All Photos: Alan Mercer
Internationally known Psychic/Medium, Shelley Duffy has experienced reoccurring psychic events since about the age of five. At a very young age she always seemed to know things that other people did not. "I would get these little movies in my head, thinking that I was daydreaming, and usually a few minutes later it would actually happen." She would often know things about people that they did not tell her about. She could tell if a person was sick, and she would always know whether a person was being honest or dishonest.
As her awareness expanded she discovered that she is a natural born medium and clairvoyant. To learn how to develop and control her gifts, she began to study with some well-known people in the field--some of which are, well-known British Medium Peter Close, Spiritualist Medium and Minister Ethel Rowe, Registered Lily Dale Medium from England Rose Clifford, and many others.
She has been doing professional readings, both in person and over the phone since 1997. Her client base stretches across the United States and Internationally as far away as the Philippines, India, Australia and the Netherlands. Always an animal lover, she soon discovered that it was just as easy to communicate with animals, both living and in spirit, and so began to bridge the communication gap for her clients. "The most rewarding thing about this work for me is to see the healing that takes place. Whether through a communication with a loved one who has crossed over, or watching someone transform themselves and their lives by getting advice from a higher source. Its all about helping people get through this wonderful and mysterious journey called LIFE!"
AM: How did your family and friends react when it was obvious you had special abilities Shelley?
SD: I was born in West Covina, California. I’m a third generation Californian. The psychic abilities run on both sides of my family with the strongest being my Mother’s side. It usually comes through the female line. Both my brothers are the same as me. I have a brother who is three years younger than me but I have another brother who is seventeen years younger than me so I was able to watch him grow and go through the same things that my other brother and I went through. As children I thought it was normal to have people show up in my room at night.
AM: What would you do?
SD: Usually I would say, “What are you doing in here?”
AM: It never scared you?
SD: Never. I always felt very safe and protected. I didn’t think it was strange or unusual. I did have the sense that other people didn’t have these same experiences and I didn’t talk about it to kids and teachers at school.
AM: Did your Mom give you any advice?
SD: No, we only talked about it when I got older and she said my little brother would see people all the time.
AM: Does that happen to your Mom too?
SD: No, she only feels people she knew like her mother, where I get strangers. She is very psychic and I often ask her about things.
AM: That is why you have done so well I’m sure.
SD: Nobody ever told me it was bad. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never had anyone confront me. There has never been any negative backlash. I don’t attract that. Also no psychic medium can be 100% accurate all the time. That’s impossible.
AM: I love your take on animals. We humans seem to be getting more and more compassionate where animals are concerned. I think we are evolving.
SD: I think we’re learning to put more value on different species. We used to be very human and self-centered. Now we are having a more open mind. People are realizing the companionship, the love and the healing that animals can give. People are really wanting and needing this.
AM: I have always felt that animals have souls despite what I was taught they did not. I do believe what you said about their souls being different than ours. I will not die and come back as a dog will I?
SD: (laughter) No, it’s not likely. From my experience, we as humans have many lifetimes. I have found that animals reincarnate into other animals. You could have a dog come back a couple times to you during your life.
AM: You must spend a lot of time on the phone don’t you?
SD: I do. It doesn’t bother me because I get in a zone. I don’t remember the details to a reading when it’s over. I use a timer otherwise I’d get completely lost and would go on for hours.
AM: Is it different for you every day? Are you capable of doing many readings accurately?
SD: When I first started in 1997 I could go for five hours back to back taking a couple breaks. Because I do this full time now I only schedule two or three readings in any day. I also take a couple days off every week. If I am working with a regular client I can get more information because I am familiar with their energy.
AM: What do you do with the rest of your day? Do you study?
SD: I used to take all kinds of metaphysical classes and I used to teach classes but then I moved to Las Vegas.
AM: Does living in Las Vegas make you stronger as a psychic?
SD: I haven’t noticed a change in my abilities but California is definitely more metaphysically inclined.
AM: California must be number one with that!
SD: California and New York. The new age capitol of the world is Los Angeles.
AM: Do you feel different energies when you travel?
SD: Yes, often when I travel I won’t feel comfortable in certain cities. I try to be more adaptable. When I was a little kid, I had a really hard time with it. I didn’t like going to other people’s houses and I didn’t like to sleep in other people’s homes because I was unsettled. I’ve learned a lot through the years. I used to be an absorber and not feel good. Now I’m able to block a lot of that energy so I don’t pick up anything I don’t want.
AM: What is your advice for people to help them de-stress?
SD: First of all we multi-task way too much.
AM: I agree. I can’t even do it.
SD: People are also too hard on themselves. My spirit guides tell me I only have 24 hours in a day and part of that you have to sleep so chill out and relax. If you don’t get it done you don’t get it done.
AM: So what can we do?
SD: There are techniques one can use like imagine the white light and a protective bubble around you. It sounds silly but it really does work. Try it for a week. Say a little prayer and ask for divine protection then imagine a white light around and inside you. You will notice that people are bothering you less and you will be more relaxed. Another important aspect is your Chakras. I always recommend a good Chakra meditation. The Chakra energy centers are very real and they connect to the body. I have felt every one of those centers open up in me.
AM: Throughout history culture has been very open to psychic power and at times very closed. Where are we headed now?
SD: It’s become a lot more mainstream now.
AM: Why is that?
SD: I think it’s because of the TV shows like ghost hunters and such. They are really good even though they seem a little hokey. They get people thinking and wondering about these things.
AM: What are your goals for yourself?
SD: I don’t make goals. I let life give it to me so I follow the bread crumbs. When I got into this business I didn’t have any intention of being in the media because I’m shy. I realized that in order to work people had to know who I am. Then James Van Praagh put me on his web site as someone he recommends it opened my whole world. All of a sudden I was getting emails from people who wanted readings from all over the world. Then I started getting requests to be on radio shows and TV spots.
AM: Was it overwhelming for you?
SD: Yes, at first I turned all media exposure away. That was in 2006, so now I feel better able to handle it all. I worked at Disney for 24 years and it was really hard to balance it all.
AM: You have more balance in your life now don’t you?
SD: Yes, the best thing I did was leave Disney. I told my spirit guides I would take whatever they gave me. I wouldn’t turn down anything anymore, so when the offers came I said yes instead of no.
To learn more about Shelley visit her web site http://www.icspirits.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1