Published 03/09/2025 • Updated 05/09/2025 by Joanne Jones

Mediums and Psychics: Do They Have the Same Spiritual Gifts?

What Is a Psychic?

Someone with psychic abilities can perceive or pick up information that transcends our five senses of sight, sound, touch, and hearing.

Psychics are believed to read energy and provide valuable insights about those they read for, their emotions and events. Many psychics focus on the present moment and what's going on beneath the surface, while others remain focused on the future.

In this article by Joanne Jones, one of the UK’s highly respected psychic mediums at Trusted Psychics, she explains the different types of psychic abilities, how readings work online, and how to choose whether to speak to a medium or a psychic.

What Is a Medium?

A medium is a type of psychic who has the psychic ability to connect with spirits who have moved on to the spiritual realm.

Some psychics are not mediums, but all mediums are psychics.

Mediums specialise in tuning into the voices or messages they receive from the Spirit World. They can also connect you with the energy of the deceased as well as your own.

Mediums are believed to receive messages that they can pass on to loved ones.

Your medium reader may pass on information that assists you in learning about the personality of your loved one and the messages they wish to share. They do this by drawing on their spiritual gifts and an increased level of extrasensory perception.

A spiritual medium may feel the spiritual energy of a loved one through a heightened sixth sense or by going into a meditative state. Many mediums will use objects, like candles or personal possessions, to assist them as well.

Key Differences Between Mediums and Psychics

Deciding which type of reading is better for you can be determined by understanding the differences between mediums and psychics. They both have spiritual gifts and psychic abilities; however, there are subtle differences in their approach and connection to the spirit realm.

Who They Connect With During a Reading

• Psychics focus primarily on your energy field: your emotions, thoughts, and life path. They access information through their psychic abilities about your current situation, potential futures, and emotional patterns.
• Mediums open to the spirit realm and connect with your departed loved ones or spirit guides. They give messages of comfort and hope so that those who are struggling with grief may find closure.

The Type of Messages They Provide

Psychics provide intuitive messages based on using their psychic gifts to access your emotional, spiritual and life energy. These messages may include information and guidance for your personal relationships, career choices, or emotional roadblocks, and are based on their inner knowing.

Psychics help you to see patterns, understand your current situation, and explore potential future outcomes based on the information they are receiving through your energies. They can also help you to experience a deeper spiritual awakening.

Mediums deliver messages from the spirit realm. These messages are often very emotional and personal, like the mention of a specific name or an emotion, shared memories, personality descriptions or direct messages from your deceased loved ones.

Mediums use their psychic gifts as a spiritual conduit to bring forward what it is that the spirits want you to know. They can relay a message of peace, reassurance or simply that your loved one is still with you in spirit.

Their Abilities and Expertise

The psychic gifts include Clairvoyance (seeing), Clairaudience (hearing), Clairsentience (feeling), and Claircognizance (knowing).

Many psychics also access a deep inner knowing, an instinctive sense of awareness that helps the psychic interpret the subtle cues they receive from your energy field.

With this sensitive awareness, a psychic can help to determine emotional patterns, life shifts, energy blockages or any other energy imbalances that are hindering your progress or preventing clarity.

Mediums have many of the same gifts as psychics, but with the added ability to receive messages from spirits. Mediums connect directly with the spirit realm to pass along personal insights, loving messages, or validations from those who have crossed over.

Mediumship requires a fine-tuned spiritual awareness and often involves the medium entering an altered state of consciousness to receive clear and purposeful communication.

The Purpose of the Reading

Most psychic readings are usually focused on guidance, understanding, and self-discovery.

For example, if you are making a major career decision, in a relationship, or have a spiritual question, you may be seeking clarity from a psychic and your energy lines will lead them there.

However, a mediumship reading is different in that it is a direct line of spiritual communication between the living and the spirit realm.

Mediumship is an incredibly healing practice for those in mourning or those who are missing their loved ones who have passed over.

The intention with this work is to facilitate closure, healing, and emotional peace, often through personal messages that help to reassure the individual that their loved one is still with them and present.

Do Mediums and Psychics Use the Same Spiritual Tools?

Mediums and psychics share many similar spiritual gifts, but they often use different tools and techniques to tap into the information they convey during a reading. The use of tools (or the intentional avoidance of them) is highly individualised and depends on the reader’s unique style and skills.

Psychics and Tools

Psychics tend to use physical objects or tools to help them focus and access your emotions, current energy, and potential future. These tools don’t give answers, but they are invaluable for concentration and clarity.

• Tarot cards: Commonly used to help reveal patterns, guidance, and possible outcomes.
• Crystals: Used for energy balancing, intuition amplification, and emotional insights.
• Pendulums: Used for yes/no questions or energy clearing and blockages.
• Oracle decks: Provide messages related to spiritual guidance and decision-making.
• Astrology charts: Help to understand your personality and life timing.
• Numerology: Decode life paths, names, and recurring life themes.
• Crystal ball: Some psychics use a crystal ball for visual impressions or symbols.

Some psychics are very attached to their tools and won’t do a reading without them. Others use a combination of different tools, and some psychics use no tools at all, depending only on their psychic or intuitive senses or inner knowing.

Mediums and Tools

Mediums are less likely to depend on tools and more likely to depend on an internal spiritual connection to the spirit realm. The readings are less about prediction and more about spiritual communication.

Instead of focusing on energy tools and symbols, the focus is on receiving messages and information from spirits, not future possibilities.

Mediums may:

• Get into a higher vibration state through meditation or focused concentration.
• Bring a personal item (photo or belonging) of the deceased to strengthen the connection.
• Light candles or place plants and flowers to create a sacred energy space for spirit energy.
• Trust only their spiritual “sense” – hearing, seeing, or feeling – to receive a message.
• Most mediums will let the energy of the spirit come through and do not use a translation tool.
• Mediums pride themselves on being conduits for the clear and compassionate messages from spirit to help bring healing, closure, and peace to others.

Who Should You Choose for an Online Reading, a Medium or a Psychic?

Choose a psychic if you:

1. Want guidance about your love life, career, or relationships.
2. Are feeling emotionally stuck or uncertain about your next steps.
3. Need help understanding patterns or energy around a current situation.
4. You're looking for insight into your future or clarity about a decision.
5. Want to explore your own emotional and spiritual growth.

Choose a medium if you:

1. Want to connect with a loved one who has passed away.
2. Feel the presence of someone from the spirit world, and need confirmation.
3. Are seeking comfort, closure, or healing after a loss.
4. Hope to receive a personal message from the other side.
5. Are grieving and need reassurance that your loved one is still with you in spirit?

When seeking a guide who truly knows both worlds, the physical and the spiritual, it's important to find Trusted Psychics who are verified, experienced, and ethically grounded. 

A good reader won't just provide information; they will help lead your spiritual awakening and ensure your reading is safe, respectful, and empowering.

Common Misconceptions About Mediums and Psychics

They Can Predict Everything With 100% Accuracy

Mediums and psychics have a sixth sense for patterns, emotions, and energy, but they don’t know everything. Your decisions can change the course of your life, and free will is still very important. ‎

Psychics & Mediums Can Read Your Mind

Your thoughts are not read by them. Mediums and psychics sense energy, not your precise mental processes. They can feel the vibes in a room or pick up on your emotions, but they can't read your thoughts. ‎

They Only Tell You What You Want to Hear

Instead of just trying to console, a good reader will tell the truth. They will not attempt to lift your spirits by being misleading or vague. Their objective is not flattery but clarity. ‎

It’s All Just Guesswork or Luck

Real psychics and mediums spend years honing their skills, despite the common belief that readings are fictitious or random. Readings can reveal details that are difficult to deny when done with honesty. ‎

How to Prepare for a Psychic or Mediumship Reading

Taking the time to prepare for a psychic reading or a medium session can make your experience more beneficial and pleasant. Whether you are preparing for a psychic medium or just a psychic session, there are several things you can do to ground your energy before your appointment.

• Know What You Want From the Reading

If you are looking for the best ways to prepare for a psychic session, start with your purpose. Do you want to connect to the spirit of a deceased loved one with a medium, or do you want a reading to help you with a life decision?

• Write Down a Few Questions

Writing out a list of questions can be a great way to prepare for a mediumship reading or psychic reading. Having a set of questions in mind will allow you to stay on track and make sure you don’t forget to ask anything.

• Keep Your Energy Open and Calm

Try to be in a calm mental and emotional state before your reading. Take a walk, meditate, or just breathe deeply. It’s best to be in an open, energetic state, as it’s much easier for the reader to sense and give you more accurate insights and help.

• Don’t Force Expectations

Try to approach the session with an open mind. The reading is whatever it’s supposed to be. Don’t plan a specific outcome or type of message in your head, as it will likely not go that way. You may not get to hear what you want, but you will hear what your higher self or the spirit realm needs you to know.

• Reflect After the Reading

Journal, meditate, or sit with the experience after a psychic session. Some things will immediately make sense, and some will take time to unfold. Reflection and integration are vital aspects of the journey, especially if you are serious about spiritual awakening.

How to Spot a Genuine Reader

Your journey to finding a genuine connection starts with selecting a Trusted Psychic who is not only experienced and ethical but also truly gifted spiritually.

✅ Honesty and Empathy: Trusted Psychics are transparent about their abilities. They won’t make guarantees about future outcomes or promise to “fix” your life, but they will provide clarity and grounded spiritual guidance.

✅ Inspires Without Causing Doubts: A real psychic or medium does not make unrealistic claims or place pressure on you to incur additional costs.

✅ Values Your Inner Energy: They create a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere for you to explore your innermost emotions without being judged.

✅ Offers Specific, Personalised Guidance: Rather than vague statements, a real reader provides you with specific insights that often contain surprisingly accurate details.

✅ Strengthens Your Inner Power: A genuine reader will empower you to trust in yourself and remember that the power lies within you, not them.

When you choose a Trusted Psychic for your reading, you can feel confident that it will be respectful, empowering, and aligned with your highest good.

FAQs: Are Mediums and Psychics the Same Thing?

How Can I Tell If I Need a Psychic or a Medium?

It depends on the circumstances you are facing. For assistance on love, work, or emotional matters, a psychic is the ideal choice. Using a medium is more effective for connecting with deceased individuals or feeling their presence. Trust your instincts and start with what you are motivated to do. ‎

Can Psychics or Mediums Predict the Future?

There is no certainty, but psychics can usually pick up on your energy levels and predict what's going to happen. Mediums prioritise spirit communication over predictions. Both provide direction rather than definitive results. ‎

How Do I Know If a Psychic or Medium Is Real?

An honest reader will not put undue pressure on you or make outrageous claims. They are sincere, composed, and intent on assisting rather than frightening or overwhelming you. They offer personalised, intuitive insights that respect your free will. ‎

What Should I Expect to Feel After a Reading?

If your reading was genuinely meaningful, you may feel lighter, more transparent, or emotional. While some revelations are immediate, others become clearer over time. Feel free to take your time and absorb everything. ‎

About the Author: Joanne Jones

Psychic Medium | Energy Healer | Spiritual Intuitive

Joanne is a professionally trained psychic medium with over 25 years of experience working with thousands of people to find clarity, healing, and spiritual connection. With a compassionate insight and attention to detail, Joanne specialises in:

• Guiding clients through psychic readings for love, life direction, and spiritual growth.
• Facilitating mediumship sessions to connect with departed loved ones.
• Offering energy healing services to release emotional blockages and restore balance.
• Incorporating tools such as tarot cards, oracle decks, astrology, and crystal healing.

As a verified member of Trusted Psychics, Joanne blends traditional spiritual wisdom with modern intuitive practices. Each session is confidential, conducted from the heart, and focused on empowering clients without creating dependency.

“My mission is to guide others back to their own inner knowing and spiritual truth, one message at a time.” Joanne Jones.

What’s on Your Mind? Speak to a Trusted Psychic

Searching for some clarity? Comfort? Connection? You’re not alone. And you don’t have to do this on your own!

Call Trusted Psychics now and talk with a compassionate, verified reader who is uniquely tuned to your energy, your questions, and your path.

There's no pressure. Only honest guidance, genuine insight, and a safe place to talk about whatever’s on your heart.

📞 Connect with the UK’s best live readers at Trusted Psychics – Call today to feel enlightened.

Related Articles

Types of Psychic Mediums and Their Abilities

How Do You Prepare for a Phone Psychic Reading?

Questions to Ask a Psychic

Signs That Indicate You’re a Medium

How To Contact A Trusted Psychic

Phone a live Psychic 24 hours a day

View all our live phone psychic and tarot readers online.

View All Live readers

Message a live Psychic 24 hours a day:

View all our live messenger psychic and tarot readers online.

launch messenger

Text a live Psychic 24 hours a day:

View all our live text psychic and tarot readers online.