Definitions of Terms


  • Channel - Someone who uses their extra-sensory perception to receive messages from spirit. Messages may be received mentally, through writing or via a trance state. Also see: Medium.

  • Clairvoyant/Seer - As for Psychic Reader, however we distinguish clairvoyants/seers for their ability to look into and accurately predict the future.

  • Client - Someone who seeks the service of an Intuitive Services Provider.

  • Divination - We refer to this as the process of accessing information via intuitive tools for prediction purposes. While anyone can follow a guidebook to interpret various intuitive tools, those we consider professional intuitives will go beyond provided information to accurately interpret the messages specifically for individual clients and their needs. See Intuitive Tools.

  • Dowsing - Detecting hidden water, metals, gemstones or other objects (and information). Detection is often made through the movement or vibrations of an apparatus, such as a pendulum, Y-shaped twig or L-shaped rod.

  • Energy Practitioner - One of two main classifications of the PSI Association, referring to Intuitive Services Providers who provide clients with energy-based services. Although all intuitive service providers can be classed as energy practitioners, for the purposes of clarity, we define them as anyone who is not offering a reading-specific type of role. This includes healers, dowsers, reiki, crystal healing, psychic healing, aura and chakra healing, guided visualisation and meditation, distance healing, etc. Energy Practitioners may also engage in physical modalities with the assistance of their intuition to support their healing service, e.g. kinesiology, reflexology, therapeutic touch, etc.

  • Intuitive Reader - One of two main classifications of the PSI Association, referring to Intuitive Services Providers who accurately connect with, read and interpret psychic energy. Such abilities include what we refer to as Psychic Readers, Clairvoyants/Seers, plus Mediums and Channels Intuitive Readers are also those who use tools to assist their abilities - see Divination.

  • Intuitive Services Provider - A professional who works with his or her energy and the energy of others (with or without the use of intuitive tools) including Intuitive Readers and Energy Practitioners.

  • Intuitive Tools - Used in intuitive services to aid or direct psychic abilities for reading, prediction or dowsing purposes, e.g. tarot, crystals, pendulums, tea leaves, coffee grounds and various oracles such as cards, runes and I-Ching.

  • Intuitive Services - Services based on working with psychic energy/intuition to provide clients with prediction, reading, dowsing or healing services.

  • Medium - Someone who acts as an intermediary between the physical world and the spiritual world. Mediumship involves channeling messages from spirit - see Channel.

  • Member - A member of the PSI Association, either a Full Member, Initiate Member or Affiliate Member - see the 'Join Us' links to the right for more information.

  • Psychic Reader - Someone who reads the energy of people (personality, attitudes, emotions and intentions) and situations of the past and/or present. We refer to Psychic Readers as energy readers other than those who can see into the future (see Clairvoyants/Seers).