my dogs. I mean, I'm a fur baby lover. One of them was a golden retriever that lived 19 years was an amazing dog. And another one was a poodle that I had as a child, my first dog that I don't, you know, didn't have the opportunity to be there when she died. And you and I know they know that on a human level. They're still that little piece so I would love to see those American feel it emotionally now. Probably, but there are so many loved ones. I mean, I have I have hundreds of people who have passed that I will
spend the whole day with them. So don't Yeah, so they built it in there. Yeah. Thank you. That's a beautiful answer. Even though we have spiritual gifts, we have very human lives. What's one quirky thing about you that people might be surprised to learn?
I don't know if they're surprised was they know me? Well, I'm not very organized, sometimes. Clumsy, very clumsy at times. People know that nobody I you know, I have the bad sense of a good jokes. I think part of it is I think people think that you're on all the time. I remember when I was single for a while and dating. I think they thought or I'd meet someone friends and they're thinking I really them and I think oh no, I turned it off. I joke. I jokingly say, there's no money on the table. I'm not doing a reading and that's not true. But it's understand those boundaries that I don't want to tune into. I don't know everything. I don't know lottery numbers. I don't know my future. I I am still stumbling. Like you said fumbling to figure it out. I have to steal that if that's okay. We'll give you credit. I think they're I think the biggest thing is that they think we know it all or we're reading your mind. And you're not. I love
that. Because yeah, people do think that we're reading everything everyone all the time aware of everyone's loved ones, you know, at dinner and yeah,
if they do command for us, I'm like, No, I don't want to I don't want to know your stuff. Yeah, exactly. I
love that answer. Will you leave us with a pearl of wisdom? What's one piece of advice that you wish you had early on in your understanding of your gifts?
I thought the question was gonna go a different direction. So
well, you could get whatever answer you want.
I think the first thing I was gonna say about I thought about what you know about people that are still here to always tell somebody that they love them no matter what. That's a big thing. Yeah, I think the other part of it is Be okay with the judgment that can come with what you do. I think a lot of times, there's the one side that really wants to hear it from their loved one and the other side that has the judgment and I think it's supposed to be balanced. I think we're We're here to learn, you know the balance. But I sometimes I don't think we realize how much judgment that goes with what we do. Yeah. And there's been some times where I've had to hire security and have to do things because of some threats. And I never imagined in my dreams, wildest dreams, that that would be an issue. Yeah. So I think part of it is the judgment, and you can't take it personally, you can't take it on. And learning that skill, maybe really early on would have been a little easier, versus being a people pleaser. I
think that's something that every spiritual worker I've ever known has struggled with at some point. So that's a beautiful answer. Thank you for that. I wish
it was something more unique. But I think that's probably that's great. Yeah, believe
it or not, we get really unique answers from these questions. Yeah, I'm sure all different. So I've loved asking the same have lots of people
are not prepared with these questions. So yeah, it's great.
Thank you so much for being here with us today. I feel like you were just gonna say something I interrupted. You
know, I'm just very grateful to be here. Thank you, to share just to share this with you with another medium. It's just really an honor.
And I will definitely link all of the ways that everyone can find Miss Deb Sheppard along with the links to your YouTube series, and your book and all of your social media contact. Thank you all the things you for being here with us today. And shining your light.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Well, I could have talked to Deb all day. I feel like I say this a lot about our guests, but we have some amazing guests. Let's just be honest, I really loved getting to talk to Deb medium to medium and to hear about her journey. Her work. I did read her book, like I said, grieving to believing discovering the afterlife, I will put the link in the show notes for you, as well as all the ways that you can contact Deb that you can see her YouTube show that you could potentially work with her in the future if you wanted to on any of her courses, or readings or retreats or all the things that she does, but I just really, you know, the book was so meaningful just because she shares her personal grief journey and her personal mediumship journey. Plus, like I was saying tips about what to say and what not to say and questions to ask yourself for growth. And I really encourage you to check out her. It's called the 30 day energy shift. I'll link that in the show notes as well. So you can start having some shifts and opening up of your own or deepening whatever word you like in there. I am just so grateful to Deb and to her partner Dana, who really helped on the tech side and supports all of her work. We just have been so lucky to have so many incredible luminaries and beautiful souls with us and Deb is one of those. We're so grateful for your time today. Miss Deb Sheppard and so grateful to all of you for joining me and really listened and to be asked my questions of Deb and dive into mediumship and the spirit world and grief and loss and love and healing. today. I hope that you've been able to take something wonderful away and yeah, don't forget to get that 30 Day energy shift from Deb. Big hugs, lots of love. I will see you very soon. Bye for now from inside Spirit Speakeasy