Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Michelle The Intuitive Reader, AKA Michelle Gray. Michelle is an intuitive psychic medium and energy healer. She has been giving readings online for over ten years to many clients looking for answers in their lives, careers, and relationships!
That being said, let's get started! Michelle, thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today!
- Tell us about yourself, please
My name is Michelle Gray (official name change from Schumacher as of May 2020). I grew up In Hinsdale, Illinois with my parents, 4 brothers, and 2 sisters. Hinsdale is about 25 minutes west of Chicago, Illinois. It was a lovely suburban neighborhood.
My siblings and I attended St. Isaac Jogues, the Catholic grade school plus Church every Sunday (Fish on Friday nights). We attended Hinsdale Central High School. After high school, I worked in Chicago before beginning college. I graduated from Robert Morris College with a Legal Secretary Certification before going to the College of DuPage for two years for Associate Degree. I transferred to Lewis University for my Business Administration Degree.
When I was 19 I joined a fitness gym where I started teaching aerobic classes in the evening. I became a certified group fitness instructor through American Fitness and Aerobic Association (AFAA) in 1985, Certified Personal Trainer in 1996 (AFAA) Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) 1997 through the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), Stott Pilates certified 2006. I have been a Group Fitness Supervisor twice ( part time1993-2000), (full-time 1999-2008). I have been certified for 36 years, had a hip replacement in 2019, and still teaching!
I am passionate about fitness and love it when people see transformation in their bodies. Besides personal training clients, I teach fitness classes at two gyms nearby, plus four of my own Zoom fitness classes to a group during the week.
I have been divorced for 14 years with two children: Jeremy 28, and Lauren, 26. I moved from Chicago to Orlando, Florida in September 2020 because both of my children are in Florida for the time being.
My son is in the Marines full time and will be moving to a new Duty Station next year. My daughter is an RN and will be going back to school at night to pursue her Nurse Practioner Degree. I am grateful to be able to spend time with both of them (plus I love Florida! Weather, people, and location!)
- When did you first realize you had unique abilities?
I was fascinated by psychics but it wasn't encouraged in my home. I did have some prophetic dreams when I was 12-14 years old that did occur years later but again not encouraged to discuss in my home.
My Grandma (my Mom's Mom) KNEW things that happened but never heard her say "I'm psychic!" I just assumed she was right; because she was right a lot! My Mom told me that on her Dad's side, three of her Aunts (Katherine, Irmina, and Concordia: both Nuns in Chicago) read tea leaves! I found that out just a few years ago. According to my Mom, she never had hers read because back then "Children were to be seen and not heard").
- When did you know that it was your calling, and what inspired you to start your business?
I started attending psychic classes with the encouragement of my teacher, June. The very first class I attended was on a Sunday afternoon in 2008. There were about 20 women in the lower level of June's home. After introductions, we were told to fill out our first name and birthdate on a small piece of paper that we folded up and put in a basket.
Each person was expected to take one of the paper's and we were to "read" that person. What?!? I had NO IDEA what I was doing! Talk about getting thrown right into the water!
So we partnered up with the person we were expected to read. I apologized to Mary (my partner for the exercise), that I have never done this before in my life! Mary said, "just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and anything you get either word you hear or pictures you see, say out loud!"
So I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I don't know!" "All I get is warm sunshine, flip flops, and drink in your hand." I am sorry, I don't know how to do this!"
Mary laughed out loud and said, "Really? You don't know what you are doing?"
I said, "No, I have never done this before."
Mary said, "Well, just so you know before I came here I put my flip-flops in my suitcase that is lying on my bed. I am leaving for Tampa, Florida in the morning and my friends and I are going to have drinks by the hotel pool that overlooks the beach." "You belong in these classes."
I was stunned, to say the least, but I said, "Lucky guess!"
Mary told June about my experience and through encouragement, started showing up with the other members of the group on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings for over 7 years. I started going to some other psychic circles, took psychic development classes and mediumship classes with Mavis Patela, James Van Praagh, and Lillian Suarez.
I got asked to give readings at a Beauty Salon Grand Opening for donations plus one of the psychic circle places let me do readings all day. It encouraged me to put myself out there.
- What is the most popular type of reading with customers?
I am an empath so tend to take on a lot of people's emotions. I feel a lot of other people's emotions around me so if someone is feeling good, I feel happy around them. If they are depressed or anxious, I pick up on that too. When a client asks me "how does (fill in the blank) feel about me?" or "What are you getting on (fill in the blank)?" I pick up on a person's energy and convey that to the client. I get a lot of characterizations, physical descriptions, and often times, phrases. I don't sugarcoat anything and will tell the client to expect a straightforward answer.
Clients will tell me that I am spot on or I will get follow-up readings because what we discussed did happen or they are now looking for the next step. I get a lot of relationship readings which include intimate, family, and friendships.
- For you, what is the most DIFFICULT part about being a Psychic Medium?
Mediumship has a completely different vibe than psychic readings. When a client is wanting to make connections with a loved one, they are looking for evidence that it is their Grandma, Husband, Wife, etc. I am getting a lot of mediumship clients in the past year because I feel more confident in giving them.
If a client cries from the reading, I feel like healing from their Loved Ones has come through for them and it has brought some peace. I will say that clients that didn't get to say goodbye during the Pandemic to their Loved Ones have been probably the hardest to hear. Clients feel guilty for not being there for their Loved Ones that passed. When I tell a client that their Loved One was never upset with them for not being there at the end, it feels like a burden has been lifted from their shoulder.
- How have things changed for you during the pandemic, and how have you adjusted?
I made changes during the Pandemic by giving more phone readings plus adding ZOOM readings for some clients. I have done many parties in person during the Pandemic and now on plus ZOOM parties. I have met so many wonderful people through this work and have received some fantastic referrals and testimonials.
I feel like I am just here to pass on information that validates a client's situation: I am just the Messenger. I have so many clients that are very intuitive themselves, but sometimes they just need validation to back it up.
- Any final words of wisdom or parting thoughts for our readers in these trying times?
Words of encouragement:
- Stay Positive
- Turn off the Mainstream Media and Negative News
- Listen to that InnerVoice
- Say Positive Affirmations about yourself
- Pray Daily
I love new clients
Thank you for the opportunity to give my story.
Michelle Gray
