Repeat clients with "issues"

Hi all,

I have only been reading professionally since January of this year, so I am still, very new to this aspect. I have one client that I have done 2 readings for thus far. This morning, I awoke, to a third request for 2 more readings from this client along with a story about how she did what what we discussed in my last reading and all the ways that it's not working out and ends the email with a line about how the Universe has really pulled a fast one on her. Now, I realize that she's obviously in a victim place here and needing someone to blame. My question is this.... On repeat clients, do you just treat the readings as totally new and independent or do you attempt to try and weave it all together and get them to see where they might have gone wrong at interpreting the first reading?

Thanks in advance....

Blessings,

Jamie

Sounds like she is also laying consequences of her actions off on you.
Be careful how you phrase your readings, your responsibility isn't to be a therapist.

"She did what we discussed in her last reading". Does this mean you tried to give her advice on your own aside from what advice the cards gave her? It's easy to fall into this pattern when you're new at reading for others because of the desire to help them, but it can get you hooked into an unhealthy relationship with your clients because then they view you as someone they can rely on for directions how to---or how not to---deal with issues in their lives that they should deal with for themselves and they become dependent on you. It's very important to stick to giving only the advice the cards show and nothing more. You have to keep it professional and not personal, because your only job, as AJ has said, is to read the cards, not to be a therapist.

When we're using the term "therapist", that doesn't mean we're insinuating that you're trying to pass yourself off as a therapist if you're not one. It only means that if you take it into a personal realm by giving your own advice to the client, then you're acting as a therapist in effect. If we didn't want to help people, we wouldn't read the cards, but we have to be careful not to overstep the boundaries of what being a Tarot reader entails. We're there to read the cards and tell the client what the cards say. Period. Anything more and we're going to invite the unhealthy relationships from clients that are somewhat unstable. That doesn't help the clients at all and it's very difficult for you to break the cycle with them without hard feelings.

To answer your question more specifically, since I didn't do a very good job of it so far---

You don't try to go back and weave everything together unless the cards show that or unless that's what you've asked the cards to show you. You simply read what the cards in front of you say each time. If you see that they're leading you to see things that weave the story together, then that's what you tell her.

I think I see in this situation that this is going to be a client who will abuse the relationship between you as client and reader. There are people who are addicted to Tarot readings, believe it or not. I suggest that you wean her away from this before it gets out of hand. Tell her that your policy is to only do one reading every month for people. Or tell her that your schedule is just too full to accept appointments so close together. Do whatever you need to do to draw back and put the perspective on being an impartial, impersonal reader, keeping her at arm's length as a client, not a friend.

Good luck with your Tarot business! I hope it blossoms and flourishes for you! Congratulations on taking the plunge!

OH I am so glad you posted this. I have the same problem - I'll tell you what I did but I would love to hear other's responses about it as well.

I read a woman a month ago and she followed up with at least 10 e-mails..... did I mean this or did I mean that is it this or is it that..... I told her that when I read I am in the moment and rarely remember the reading. I told her I read 12 people that day.

Then I read her again this past saturday (she showed up where I read - I didn't schedule the appt) and she sent me an e-mail yesterday..... it is like she expects me to read her every second! Like I am responsible for every decision she makes!

I read her cards on saturday and I told her what I saw - she is in search of something. I told her that it would come soon. She tried to nail me down with timing and which something was coming....she mentioned this or that and I said I know it is coming soon - it could be this one or that one or a new one.... I really didn't get a feeling for a specific thing..... well now she is all over me because the one she thought was it isn't..... what do I think? Is this what I meant? Why would this happen?

Well I answered the e-mail and was very light - I did NOT reread her nor did I defend my reading. I can't comment on the original reading because I read 10 people that day and I don't remember the cards.....besides they were specific for that moment in time! I think the next time she e-mails me I will have to explain this to her. She isn't getting it! I think I have to speak more plainly to her. I don't know.......


ETA: I don't read as a therapist. I don't portray myself as one. I relay the message I receive. Let us assume L8deblu did the same. And that we both read objectively and nonjudgmentally as professional readers should. Because this is how I took her original post and the intent behind mine.

This is more about boundaries than the message or the reading.

Just as an aside, therapists don't give advice either. It's not a particularly effective method of working with people. Therapists are trained in how to avoid these situations and it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for a card reader to pick up a few of their techniques.

I think that no matter how objective a reader may be, if you do this long enough, you are going to run into those who can't decide what brand if toilet tissue to buy and turn to you for "advice."

When I sense someone is beginning to act like that (usually in subsequent readings), I give the most rudimentary of readings: I describe the basic book "meanings" and then turn the tables on the client, asking what she thinks they mean in terms of her situation. (Like the psychiatrists you see on TV: "And how does that make you feel?") Yeah, maybe it's a cop-out in a way because I'm not really stringing the cards together (and believe me, I've thought about that), but, hopefully, it puts the ball of responsibility into her court and makes her think about what her choices are instead of expecting me to tell her what to do.

This is a great topic, and I'm glad you brought it up, L8deblu! I'm interested in how others handle this.

Oh, and to answer your question: Every reading I do is brand new. I don't try to weave in previous readings (if, even, I could remember them!); however, often the same cards will turn up time and time again because the situation hasn't changed sufficiently to alter them or the client hasn't heeded the advice given by the original spread(s). And the client will say, "Oh, yeah, that card came up in the last reading!"

I have a few repeat clients who do occasionally ask the same question. So long as all they are asking for is a simple follow up and not the end all be all answers to their problems I'm all right with it.

Until I have my own space with a regular flow of clients I'm actually looking for ways to keep more regular clients as a steady source of income. But now reading the advice I here I know I need to be careful.

YOu know I read for a Woman on friday, I was absolutely so annoyed.. I vowed i would neve read for her at all.. all she wanted to know was what she already knew..Um DER!! why in the hell did she come to me?? Big tester!!
and normally when i get a client that keeps saying Nope Nope Nope!! even about a futture that they have no idea about LOL! I normally leave without taking payment .. this day I thought NOPE !! I am charging or this reading..
as she was paying she asked about other types of readings i did.. Automatically i thought NoWAY i am never reading for her again.. EVER!
She knew what she wanted to hear and accepted nothing less..
I am not one to tell people what they want to hear if the cards point in a different direction. Unfortunately for her they did!

I will always be waaay too busy!!

I think repeat offenders , who want you to take control of their every move in life can be extremely dodgy. and become clingons.. scary really!!

I personally would have to leave them alone, not after being extremely blunt about the fact that they need to take control of their own lives.. as i feel our job is to empower them with that ability, through the cards.. and if we know we are talking to a brick wall.. leave it alone.. people cannot be helped if they are not willing to help themselves..

L8deblu said:

This morning, I awoke, to a third request for 2 more readings from this client along with a story about how she did what what we discussed in my last reading and all the ways that it's not working out and ends the email with a line about how the Universe has really pulled a fast one on her. Now, I realize that she's obviously in a victim place here and needing someone to blame. My question is this.... On repeat clients, do you just treat the readings as totally new and independent or do you attempt to try and weave it all together and get them to see where they might have gone wrong at interpreting the first reading?

Click to expand...

I'm getting warning-bells on her. Depending on how close in time the readings have been, she may be developing a reading-dependence. The universe doesn't pull a fast one on anybody - it's got far too much to worry about than to mess with her - she's pulling a fast one on herself.

This is probably the point in time when I'd refer her on: either to another reader, or, if you think it's warranted, to more health-related providers.