How to Find Safe Mediumship Practice Groups

If you've decided to develop your mediumship and you're looking for somewhere to practise, you've already done the hard bit. Most people never take that step. But the next question is genuinely tricky: where do you go, and how do you tell the good groups from the not-so-good ones?

I've been in this world a long time, both as a developing medium and now as a teacher, and I've seen the full range. Brilliant groups that changed my life. Groups I should have walked out of much sooner. Teachers who poured into their students and teachers who used the room to feed their own ego. So here's an honest guide to what to look for, what to avoid, and how to find somewhere that actually serves your development.

The main options, and what each one is good for

There are roughly four kinds of place you can develop, and they each do different jobs.

Spiritualist churches are brilliant for connection, community, and getting yourself into a regular rhythm of being around mediumship. There are circles attached to most of them, and they're often the most affordable route in. The honest caveat is that some Spiritualist churches can feel a bit dated, in style if not in substance. If you walk in and the energy feels right, lovely. If it doesn't quite click, that's fine too. They're not the only option.

Online development circles have changed things enormously. You can sit in a circle with people from different countries, different cultures, different backgrounds, all in one room, and the mediumship works exactly the same online as it does in person. The variety is genuinely valuable because it stretches your ability to work with energies you wouldn't otherwise meet. Add the convenience (no driving, no parking, no leaving the house) and online has become the most accessible route in for a lot of people.

In-person development groups still have something special about them. The shared energy in a physical room is its own thing, and many mediums credit a particular in-person circle as the place they really developed. They're harder to find than they used to be, and quality varies enormously, but if there's a good one near you, it's worth trying.

Courses, workshops, and mentorship are different again. These tend to be paid, structured, and (importantly) include feedback. We'll come back to feedback in a moment, because it's one of the biggest differences between a circle and a course, and it matters more than most beginners realise.

A lot of developing mediums end up doing a mix: a regular circle for ongoing practice, with occasional workshops or mentorship for deeper feedback and growth. There's no single right path.

Red flags in a teacher

This is the bit that matters most, because the teacher sets the tone for everything else.

The biggest red flag, for me, is a teacher who hands students the answers. A good teacher doesn't tell you what to think; they help you discover what you already know. If you're sitting in a circle and the teacher keeps telling you what your experience meant, what the spirit was showing you, what the symbol stood for, run a mile. Mediumship is a deeply personal process. Your relationship with spirit is yours and yours alone, and a good teacher protects that rather than overriding it.

Other things worth watching for:

A teacher who isn't doing the thing they're teaching professionally. If someone is teaching platform mediumship, they should be working on platforms. If they're teaching evidential reading, they should be doing readings. You wouldn't take cooking lessons from someone who doesn't cook, and you shouldn't take mediumship development from someone who isn't out there using it.

A teacher who fosters dependency. If you're being told you can't do this without them, that you need their special method, that the spirit world has chosen them specifically to share this with you, please find a different teacher. The whole point of development is that you become more capable of working independently, not less.

A teacher who introduces fear. Curses, attachments, dark forces that only they can clear (usually for an extra fee). This pattern is depressingly common in spiritual circles, and it preys on people who are still figuring things out. Good mediumship doesn't operate from fear, and good teachers don't sell it.

A teacher who can't take a challenge. If a student gently questions something and the teacher gets defensive, snippy, or shuts the conversation down, that tells you everything you need to know. Mediumship is full of legitimate questions and disagreements, and a good teacher welcomes them.

Red flags in a group

The group itself matters as much as the teacher.

Cliquey groups are a thing, especially in long-standing circles where everyone has been together for years. If you walk in and feel iced out, that's worth listening to. You shouldn't have to earn your way into being treated decently. Sometimes a group warms up after a few weeks, and that's fair enough. Sometimes it doesn't, and that means the group isn't right for you.

Groups built around one personality. If everything in the circle revolves around what the teacher says, what the teacher experienced, what the teacher's spirit guides have decreed, it's not a circle. It's a fan club. You're there to develop, not to admire.

Groups that mock other mediums or other approaches. Spiritual development attracts a surprising amount of bitchiness, which always makes me sad because the spirit world is so much bigger than the petty stuff. If a group spends a lot of time slagging off other teachers, that's a sign the energy isn't quite right.

Groups with no boundaries. Things should run to a roughly predictable schedule. People should be safe to say "I'm not feeling it tonight" without being pressured. There should be space for you to opt out of an exercise. If the group treats your participation as compulsory and your comfort as optional, that's not a safe space.

What about certifications and qualifications?

A reasonable question, because there are bodies in the UK that offer certification, accreditation, and so on, and you'll see teachers list these on their websites.

My honest view: certification can be a useful signal but it's not the main thing. Some certified teachers are excellent. Some are not. Some uncertified teachers are world-class. Some are dreadful. The piece of paper tells you the person did the training. It doesn't tell you whether they're a working medium, a good teacher, or someone who treats their students well.

The more reliable signal is the teacher's body of work. Are they actually doing this professionally? Do they demonstrate, do readings, run events, write, podcast, teach in places other than their own circle? Can you see them at work somewhere, on stage, on video, on a podcast? Do students they've taught go on to develop into working mediums themselves?

A long, visible track record of doing the work matters more than any certificate. Look at what someone does, not just what they've badged themselves with.

On paying for your development

This one's nuanced.

I think you should pay, and you should commit. Free circles exist, and some of them are wonderful, but most people get more out of development they've invested in. Skin in the game is real. The bit of you that's reluctantly handing over the money is the same bit of you that's going to show up on the dark wet Wednesday when you don't really fancy it.

But there's a difference between paying fairly and being charged extortionately. Mediumship development shouldn't cost the earth. If a course is priced like it's a luxury brand and the offer is essentially the same as what others offer for a quarter of the price, that's worth pausing on. Same with mentorship programmes that ask for huge sums upfront and won't let you commit in smaller increments.

A good test: would the teacher offer you any of this for free if you genuinely couldn't afford it? Real teachers want students to develop. Some of the best ones in the world have paid forward what they once received. If everything is firmly behind a paywall with no flexibility, that's information.

Feedback: the difference between a circle and a course

This is the bit a lot of beginners miss, so it's worth saying clearly.

A circle is generally not where you get detailed feedback. You sit in a circle to practise, to feel the energy of working alongside other developing mediums, to take your turn at giving and receiving. The teacher might offer light coaching as you go, but full, considered feedback on your individual development usually isn't part of it.

If feedback is what you want, that's a course, a workshop, or one-on-one mentorship. These are structured around exactly that: you work, the teacher critiques, you adjust, you work again. It's more intensive, and it's where most real growth happens.

So plan accordingly. If you've sat in a circle for two years and feel you're not progressing, it might not be that you're not progressing. It might be that you're not getting the kind of input that produces visible progress. A course or some mentorship alongside the circle is often the missing piece.

Questions to ask before joining anything

Worth thinking about before you commit, because the right questions surface a lot in a short conversation:

What does a typical session look like? (Good groups can answer this clearly.)

Will I get feedback, and what kind? (If yes, brilliant. If no, that's fine too, but you need to know.)

How long is the commitment, and what happens if I want to leave? (Real teachers don't lock people in.)

Who else attends, and what are their levels? (Some groups suit beginners; others are advanced. Mismatched levels can be frustrating on both sides.)

What's your own working life as a medium? Where can I see you work? (A teacher should be able to answer this without dodging.)

What do you do when a student is struggling? (Listen to the answer. Compassion or judgement? Patience or frustration?)

How do you handle disagreements with students? (Tells you a lot about ego.)

The kiss-frogs principle

Worth saying gently. You will probably not find the perfect group on your first try. That's normal, and it doesn't mean development isn't for you.

You might try a Spiritualist church and not click with the format. Try an online circle and find the teacher's style doesn't fit yours. Sit in a group for a few weeks and realise the people aren't your people. None of this is failure. It's the process of working out what suits you, and that takes a bit of kissing frogs to find your prince.

What matters is that you keep going. The right group is out there, and when you find it, you'll know.

A last honest word

Developing mediumship is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and a good practice group accelerates that enormously. But the wrong group can put people off the work entirely, and that's a real shame, because the people who get put off are often the ones who would have been the most thoughtful mediums.

So take your time. Trust your gut. Don't ignore the small signs that something isn't right, and don't talk yourself out of leaving if you need to. Your development is yours, and the right teachers and groups are the ones who help you grow into your own version of this work, not theirs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mediumship development circle? A circle is a regular practice group where developing mediums come together to work with energy and spirit under the guidance of a more experienced medium or teacher. The format varies, but the purpose is shared practice rather than detailed individual feedback.

Do I need to join a Spiritualist church to develop my mediumship? No. Spiritualist churches are one route in, and a good one for some people, but they're not the only option. Online circles, in-person development groups, courses, and mentorship all work. The right one is the one that fits your style and gives you space to grow.

Are online mediumship circles as good as in-person ones? Yes. The mediumship works exactly the same online as in person. Online circles have the advantage of bringing together people from different backgrounds and countries, which broadens your experience. In-person has its own special quality. Neither is better in principle; they're different.

How much should I pay for a mediumship development group? A fair amount, not a fortune. Most regular circles run at modest prices because they're about ongoing practice. Courses and mentorship cost more because they include feedback and structure. Be wary of anything that feels extortionate or that won't let you commit in smaller, manageable amounts.

Should I look for a teacher with certifications? A certificate is one signal, but it's not the main thing. The more reliable signs are whether the teacher actually works as a medium professionally, whether they have a visible track record (demonstrations, readings, podcasts, students who've gone on to work), and how they treat their students. A long body of real work is worth more than any badge.

What are the biggest red flags in a mediumship teacher? Teachers who hand you the answers rather than help you discover them. Teachers who foster dependency or claim special powers others don't have. Teachers who introduce fear (curses, attachments, dark forces) and offer to clear it for a fee. Teachers who can't take questions or challenges without getting defensive. Teachers who aren't actually doing the thing they're teaching.

Will I get personal feedback in a circle? Usually not in detail. Circles are about shared practice rather than individual coaching. If you want feedback on your development, look for a course, a workshop, or one-on-one mentorship with a teacher.

How do I know if a group is right for me? Trust your gut. A safe, useful group will feel welcoming (or at least neutral), well-run, and focused on your development rather than the teacher's ego. If it feels off, it probably is. You shouldn't have to talk yourself into staying somewhere that doesn't feel right.

Looking for the right place to develop is part of the journey itself. The questioning mind that brought you to this article is exactly what you need to find the group that genuinely serves you.

If you'd like to develop somewhere that runs on these principles, you're welcome at mine. I run monthly online circles inside Spirit Social, the community space I built for people who want somewhere safe to develop their mediumship, ask questions, and connect with others on the same path. It's exactly what I'd have wanted when I was starting out: honest, supportive, and free of the gatekeeping nonsense.