‘Monica the Medium’ talks about her psychic gifts

We met Monica Ten-Kate aka “Monica the Medium,” a 21-year-old medium who is able to connect with people no longer on Earth. She was so nice and you can see her show on ABC Family or visit her website: monicathemedium.com

Are you ever worried about what you’re going to find in your reading?

Only in the sense that I never want to offend anybody or misinterpret something and then they’re like, “Wait. No, what?” I don’t want to say something that if I misinterpret would change the way that they look at that person, that loved one, in the time that they had here in the physical world.

Do you consider your ability a burden or a gift?

Absolutely a gift. I never consider it a burden. I would just say it’s sometimes overwhelming to balance. It’s not a burden — it can sometimes be hard to juggle everything.

Why do you think you were given this ability?

The start of all this, when I first came out of the “medium closet,” I really struggled with the part of it where it’s, “Why me?” I’m not a Mother Teresa, I’m not a saint or the pope or anything like that. I don’t necessarily understand what it is about me that is chosen maybe among other people to do something like this, but it’s very clear to me that I’m supposed to and it’s helping a lot of people.

Is it stressful being on the show?

I would say no, not really, because they just kind of follow me around with cameras. I would say there’s a little bit more added pressure because it is a show about a medium. I guess that’s the only thing that sometimes can be stressful. Like, I want to be able to share my gift and be able to do that on a day-to-day basis, especially when we’re filming.

How do you let the spirits communicate with you?

I’ll hear them, but not outside of myself like the way I hear you guys. I hear them in the form of my thoughts’ voice. Like kind of how you guys see a daydream, like a scene of a movie playing in your head or a little flash of an image. And then I’ll also feel things. I’ll feel physical sensations, like, if they died from lung cancer, I won’t be able to breathe or if they died from something foul or stomach-cancer related, I’ll get, like, cramps there.

Have you ever used your powers to get information on someone you like?

Yes. To get a little bit of information. Guys will sometimes be intimidated or scared being like, “I don’t want to date you because I don’t want this girl to know everything about me, all my deepest darkest secrets. Like that’s creepy.” So I never invade the privacy. Like spirits would give me a red flag symbol if he’s shady, to get away.

How long does it take to film an episode?

Each episode kind of ranges between a week, two weeks max. Some are longer depending on what’s going on in my life and what they’re tracking in that one episode.