Welcome at Flow of Miracles

Dear People,

While I already wrote about what questions I won't answer but recently I was also asked twice about what type of clients aren't welcome in my practice. It's a difficult question to answer, because I would like to say everybody is welcome, but the truth is that this just isn't possible. It's fair to say that I have two groups of people who I don't tend to work with.

Group 1: People whose problems I can't solve/who are better off with somebody else
While I'd love to help everybody, the truth is that sometimes I don't see the results I want. I've never had 0 results, but sometimes the results aren't on the issue the client feels is most urgent. I often find that if we continue working there will be a shift in what is considered the 'main issue'. However, if it doesn't do this within a reasonable time frame, I will start looking at alternatives for my client.

For example: somebody might come with problems concerning weight and first will find more energy, better sleeping patterns and less snacking, but no direct results on their weight in the first few sessions.

It can also be that the problem goes away too slowly and I feel that a client is better served going to someone who works differently. I mainly work on the emotional/mental and spiritual side of issues and sometimes another approach gives faster results or might even be paid for by insurance.

Whenever I feel that you are not best served by my work, I feel it's my duty to tell you to at least try somewhere else. So even if clients insist that they want to stay I often ask them to take a break from sessions with me, explore another option or at least think about it and then think long and hard if they really want to continue. However, if you are satisfied and don't mind going slow(er) I will respect a clients choice, unless I truly feel that I'm doing them a disservice. I won't work against my own conscience.

Group 2: People who don't respect the rules of my practice/don't work well with me
I'm very transparent about how I like to work, what my rules and guidelines are and how I feel we will get the best results. Some people who come to my practice feel hopeless, don't think it's going to make a difference or have a 'wait and see'-approach. While that doesn't make for the easiest working relationships, I do understand where that attitude is coming from and am fine with it. Often, it starts to shift when results are coming in.

Sometimes however, this attitude doesn't change or even becomes combative. You are free to take my advice or not and to choose how you want to live your life, but don't choose something else and then come and complain that your life isn't moving like I said it would. For my own health and well being, I then have to let go of a client. I don't want to get stuck in power struggles about what is really changing in a clients life and what isn't and why.

Another problem are clients or potential clients who don't want to respect the rules of the practice. They want free consultations and will call between 7pm-8pm to ask me to answer their questions. That time I have set aside for making or changing appointments and discussing if I can help you and I usually don't have the peace and quiet necessarily to do Readings. I will of course also explain that I don't work for free. Still I have people who continue to try this. I once had to hang up on somebody who had tried this on at least 4 different occasions and just kept going on the last occasion by saying: "It was just a quick/small question". Even if it is, I don't have to work for free and I don't want to during this particular time in my evenings.

I also have people who are angry about having to pay for cancelling late or not cancelling at all. While I understand that it's hard to pay while you feel you have received 'nothing', I did do preparation work, kept your spot open and told you in advance this is how I work. If you don't agree with how I work, you are free to find somebody who works the way you want.

Still I have had clients who keep trying to persuade me to work in ways they want (no cancellation fees, working without feedback, not keeping appointments, wanting extra's, working for free etc.). Again, for both of our sakes it's better to discontinue working together as I thought long and hard on why I want to work this way and I don't feel inclined to change it. It's fine when clients ask if something is possible/if I can make an exception, but if you can't accept a no and keep on pushing boundaries, I'm not interested in keeping you as a client.

What's surprising for most people is that I don't ban clients who have mental problems, don't ban addicts etc. I always check on a case by case basis if I can help you and no group is banned in advance. While it can be more difficult to work with people struggling with these issues, I am always willing to try.

Have a question for me? Ask me in the practice, send me an e-mail or post a comment on the blog or Facebook Fan Page.