Keep an open mind

Clients should expect the unexpected, says Bonnie Vent, a San Diego-based medium. “I never know what will come through for clients or what it means to them. I prefer to start with the client’s questions so that we can get down to the purpose of their session,” she says.

Get the right vibes

Do your research to find a psychic or reader: Interview more than one, and read online reviews about them, advises oxygen.com. It’s a personal decision, so take the time to find a good match.

Ask for a referral

Try to get a recommendation from a trusted friend or colleague, suggests Cindi Sansone-Braff, a psychic reader, medium, and Tarot-therapist in Long Island, New York. Once you have a name or two, Google them and see what comes up (obviously you’re not going to visit someone named in a fraud claim). Next, visit the person’s website. “Take some time to look it over,” she suggests. See what resonates—or doesn’t.

Seek out a specialty

Does the person specialize in the area in which you need guidance? “For instance, if you have a love or relationship question, then you need to seek out a psychic who can help you with this issue,” says Sansone-Braff. Are you looking to speak to a loved one who’s passed? “Then you would need to consult a psychic who is also a medium,” she adds. (This real-life ghost story will make you seriously consider the afterlife.)

Know the limits

Vincent Genna, MSW, a psychic medium in Raleigh, North Carolina, says there are five major areas of life that most often bring people to psychics: relationships, vocation, health, time, and finances. “All people want to know about, have issues with, or lack complete insight into one or all of these areas of their lives,” Genna says. A psychic will obviously focus on your areas of interest and even share insights about your future, but keep in mind the limits of such a reading. “Be aware always, that since our future is completely guided by the choices we make, it can change from moment to moment,” he says, which is just one reason a psychic’s prediction may not come to pass. “Just hearing about the future can change it.”

Don’t feel you have to act

Whether you spring into action or not depends on the information you get. “There is no one answer,” says Tanya Brown, a psychic in Hoboken, New Jersey. “When a client receives information regarding their love life, career, family, or health, action can vary and in most instances, no action is taken. Many people just wait for the future to unfold, not doing anything to accelerate or decelerate the reading coming to fruition.”

Be patient

Once you’ve decided on the psychic of your choice, be prepared to wait a few weeks or even months to see her, since a legitimate psychic is always in great demand, says Sansone-Braff. “Just know that few things beat the excitement of the day when your long-awaited appointment with the psychic finally arrives,” she says. “Be sure to arrive on time, and jot down the questions you’re seeking answers to. Ask the psychic beforehand if you need to bring pictures or an object from a diseased loved one with you.”

Manage expectations

One common myth people have about psychics is that they’re supposed to know everything. “I always laugh at this misconception,” says Sansone-Braff. “Sure, we can help you in ways that more conventional approaches can’t, but it isn’t a parlor game or a game of “Guess who is dead.’ So, don’t expect a psychic to pull all the information out of the vapors without any responses from you.” New York City psychologist Mark Derian suggests that cues like appearance could produce clues for psychics to follow. “Psychics are ‘cold readers’,” he asserts. “Of course they’re not peering into your future literally, but they are metaphorically, intuiting who you are. The psychic ability doesn’t exist to the extent psychics say it does. ‘Cold readings’ are when the psychic makes inferences about the client based on appearance and mannerisms.”

Don’t make it a habit

Respected psychics like Genna believe that although visiting a psychic can be helpful and empowering, people shouldn’t become too dependent on their direction. “Do not persistently visit psychics for answers, because this will keep you from learning how to trust your own inner voice,” says Genna. “There is nothing more disempowering than constantly turning to others for answers.” Here are some more tips on how to become empowered in your decision-making.

Be a bit cautious

There are many psychic scam artists out there, so be wary of scare tactics. “No legitimate psychic tells you that you have curses that need to be removed, nor would they even think of charging you an excessive fee to remove them,” Sansone-Braff. “No legitimate psychic should charge you for candles, crystals, or other objects promising that these things can work miracles.” Also, she says, be wary of a psychic who solicits you in a mall or in a public place, she adds. “Good psychics are too busy working and don’t need to go out and solicit strangers. Trusting your instincts and having a healthy dose of skepticism are good and necessary attributes that will help you avoid the charlatans, soothsayers, and snake charmers along the way.”