Podcast Summary: Intentionally Disturbing

Host: Dr. Leslie
Guest: Lisa Mercer (Medium, Psychic, Psychologist)
Episode Title: Lisa Mercier: I See Dead People
Release Date: August 29, 2025
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This episode delves into the intersection of psychology, mediumship, and trauma work with guest Lisa Mercer—a practicing medium and psychic who also has a background in victim advocacy and law enforcement. Host Dr. Leslie, known for her skepticism and clinical experience, approaches the interview with both humor and a desire for authenticity. The conversation is an unfiltered exploration of spiritual experiences, the reality (and skepticism) of mediumship, and the therapeutic implications of connecting with the dead for trauma survivors.

Main Discussion Themes

1. Lisa's Identity as a Medium and Psychologist

• Lisa introduces herself as a psychic medium who communicates with and feels both the emotional and physical experiences of the dead, sharing messages from spirits to the living.
• Dr. Leslie reveals her initial skepticism, her journey from "evangelistic atheist," and how witnessing Lisa's work led her to believe in the presence of spirits.
  Quote:
  "It was hard for me to believe... And now I, like, really fucking believe it." (Dr. Leslie, 03:38)

2. Childhood Experiences & Religious Conflict

• Lisa recalls her first encounter with a spirit at age four, growing up suppressing her abilities due to her Christian upbringing, and the anxiety that resulted from denying her gift.
• Discussion of the church's rejection of mediumship, scriptural prohibitions, and Lisa's journey towards self-acceptance.
  Quote:
  "I pretended, acted like it wasn’t inside of me, because this is absolutely not in agreement with the values of the Christian church." (Lisa Mercer, 06:24)

3. The Experience and Training of a Medium

• Lisa details the difference between “dark” and “light” energies, her process for establishing strong boundaries with spirits, and how she manages intrusive energies in her daily life.
• Transition from chaotic, uncontrolled experiences to professional training in her late 20s (including psychic development and mediumship programs), allowing her to work with intention and structure.
• Emphasizes the importance of having boundaries to maintain a normal life.
  Quote:
  "The more you suppress your innate talents... the more anxiety you have because you’re not living your truth." (Lisa Mercer, 07:32)

4. Mediumship, Trauma Work, and Grief

• The hosts revisit a powerful group reading at Dr. Leslie’s house, where Lisa relayed details of a participant’s recently deceased brother with stunning accuracy.
  [20:11]
  Quote:
  "You looked up straight into her eyes and you said, 'Is it okay if I talk to you? Because he's been pressuring me. He's handsome, and I feel kind of bashful.'” (Dr. Leslie recounting Lisa, 19:50)
• Discussion of ethical considerations: Lisa sometimes turns away repeat clients if intuitive feelings suggest they’re avoiding grief-processing.
• Lisa's mantra: listen to your own body and intuition about when to seek spiritual guidance.
  Quote:
  "Let your body tell you when you need another reading. And listening to your intuition. Exactly right." (Lisa Mercer, 21:43)

5. First Responder Trauma and Healing Modalities

• Lisa shares her work with trauma survivors—especially first responders—highlighting her ability to provide closure that traditional therapy cannot always offer.
• Incorporates hypnotherapy and guided meditations to access and heal the roots of trauma.
• Story of a trauma therapist client who, after her death, returned to Lisa as a spirit, shifting the therapeutic dynamic.

6. Addressing Extreme Abuse and Mother-Perpetrated Trauma

• Lisa describes a deceased client’s history of severe childhood sexual and physical abuse, raising questions about how mothers can violate the innate maternal bond (“It defies the law of nature.”)
• Delves into the spiritual and psychological aspects of evil and accountability—touching on religious doctrine and personal responsibility.
  Quote:
  "Something is deeply wrong with a female... that allows that to happen to her young, to her baby." (Lisa Mercer, 31:45)

7. Spiritual Insights vs. Religion

• Lisa explains her current view of God—less as a paternal figure, more as an energy of unconditional love, discovered outside the confines of organized religion.
• She credits her background and training with allowing her to hold “both/and” paradigms: skeptical analysis and deep faith.

8. Skepticism, Stigma, and Trust

• Dr. Leslie directly discusses her own and others’ skepticism, pointing out the unique challenge for psychologists in collaborating with mediums.
• Lisa shares a defining moment:
  Quote:
  "'Well, I don’t believe that, but I believe you.' And that shifted everything for me." (Lisa Mercer quoting a police colleague, 38:10)
• Lisa stresses she never tries to convince anyone—she simply provides what she receives and trusts in her authenticity.

9. The Burden and Management of Heavy Work

• Both discuss how their fields require internalizing enormous pain and trauma, and how compartmentalizing and “banking” these energies/experiences is necessary.
• Lisa describes literally feeling the manner of death when working as a medium and “banking” these sensations for professional use.
  Quote:
  "I know what stabbing feels like. I know what a heart attack feels like. I know what stroke feels like. I know what lung cancer feels like." (Lisa Mercer, 41:24)

10. Personal Life and Dating Challenges

• Lisa discusses the difficulties of dating as a medium, the social stigma involved, and the challenge of finding partners who are comfortable with her capacity for deep emotional and energetic perception.
• She expresses contentment and trust that the right relationships will arrive without being forced.

11. Live Reading (On Air)

• At Dr. Leslie’s request, Lisa shares impressions of a young, “cute” male spirit (energetic, unexpected death), and two older spirits she interprets as grandparents.
  [48:00]
• Direct, emotional sharing about Dr. Leslie’s family and her late grandfather’s acknowledgment of family dysfunction and encouragement for personal healing.
  Quote:
  "'He says, do that for yourself. So that you made a joke like, I'm disconnected. I don't have feelings. I'm numb. That's a joke. But that's very true. And he says, don't live like that.'" (Lisa Mercer, 52:35)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "This is not me creating magic. I’m just their vocal cords." (Lisa Mercer, 04:57)
• "I can feel negative dark energy. And then I can also feel light energy... You use your words, use your voice, project your energy." (Lisa Mercer, 09:52)
• "You should never believe something just because someone tells you to believe it." (Lisa Mercer, 39:24)
• "You have to give a space between when people see their dead family members... otherwise this is delaying them processing the grief." (Lisa Mercer, 21:14)
• "You get to just—in your own line of work, but also you know how to help people heal. Do that for yourself." (Lisa Mercer (to Dr. Leslie, channeling her grandfather), 52:35)

Key Timestamps

• 02:07–03:38 – Host intro and Lisa's self-definition as a medium
• 06:01–08:34 – Lisa's early memories and family upbringing
• 14:12–15:28 – Maintaining boundaries with spirits, living a normal life
• 19:50–21:14 – Dr. Leslie’s personal account of a group reading
• 25:36–29:31 – Trauma work and hypnotherapy explanation
• 31:11–33:03 – Severe abuse case and spiritual reflections on evil
• 39:23–40:11 – Handling skepticism, trust, and professional identity
• 41:47–45:00 – Heavy emotional content, compartmentalization, and dating life
• 48:00–52:56 – Live medium reading for Dr. Leslie and her family dynamics

Concluding Thoughts

The conversation between Dr. Leslie and Lisa Mercer is a raw, darkly humorous, and deeply human examination of life, death, and everything in between. Lisa’s non-dogmatic approach, professional ethics, and willingness to address both skepticism and trauma head-on give the episode substance well beyond typical discussions of mediumship. The episode concludes with a spontaneous spiritual reading, underscoring both the intimacy and complexity of Lisa’s work.

Listen for: Sarcasm, skepticism, real talk about trauma and death, and a nuanced, non-sensational take on what it is to “see dead people”—all wrapped in dark wit.