Why I Write: Rebecca Rosen

In 1998, while I was a student at the University of Florida, I slipped into a deep depression after my father attempted suicide and my always solid family fell apart. My depression manifested itself in an eating disorder, one where I got up in the middle of the night and ate in my sleep. Talk about a nightmare! It was when I was in this very dark and shameful place that I called out for help and that's when my grandmother Babe, the one who died when I was a young girl, answered the call.

Receiving comfort from the dead? Yes, you read that right. And I know this probably sounds like the talk of a real head case, but I assure you, I'm a regular gal like many of you. I'm in my 30s, happily married, a working mother and a Denver suburbanite. I struggle with my share of good and bad days and how to juggle my career with the needs of my family. Sound familiar? There's just one little twist: I'm a professional psychic medium. I communicate with spirits on a regular basis—you know, dead people who linger around to provide advice and offer relief to the living. Now, stop rolling your eyes—I'm not your stereotypical woo-woo. No flowing robes, no lingering scent of patchouli. I look and talk just like many of my clients who, believe me, are quite normal. In fact, you may have seen me explaining my uncommon job on TV or read about me in your newspaper and thought, she doesn't look too out there.

Most of the time, clients seek me out because they can't get past the death of a loved one, and their grief is dragging down their spirit and getting in the way of their everyday lives. For nearly 10 years now, it's been my honor to provide solace and relief to thousands of grieving people who have come to me hoping that I will connect them with a cherished loved one who passed on.

A few years ago, an interesting pattern started taking shape that became the inspiration for my book Spirited. During readings with clients, after receiving what I call validations, or proof, that their loved ones were at peace and still with them on some level, spirits turned their attention to helping the living with their very down-to-earth, daily problems. No kidding! I remember thinking, so the dead are the new self- help experts now? Acting as a medium, or middle gal, between spirit and clients, I've helped thousands of people confront relationship problems, financial woes, low self-esteem, depression, intimacy fears, substance abuse, anger, control issues and even weight problems. Is this because I see the future? No, I'm not a fortune-teller. Remember, no scarves or crystal balls. With the help of Spirit, I simply illuminate the truth about your life right now.

Whenever clients thank me for providing them with clarity, hope and relief when they most needed it, I'm reminded why I do this crazy work—I love helping people. But I want to let you in on a little secret, one I hope you'll learn by reading Spirited: you actually don't need me, or any other psychic, to resolve the personal challenge that's holding you back. You can get clear all on your own, not by becoming a psychic medium, but by just being you. Truly, the only difference between you and me is that I've mastered a skill that you haven't developed yet. In my book, you will learn how to tap into your own intuitive knowing, as well as recognize and interpret spirit energy—a support system available to you at any time. I wrote this book because while helping people is a sweet reward, helping people help themselves is the greater accomplishment.