Questions and Answers

Sometimes your companion calls me first. As soon as I see the photo—or sometimes just read or hear their name—they start coming through, like they’re knocking at my door. Other times I need to call them. I can’t explain the mechanics (I wish I could!), and everyone’s process is different. For me, I need to focus, set my intention, open the door, say a few words of gratitude, and they enter.

Connecting with an animal is not about force. Concentrating “harder” doesn’t make it easier. Letting go, and giving space to welcome in the soul (or consciousness, if you prefer) is how I connect. A conversation takes two. No one forces the other to be there and either one can walk away at any time.

You already do! Those little knowings like, “Sally is hungry,” or “I think Jimmy has to go out,” or “I just get the feeling that something’s wrong with Katrina….,” are often messages your companion sent you. But you’re so close, you may not hear words or see images; you just have “a knowing”. You just know. That’s all that there is to it.

A lot of animal communicators report having trouble connecting with their own companions. I believe it’s kind of like standing too close to an amp when you’re holding the microphone—we’re entwined with one another so we don’t get the words and images clearly; there’s too much static and feedback. And because they’re right there in front of us, we chalk it up to reading their body language.

However, if your companion has crossed over, you may find that in your new way of connecting, you can hear words or see pictures. Without their body to give you clues, they find other ways to communicate. At least, that’s been my experience. 

I talk to my Skip and my foster dogs the same way you speak to your companions: with words outloud, facial expressions, dramatic expressions, and vocalizations. I don’t need to connect in the outer realm as they’re right here in front me.

I communicate with Tucker on the same plane I speak with your companion. While in some stages of grief, I could not feel him or see him. But then one day it happened: I heard his words. And I started to feel his presence something I hadn’t felt when he was with me, because he didn’t feel like an “other”, but just a part of me.

Our relationship has evolved over the last year, and he no longer feels like an “other” but is back to being a part of me. So I don’t always feel his presence as obviously, but I know he’s there. I still talk to him outloud as well, acknowledging when I feel his presence strongly and I still always wish a good night and good morning.

The human brain has a propensity to fill in color when there’s space and to fill in silence with noise. If I’m waiting for an image to come through or listening for an animal’s words and I already know what your house looks like or what your dog eats for dinner, my mind will start to fill in the silence and blank space, and I won’t be open to hear what your pet is actually saying and see what they’re showing me. 

Basic stats like names, gender, and whether living-or-not are not always as relevant to them as they are to us, so asking that up front makes it easier to tailor the conversation to them and not waste time trying to get them to tell me.

Technically, I don’t need a photo in order to connect. However, I find that looking into their eyes helps me keep the connection, and it gives me objective imagery from which to start.

Animals are like us: how they view themselves is not necessarily how others view them. I may be talking to a Chihuahua, but he presents himself as a massive German Shepherd because in his mind, he’s a guard dog. Or a Great Dane might show me he’s a little fluffy lapdog because he likes to crawl up on his people’s laps. And your barn cat may show me that they’re a bobcat because they’re fierce and feel wild.

So ultimately, the photo is just there for my reference. That said, I usually zoom in on the eyes and don’t take into consideration the rest of the photo.

I did a lot of shopping around (as I always do when investing in something) to learn more about honing my skill. I had taken a few free workshops on the Gaia Channel and followed a few animal communicators who I highly respect. But none of the classes really resonated with my learning style and what I needed.

Then one night, the Great All-Knowing Algorithm showed me a post by animal communicator Lori Cowan where she discussed how she learned. I like Lori’s communication style and what she had to say about the program, so I did a deep dive to learn more about her teacher, Nikki Vasconez. It didn’t take long for me to conclude that Nikki and her program were exactly what I was looking for.

Nikki Vasconez is direct (as a New Englander, I appreciate that), kind, a super good teacher, and she goes beyond just how to communicate and teaches how to run a business. She shares her experience and creates a community for all of us to share, learn, celebrate, and grow together.  It’s a lifelong membership into an incredible club and exactly what’s taken me to the next level.

It’s not a program for the hobbyist; it’s a professional curriculum with a professional level investment. If you want to help animals share their stories, I highly recommend applying and having a one-on-one conversation: https://nikkivasconez.com/

Full transparency: if you mention you heard about her me, I will get a small referral fee.

There is no set time.  You can’t force a conversation beyond its natural limit and it’s pretty rude to leave in the middle. I find that the conversations range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. I let the animal lead and some have loads to say and others, not so much.

For those still in the earthly realm, I touch upon basics like how they feel about their food, their sleeping arrangements, water, activities, things going on in the house, people in their lives, and other animals. If an animal is in spirit, we may still discuss those items, but we tend to talk more about their favorite memories, their thoughts on your current situation, and how they give signs that they’re still with you.

After we’ve talked about all that, I go to the questions or comments you’ve submitted and we discuss those if the conversation hasn’t already led us there.

I have been in training since April 2026. After doing sessions with other classmates (and while continuing to do so), it's time for me to do practice sessions with the general public. You and your companion are helping me gain accuracy and develop my business structure before making this my full time career. 

In lieu of monetary funds, you're giving detailed feedback - what resonated, what didn't, and if there's any suggestions you have on making the service better. I believe the best businesses are those that listen to their customers. I’m not just listening to your companion; I'm listening to you.