Lisa Mercier: I See Dead People.

Summary

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.

Transcript

[Dr. Leslie]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Podcast Announcer]

Calling all true crime junkies. This October, the hosts of Stuff They Don't Want yout To Know, Buried Bones and Betrayal are hitting the high seas on the first ever true crime voyage from award winning kid. Free Virgin Voyages book [e-mail] truecrime hey.

[Commercial Voice]

It'S Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made fifteen dollar bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Podcast Announcer]

Of $45 for three month plan equivalent to 15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy taxes and fees extra cement mobile.com.

[Commercial Voice]

This Labor Day at Lowe's Shop Member only Doorbuster deals for a limited time save $50 on an ego string trimmer now $169 plus get 50% off select HOL not a rewards member. Sign up for free today but hurry. Labor Day doorbuster deals won't last long. Lowe's we help you save valid through 91 while supplies last program subject to terms and conditions. [e-mail] Terms subject to change.

[Podcast Announcer]

Some dresses are for errands, some dresses are for parties. And then there's Hill House for dresses that do both effortlessly. Hill House Home is the brand behind the viral nap dress, known for its signature smocking, ultra flattering fit and comfort that makes it a favorite for just about everyone. There has never been a dress that has been more made for me than the nap dress. You can wear it at home, you can wear it outside, you can wear it anywhere and you can take a nap in it. What more do you need? Get 15% off your first order of $100 or more at Hill House home.com with code murder15. That's murder15 for 15% off at Hill House home.com Goodby.

[Lisa Mercer]

Hey, you're here.

[Dr. Leslie]

My name is Dr. Leslie and this is intentionally disturbing. Today my guest is Lisa Mercer. Lisa sees dead people. She identifies as a medium and as a psychologist. I've always been very skeptical and we hashed this out. But at the end of the day I believe her. And I believe that while we were talking, dead people were in the room and they were talking to me and I think my grandfather was there. I hope you enjoy this episode and maybe not criticize or judge so quickly things you are not familiar with. Oh, hey, you're here. I'm Dr. Leslie, and this is intentionally disturbing. I would like you to meet my friend who sees dead people, Lisa Mercer. Now, this is not how she would define herself, so I'm going to bring her right in and let her define herself. Lisa, what do you do?

[Lisa Mercer]

Thank you. I talked to dead people.

[Dr. Leslie]

Thank you for being here, by the way.

[Lisa Mercer]

Thank you for having me. And we go kind of not far back, but we go back enough. I am a medium. I'm a psychic medium. I see and talk to and feel dead people for a living.

[Dr. Leslie]

Feel?

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes, feel.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh. Like emotionally.

[Lisa Mercer]

I can feel emotions from them. I can also feel physically an ailment, an ache or a pain that they dealt with in life. And oftentimes they will let me know through feeling how they died.

[Dr. Leslie]

That's fucking crazy.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes, it is.

[Dr. Leslie]

Okay, so as a psychologist. Right. It was hard for me to believe.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes.

[Dr. Leslie]

And now I, like, really fucking believe it.

[Lisa Mercer]

What changed your mind?

[Dr. Leslie]

Seeing you in action.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. Yeah, I love that. Well, so I'm not. I'm never in the business of convincing people that what I do is real. My kind of philosophy is, people find me. If you're curious, if you are in grief and you need kind of an extra different modality on how to help you heal, come find me. But I'm not. I don't care if people believe or don't believe. And so I just kind of do my thing. And I'm always. I get such a kick out of people like you who are like, nope, this is not a thing. This is a bit crazy. But I'm open enough to just see and then have the experience. So. I didn't know that you were, like, a complete non believer, though. I'm glad I didn't know that ahead of time.

[Dr. Leslie]

I was raised atheist.

[Lisa Mercer]

Oh, okay.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like evangelistic atheists.

[Lisa Mercer]

Wow.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like, we were kicked out of people's homes because my father would not shut the fuck up about religion. Wow. Yeah.

[Lisa Mercer]

And I grew up Christian, going to Sunday school every week. Even went to a Christian college. That's so interesting.

[Dr. Leslie]

So opposite.

[Lisa Mercer]

So opposite. And now you. So what do you. Can I ask you a question? I'm, like, on your podcast asking questions. How does that change the experience with me? And by the way, I'm just the mouthpiece for spirit. Spirit, meaning anybody on the other side. It's not me creating magic. I'm just their vocal cords. I'm just putting words behind their messages. So I don't mean to sound like when you had your experience with me, it's not me. Did that change your perspective of God or a higher power or something like that?

[Dr. Leslie]

I wouldn't say a higher power God, but it changed my perspective of the presence of spirits in my daily life and it gave me more hope.

[Lisa Mercer]

Wow.

[Dr. Leslie]

It really was. Yeah, that's. And that's exactly why I wanted to have you on today.

[Lisa Mercer]

Thank you.

[Dr. Leslie]

Because I want the world to see that. Can you talk to me a little bit about how you train for this?

[Lisa Mercer]

Sure.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like how to maybe a non believer.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

So you were a kid when this started and then you kind of got into the training of becoming a medium. Can you take us down that?

[Lisa Mercer]

Sure. So I just like, little backstory. My first memory of seeing a dead person and knowing that I had an ability. I had a gift that not many people around me had. I was four. So this has been with me practically my whole life. But for the majority of my life, because I was. My family was very religious, I pretended, acted like it wasn't inside of me, it wasn't a part of me. Because this is absolutely not in agreement with the values of the Christian church. We can pick that apart all we want. Because that's part of my kind of self acceptance, my journey. It wasn't until I was in my 20s, mid to late 20s, I forget. I was either a victim advocate. So I was a victim advocate for a handful of years. Then I worked at a police department as a civilian investigator. And it was either right as I was winding down my victim advocate career starting at the police department, or I was already at the police department. I can't remember specific time period, but the dead people were just showing up for me all day, every day.

[Dr. Leslie]

Okay, you have to break that down for me.

[Lisa Mercer]

What that actually looks like.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like, what does it mean? So like you're. You're.

[Lisa Mercer]

So I'm talking to people who.

[Dr. Leslie]

And is there like a. Yeah, all the time.

[Lisa Mercer]

It's just like, hi, we know you can see us. Hi, we know you can see us. They're in the bathroom. They're everywhere. They're everywhere.

[Dr. Leslie]

Are they in. Are they here now?

[Lisa Mercer]

They're here now. Of course, yeah. So it's just a matter I had to learn. This is why I had to get trained for this. Because I spent most of my life suppressing these gifts, which we know the more you suppress your innate talents and your abilities, the more anxiety you have because you're not living your truth. And so I was existing in this super anxious ridden body for most of my life thinking that I had a true psychological disorder.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like schizophrenia.

[Lisa Mercer]

Exactly. And well, I didn't think that I knew everything was real. I didn't doubt that I could see things and feel things and not just with dead people. I'm really intuitive, so I can meet a living person and know within seconds if I want to be around them or not. Oh, so. And that started at 4 also. So I believed, I knew that I had these gifts, but I was terrified of them because of how I was raised, because of the religious doctrine. So what?

[Dr. Leslie]

For somebody who doesn't understand Christianity, like, why is it so bad?

[Lisa Mercer]

So it's. There are. There's a Bible verse that says, you know, do not consult psychics or mediums. There's a lot of scripture about. Because it's seen as you're going to a false prophet. You're going to. They, they don't believe that spirit can communicate. Dead loved ones can communicate with humans. They believe in the Holy Spirit, which is God, but they don't believe that souls can communicate with humans after they die, which to me is. I just. That's not true. But they also believe that the devil is the great deceiver. And so that the devil will make you think that you're actually talking to your grandma, but it's not. It's the devil. And so there's a lot of trickery and deceit. And you shouldn't do that. You're tapping into dark energy or tapping into the devil. So I was told twice as a little girl genuinely going to a middle school youth pastor and a high school youth pastor. Like, hey, every time I walk into a room, all the lights flicker. Or every time I'm downstairs, like the cabinets in the kitchen start opening and closing like I need some help cabinets. Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Okay, so how do you know it's not the devil?

[Lisa Mercer]

Because I have. I'm gonna brag about myself. I have phenomenal discernment. So I can feel negative dark energy. And then I can also feel light energy.

[Dr. Leslie]

And then you set up like this fuck off boundary.

[Lisa Mercer]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Leslie]

How do you do that?

[Lisa Mercer]

By exactly that. Use your words, use your voice, project your energy. That you are not somebody that can be messed with, that you are not somebody that tolerates darkness around you at all. And you do that a few times. Word gets out energetically, so to speak. And so low vibrational, dark or negative energy knows it can't mess with you, it can't bother you. So when I approach it, when I do feel it, More in the real world, Very few times in sessions with clients will I feel negative energy, because I just have such firm boundaries with spirit when I feel it in the real world. I then go into my, you know, shoring up my energy boundaries, making sure I'm safe and protected, and then I just can go about my business. But I can feel it in my body. I have this very specific towel in my chest, and it almost feels like right over my heart center pressure and a flood of anxiety. But it doesn't fill my whole body. It's just at my heart. It's a very specific feeling, and it only flares up in my body when there's negative energy around.

[Dr. Leslie]

I have so many questions.

[Lisa Mercer]

So do you want me to answer about going to getting the training for.

[Dr. Leslie]

No, hold on. Wait. Fuck it. No, I do want to know about the training, but I want to know about the first time you really interacted with a dead person. A whole one, a clear one.

[Lisa Mercer]

Got it. So funny. It's gonna. I mean, I did. I mean, I was a little girl, so the very first. The very first soul I saw was an old man. And I still, to this day, I don't know who he is. And I've also backed off on trying to figure out who he was or is. Because that. I don't think the point of me meeting him was to figure out who he was. It was to kickstart these abilities. It was to just go, you can see things like this. This is you. You can do this. And he just served as, like. As the visual kind of presence of, you've got this gift. You've got this ability. Four years old. Good luck. So I saw four years old at four. But my childhood was filled with so many scary, ghosty experiences that I was so afraid of even the happy, friendly beings that were in the light. I didn't want anybody. I didn't want to know or feel any of them. And so I could see them, and I could feel them, and a lot of them did scare me. I didn't, as a child, like, sit down and go, oh, okay, old man. Like, I want to talk to you. I want to have a conversation with you. Because I was very scared. Very, very scared, because I had a lot of spooky things happen to me. So.

[Dr. Leslie]

And your parents were along for the ride. Like, they were aware this was happening.

[Lisa Mercer]

So our house growing up was known as the haunted house in the neighborhood. So everybody that visited. Not everybody. Most people that visited, could feel the presence in the house. Wow. And I've Lived in a handful of houses since then. And as a child, we moved two more times. And so the first time we moved out of my house that I grew up in in California, we were like, as a family. Okay, good. Were done dealing with ghosts. That was not the case. It was you. It wasn't me. It was that ghosts are everywhere and you just have a sensitive person in the family. And by the way, everyone in my family is very sensitive to spirit. I'm the only one that does this work professionally. But everybody has a varying degree of this gift, and I don't think it's unique to me or my family. We all have intuition, and that is the root of this gift in me. I just was born with a closer relationship to it from the beginning of my life. It's not like I had to develop trust and connection to my intuition. It was already there. But we all have it. So everybody has the ability to. To do what I do.

[Dr. Leslie]

So will you, like, sit down in, like, a therapist chair and then have, like a ghost in the other chair and have a conversation?

[Lisa Mercer]

Do I do that now like in a movie? No. No, I don't really. So I. I have such strong boundaries with the other side because the majority of my life was this gift unbridled. So I was overwhelmed by it for so long, and I shut it down for so long and it manifested as anxiety in me. I learned how to have such strict boundaries with spirit. So I don't really acknowledge all the dead people in a space unless I'm working. Because just, like, word gets out with the negative energies. Once you say fuck off, you can't bother me. And word gets out. Word gets out for the beings in the light that are like, oh, she can see us. She'll give them a message. So you have to have boundaries with them too, otherwise they won't leave you alone.

[Dr. Leslie]

Yeah. And girls gotta get paid.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. So I. And also, I want to try to have a normal life.

[Dr. Leslie]

Yeah.

[Lisa Mercer]

So I can't go out with my friends. I can't spend time with my family at a restaurant if I don't have boundaries, because souls are everywhere.

[Dr. Leslie]

So this is something you can get trained in?

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Dr. Leslie]

In a training program.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes.

[Dr. Leslie]

Okay.

[Lisa Mercer]

So I took mid to late. It was probably late around late 20s, after years and years of being in the criminal justice field as a victim advocate, a crisis responder. So.

[Dr. Leslie]

And victim advocate is like, what are.

[Lisa Mercer]

Job duties for victim advocate? So I work as an advocate. You go to court with them all the time. You explain everything. You provide them with resources and the.

[Dr. Leslie]

Full range of victims.

[Lisa Mercer]

Full range, yeah. So I was around the worst. I mean, and as a crisis responder, separate from the job of victim advocate, this was a voluntary position. I'd get called out 24 7. It was my shift.

[Dr. Leslie]

What's the worst scene you've arrived to?

[Lisa Mercer]

Probably one of the most. The saddest things I saw that broke my heart was on my own. I witnessed a guy get hit in an unmarked. He was crossing. He was jaywalking. This old man. Old, old man. I was a victim advocate at the time. Worked for their. You know, as a crisis responder. And it was middle of the night, and I heard screeching tires, and I heard the impact. And I knew my apartment was right out. You know, the street was right there. I knew that somebody got hit by a car. And it was less about the sound that I heard and more about the intuitive knowing in my body. Oh, this was a body that hit a car. Like, the car slammed in the body. And I frequently am in the wrong place, wrong time, or I always think of it as the right place, right time, because I can jump into action. I immediately ran outside in my pajamas and sat with this guy. And I could tell he had a pretty thick leather jacket, but I could tell his body was all disconnected. Like, his arms were not where the arms should be, so they were very loose. And so I knew that he had some dislocation.

[Dr. Leslie]

He was crushed.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. And his shoes were. He had his shoes off. He was slowly dying. So he essentially died in front of me. And I was like, you're gonna. You're. This is okay. You're. You're gonna be okay. You can relax now. You're safe. We're not. I'm not gonna leave you. My boyfriend at the time was like, get out of the street. And I was like, I'm not leaving this man to die by himself in the middle of the road. And it was dark, and.

[Dr. Leslie]

And did you whisper, don't worry, I got you. We're gonna stay friends.

[Lisa Mercer]

You know, I. He. He. I. I know he visits me. Yeah, he visits me.

[Dr. Leslie]

Because you were the last person you saw.

[Lisa Mercer]

And I watched. I feel like. I not feel. I know that his breathing stopped as soon as he got taken into the back of the ambulance. His breathing was even more labored and slow. And I was like, oh, he left. He just left his body.

[Dr. Leslie]

Is it something you can actually see?

[Lisa Mercer]

Some people can see it. You can see it. You can feel it. You can feel it. You can absolutely feel it.

[Dr. Leslie]

Do you Remember coming to my house for the reading?

[Lisa Mercer]

I do. I don't remember. I remember a lot of women were there. I don't remember how many readings we did.

[Dr. Leslie]

I remember it.

[Lisa Mercer]

Tell me.

[Dr. Leslie]

So fucking vividly.

[Lisa Mercer]

Tell me.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like. And I thought, okay, I'm gonna be open to this, but I highly doubt that this is true. Right? I didn't believe. So it was six or seven of my friends, and we were all sitting around the couch, and I offered you wine, and you said no, even though most of us were drinking. We were probably, like, one or two glasses in, so a good giggle was on. You said no, you didn't want to get distracted. And so we all sat on the brown leather couches, and you sat on the ottoman, the fireplace behind you, and you set a timer on your phone so you wouldn't go too long. And I could feel like you had kind of this brewing anxiety. And you didn't know anyone there. I hadn't told you any of their stories. And there was one girl there whose brother had just died weeks before, and it was shocking to everyone. So you were sitting there, and granted, all of us had dead people in our lives that could have been there. But you looked up straight into her eyes, and I won't say names or anything. 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. And you. You were flushed.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes.

[Dr. Leslie]

And he was very cute.

[Lisa Mercer]

The cute boys, in spirit, always make me blush, as if there's a cute boy in front of me in real life, and they will tell me, like, look at me, like I was cute. Tell them. Tell them how cute I am. And it's partly just to validate that we have this, like, adorable, charming, flirtatious guy here, but it's also showing their personality. Like they would. He would want me to say and acknowledge how cute he is, so.

[Dr. Leslie]

And you won't. I won't get into details, but you. You knew how he died. You knew his message, and there was no fucking way in the world you could have known that.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

And she, on the receiving end, was as skeptical as I was and burst into tears.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. I'm so glad that she was there. I'm so glad that she was open enough. You don't have to have any expectation. Just be open to it. And if something comes through, great. And if something doesn't, it's just not the right time. It doesn't mean that your people aren't with you. So I'm glad. I'm glad I have a vague memory of that now.

[Dr. Leslie]

And I do remember one thing you said was you can't go that often. Like you can't see people that often. Like you have to give a space between when people see their dead family members.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes. So if I have clients that want to come for a reading even, even once a month sometimes I will get an intuitive feeling this is delaying them processing the grief.

[Dr. Leslie]

I think it's incredible. I mean, you're turning away money and.

[Lisa Mercer]

Clients listen to your body. That's the biggest message that I embed in every session that I have with people, no matter what I'm providing is getting back in step with your intuition. So let your body tell you when you need another reading and listening to your intuition. Exactly right.

[Dr. Leslie]

Which is so important.

[Lisa Mercer]

So important.

[Dr. Leslie]

We're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back.

[Podcast Announcer]

This Labor Day.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Say goodbye to spills, stains and overpriced furniture with washablesofas.com featuring Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just six, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Anibe's Pet Friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your life now through Labor Day. Get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Podcast Announcer]

True Crime Just got a room with an ocean view this October sets sail on the first ever true crime voyage from award winning exclusive exclusively adult Virgin voyages featuring the hosts behind iHeart's most popular True crime podcasts like Buried Bones, Betrayal and stuff they don't want you to know. This five night Caribbean cruise blends live podcast recordings, meet and greets and Halloween themed events with all the luxury of Virgin Voyages book [e-mail] truecrime this is.

[Andrea Gunning]

Andrea Gunning from Betrayal. I want to take a moment to talk about something that impacts how we feel every day our gut health. If you've been dealing with sluggish digestion, constant fatigue, brain fog, trouble losing weight or poor sleep, your gut may need some extra care. Introducing Bioma, a novel supplement that contains everything you need for a healthy gut. Enjoy comfortable digestion, boundless energy and even smoother weight management when following a healthy lifestyle. Just take two Bioma capsules each morning before breakfast and start feeling your best. Visit Byoma Health and use code BETRAYAL to get 15% off your first order.

[Commercial Voice]

With a detailed agent directory you won't find anywhere else. Homes.com is the only place to find the in depth info. Home shoppers want very in depth info. Looking for a listing agent's contact info? We've got it. The agent with the most sales in your price range. Easy specialized agents with all the up to date info on your dream neighborhood. We'll know them. A Pisces who enjoys long walks on the beach. You've got other sites for that. Homes.com We've done your homework.

[Dr. Leslie]

One thing I love about you is that when I work with firemen and police and just basically anyone who's endured horrific trauma and someone has died, you offer them closure. Yeah, in this way that I can't. And we talked about it a bit before, but it's this, it's a multimodality trauma focus. Right. So how do you handle, how do you handle like let's say I refer someone to you and they have had, they've seen horrific traumas and then they walk into your office. I don't tell you anything about them. What do you do with the level of their trauma that they've endured for.

[Lisa Mercer]

The most part have no plan for any session. I learned super early on with this when as soon as I accepted this gift in me, I had to get out of the way. It isn't up to me how the flow of a session goes. People don't come to me to hear me. They come to me because of the messages coming through from their loved ones or from their spirit guides or from their own higher self, which is their intuition that I can tap into and help them with. But they're not coming because they want Lisa's advice. They're coming because they want the spiritual awareness. The spiritual meaning that kind of guidance or advice. So if most people I see have a shit ton of trauma. Yeah, I have a ton of, you know this, a ton of first responder clients that have their own personal trauma, but then on the job shit that they're exposed to, I can Definitely feel it. And a lot of times, it does incredible amounts of healing to just have the person hear me say, oof. I can feel what's in your body. I can feel that. And I Can. I get a quick flash of what somebody has endured.

[Dr. Leslie]

Can you give me, you know, ethically? Can you give me a specific?

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. I have a client. She has passed away. It was actually a very hard thing that I had to deal with because I have had clients die, which is a trip, because then they come back and visit you, and you're like, this is so. This is so strange. Like, I channeled all of your dead people for you, and now you're the dead person. You're coming through to say hi to me. It's wild.

[Dr. Leslie]

Are they, like, cool, now I can do this easier.

[Lisa Mercer]

They know how to communicate with me because they know me. I've lost. In the last four years, three clients have died. Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

And they've come back to message you.

[Lisa Mercer]

And, well, one of them. Well, it's quite amazing. Both of the clients that I've lost, their family members are established clients with me. So it's very interesting how we're all in this together. So, like, for. So I'll tell you the story about this one woman. She was a expert trauma therapist. She was a remarkable human being, and she worked with me. I'm also a hypnotherapist. I don't practice that as much these days, but I'm trained in hypnotherapy, and I use the same skills for past life regression, which we can talk about if you're interested in. At some point, she came to me to. Well, we did a lot of mediumship sessions together, and then she wanted to do hypnotherapy with me to. She had already healed tremendous amounts of her own trauma, but there were a few things that she was intuitively feeling I might be able to help her with, with my kind of spiritual spin on. And my intuitive spin on healing trauma. She was like, can we do hypnotherapy? And I was, can you explain hypnotherapy? Sure.

[Dr. Leslie]

To listeners? Because most people think it's like, I'm gonna flick you on the forehead and you're gonna pass out and then wake up as a dog.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. So hypnotherapy is essentially guided. I define it as guided meditation to kind of go. To go to the root cause of whatever the trauma is. So the first time that you felt that you didn't have a voice, the first time you felt that you didn't have control over the situation the first time you felt fear and panic. We don't mess around with the. I think it's this. And I wonder if it's this. No, we relax you. It feels like a guided meditation through a series of visualizations and muscle relaxing techniques. It kind of gets you to this really calm, relaxed place where your conscious brain chills out enough so that it's not on guard, ready to be defensive or in denial of what you've gone through. It relaxes you enough to get into the subconscious part of the brain where all the shit is stored.

[Dr. Leslie]

I'd be a horrible fucking client. Can I do it drunk?

[Lisa Mercer]

No.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh. Cause that. I think it'd be better.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. No. Well, maybe. Yeah. Off the record? Sure. On the record. No, I actually make people sign. Well, especially for past life regression, I make people sign. Part of waiver is that they're not going to be under the influence. Oh, number one, I'm not going to manage your shit. We're doing enough. It's a lot. It's energetically. Because I can feel. I'm an empath. I can feel everything. So if I have to deal with your dead people, your higher self, the messages, the guidance that's coming through for you, and you're under the influence. No, it's too much. Too many obstacles for me.

[Dr. Leslie]

And too muddled.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah, way too muddled. Way too muddled. So I make people agree, and if I sense it at all, we don't proceed. Yeah, we don't proceed. And that hasn't happened. So, anyway, she.

[Dr. Leslie]

So your client who died, who came back to you, she. No. Yeah.

[Lisa Mercer]

I don't know. I don't think I'll meet another person who had as much trauma as she went through.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh, wow.

[Lisa Mercer]

Horrifically. Can we. We're free to talk about anything on this. Okay. Horrific sexual abuse.

[Dr. Leslie]

It is called intentionally disturbing.

[Lisa Mercer]

I should have known. She had endured horrific sexual abuse by her parents.

[Dr. Leslie]

What makes it horrific?

[Lisa Mercer]

Mom would chase her and hold her down while her dad had sex with her, raped her and her siblings. Mom would hold her down while dad would beat the shit out of her. She would be chained to things, locked in door cabinets or small spaces, locked in the basement.

[Dr. Leslie]

It's so interesting because the Madeline Soto case is in the news. Are you familiar with that case?

[Lisa Mercer]

No.

[Dr. Leslie]

So she was abused by. She was sexually assaulted by her mom's boyfriend, and then he ended up. Well, we think he's gonna go to trial, but strangling and killing her. And people are all really shocked that mom would have let it happen.

[Lisa Mercer]

It's. Few things affect me emotionally more than that. Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Say more.

[Lisa Mercer]

Because it's. It defies the law of nature.

[Dr. Leslie]

Yeah.

[Lisa Mercer]

The bond, the maternal, nurturing protector. Something is deeply wrong with a female. I'm not letting men off the hook here. But something is deeply wrong with the female that allows that to happen to her young, to her baby.

[Dr. Leslie]

So can you say a little more about that? Because I have found it challenging to explain what is deeply wrong with the female. And in my mind, I go to, maybe it's autism, maybe it's Stockholm syndrome. Maybe she's a sexual predator herself.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

But that's very, like, psychology, clinical shit.

[Lisa Mercer]

Well, that's true. And energetically, I would say, whether. So they have a soul. Everyone has a soul. Well, I don't know that everyone has a soul.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh, okay. Bookmark that for two minutes.

[Lisa Mercer]

Well, I think. And I would say, for the most part, everybody has a soul, but we have a choice. We have a choice of going, I am not gonna live that way. I am not gonna be that way. I am going to choose to tap into my inner light. Cause we're all born with that soul. We're born with that inner light. And it really is up to us to keep that light shining.

[Dr. Leslie]

How do you juxtapose that with Christian beliefs?

[Lisa Mercer]

So I think that was part of my journey. I spent many years very angry at the Christian church. And really, I am in a much, I would say, healthier place with it. I don't blame the sort of big business of religion I hold. The two pastors specifically that told me that I was dealing with the devil, that it was. That I must have not meant it when I was baptized, that I must not be praying. I hold them more personally responsible than the church itself. But my experience with church and now no longer not participating in church, is that I believe in God in such a more expansive way now. I think a lot of religion actually limits God, limits your personal experience with God. And I believe in God. Like, that's never left me. I. Oh, I absolutely believe in God. I don't believe in God as this, like, dad in the sky. Like, a lot of religion sort of plays that up. I don't believe that he's this, like, father figure in the clouds. No. I view God as just an energy source of love, pure love. And so I am very thankful that I've evolved kind of out of that because it felt very limiting and so breaking away. I see God in every client that I work with. I see God in every sign that I get from my loved ones on the other side, that to me is proof that God exists. Because only an all powerful source of love would allow or build into the lived experience that we get to always communicate with those that we've loved and connected with. That is God. And so I think the church itself, and I'm not knocking religion is important for a lot of people. I'm not knocking it. But I found God to be much more connected to me. And I could find God in all of these details in my life that I couldn't necessarily feel or see when I was connected to the church.

[Dr. Leslie]

And going back to. I want to do you a justice here, the training.

[Lisa Mercer]

So I sought it out. I just. In the throes of my career and all the death and just ickiness that I was surrounded by and all the dead people were like. I felt like they were kind of closing in where I could no longer pretend that they. That I couldn't do this. And so I just googled like psychic development, spiritual development, Orange County. And I found, literally that's what I did. And I was like the first one that popped up, I was like, I'm gonna go, I'll just see it. And the moment I sat down and she started talking, I was like, oh, I'm home.

[Dr. Leslie]

Yeah, I'm not alone.

[Lisa Mercer]

I'm not crazy. I'm in a room full of people that are exactly like me. I've never felt that before. And so she had a professional psychic, professional mediumship, professional healer program. And so I did all these, you know, trainings and classes and practice. So she would host psychic fairs and so put our skills to the test. So we had to see like 15 people and go, go, go and train. And I'm grateful for that because I also, I am sort of this weird mix of. I am a very black and white thinker. I'm a very much like our first responder friends. Like, the evidence is either there or it's not. It either exists or it doesn't. So that was kind of a mind fuck for me to. That's part of my own personal side. But merge that with my abilities to talk to people that no one else can see. That doesn't align with a black and white brain. So I am very grateful for that sort of formal education of doing this work because I got the sort of like the study and the practice. I'm also a Virgo. I'm an Earth sign. So I like to. It needs to. I want the validation, I want the Credentials. I want it to be professional. And now I'm more like, let's just have fun with it. I get to be me and what I do for a living. So. But I'm very grateful. So I took classes there for years and then worked there for a little bit. Helped run the psychic fairs and sort of was the advanced student that got to help lead smaller groups of newer students. And I still have a connection to my mentor, but she doesn't teach. She. She doesn't teach anymore. It's kind of sad.

[Dr. Leslie]

So. So, okay, so we work with cops and firemen. They're so skeptical.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Of your ability.

[Lisa Mercer]

They're my favorite clients.

[Dr. Leslie]

And probably like all millions of people listening. I hope millions of people are listening. What do you say to the skeptics? Like, my dad, My God. I told him I was going to talk with you today. And he was like, it's bullshit.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah, that's fine. You know what's wonderful about being alive in this body, in this timeline, is that we are allowed to believe whatever we want to believe. It's okay that people don't believe in what I do. I had this response from a former partner of mine when I worked at the police department. I had to tell him that I was a medium because I was visited by a dead guy that I knew was attached to case at the department. I didn't really know anything. Ooh, cold case prior to that. And so I told this guy, this is going to sound crazy. I absolutely know it. I can see dead people. I can talk to dead people. It's this gift I was born with. Here it is. And his response changed my life. So this is how I handle skeptics. He said to me, well, I don't believe that, but I believe you. And that shifted everything for me. And I thought, oh, I don't have to prove it to anybody. I am a trustworthy person. I am a reliable person. And if people know me, they might not believe in this, but they believe me. And they know me enough to know that I'm not gonna bullshit anybody. And I'm super honest in my sessions. If people ask me questions and there's no answer, I go, they have nothing to say. There's no answer. I don't fake it. I don't try to force it on anybody. So sort of, to the skeptics, be skeptical. Yeah, that's okay. You should never believe something just because someone tells you to believe it.

[Dr. Leslie]

Right?

[Lisa Mercer]

No way.

[Dr. Leslie]

Well, I mean, I was so skeptical of you. Right. Like when we. When did we Meet five years, I don't know, so many years ago.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah. Five or six years ago. Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Hold on. You've got psychologists, psychiatrist, nurse, mft. I don't know, all these initials. Medium.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

I can't put my name to this. Like, what is this? I can't testify to this. I'm gonna be in court and lawyer's gonna be like, wait, you work, you're.

[Lisa Mercer]

On staff with a medium.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like, yeah, but it was getting to know you and believing your consistent character.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

And trusting you. So how do you stay happy?

[Lisa Mercer]

It's a really good. You know, it's so funny. This year I turned 40 earlier this year and I don't know if it's just age or I don't know what's. I never have stopped to realize that what I do is really heavy. It sounds so stupid that, like, how unself aware are you? I'm very self aware, but I just have never paused long enough to go, fuck, yeah. All you do is, I've banked the feeling in my psychic dictionary, my psychic reference guide, so to speak. So now anytime there's a car accident or a severed neck, I just get a quick feeling in my neck and I know exactly what it is.

[Dr. Leslie]

I've banked it in my mind.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

But I only just realized how heavy the work I do.

[Lisa Mercer]

I'm telling you, it sounds ridiculous. I just think it's. I don't stop.

[Dr. Leslie]

Where do you bank it? Where does it go?

[Lisa Mercer]

It just stays in my.

[Dr. Leslie]

It's compartmentalized. You can access it when you want to, but it doesn't bleed out.

[Lisa Mercer]

I don't access sort of stores. I'm gonna say maybe in my energetic body. It stores so that when I meet someone else who has a loved one who died in a car accident and. And had a severed neck, then they just go. They give me a quick feeling at the back of the neck and I know what it is. 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. Wow. Paralysis feels like. So how do I stay happy?

[Dr. Leslie]

How do you stay happy? But also, I'm so curious about the cold case thing that you mentioned.

[Lisa Mercer]

One of my dreams, one of my visions, is that specifically in this county that I get to be a part of a case that. That they use me. Like, officially not this back channel because. But I understand the stigma too. It's nuts. I completely get it. Completely understand the stigma. But because I live here and I have roots here, I would Love to see the openness kind of grow. Yeah, they use psychics all the time on the East Coast. It's like a non issue. Oh, it's a non issue. Yeah. And so I'd love to bring some of that openness here.

[Dr. Leslie]

Can I ask you a personal question?

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Not that this hasn't been entirely personal. How's your dating life?

[Lisa Mercer]

Crickets. So I'm single. It's hard. It's hard to date because, well, multi layered. But I am fully aware that what I do is not widely received. Well, I'm also aware that it takes a really confident male to say, hey, this chick I'm seeing talks to dead people. Because then he runs the risk of getting made fun of or teased or mocked. So it takes really strong, confident people. And also I am, I can feel living people's energy as well too. So if something is off in the relationship, I can't, I am, I am uncomfortable. I can't be myself. I can't let my guard down. So I, I will bring things up and not in a mean way. I'm not like calling people out, like change. I can feel this or stop behaving that way. No, it's a very loving exchange. But a lot of people don't want to be seen and felt fully.

[Dr. Leslie]

That's what I was gonna say is a lot of people don't wanna be seen as how they really are.

[Lisa Mercer]

And the sad thing is they're missing. Well, they're missing out now to my own horn. But the truth is I, I have tremendous. I am an empath, but I have tremendous empathy for people. I don't care. The life that you lived before you started to date me, Like, I don't care. What, what are you working on? Like, what lights you up? What are you doing to heal your shit that is, is you're doing something good.

[Dr. Leslie]

But that's the other end of the spectrum when it, you know, most people spend their whole life trying to get to that point.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Showing up at 40 as a transparent, authentic woman is almost unheard of in this world.

[Lisa Mercer]

It's hard and it's hard to. I mean, I don't. It's so funny. I worry about a lot of things in my life and that area of my life I just don't worry about. Which tells me that, like, God has it taken care of. I don't stress out about it. I also don't like to force anything to fit. So if, if it's not, you know, a yes throughout my entire being that I want to be with somebody. I am not going to fake it and force it. It's just not, it's not authentic, it's not good for me, it's not good for the other person. So I am much happier holding out for and trusting that the universe is going to sort of, you know, make that happen for me at the right time than I am willing to bend and force it to work with somebody that's not meant for me.

[Dr. Leslie]

But would you force an orgasm? Because that's like a different layer.

[Lisa Mercer]

No. Really?

[Dr. Leslie]

You wouldn't even pretend?

[Lisa Mercer]

No.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh shoot.

[Lisa Mercer]

No.

[Dr. Leslie]

I'm sorry. It's time for a commercial.

[Podcast Announcer]

This Labor Day.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Say goodbye to spills, stains and overpriced furniture with washablesofas.com featuring Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just six $6.99, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Anibe's Pet Friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your life. Now through Labor Day, get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Podcast Announcer]

True Crime Just got a room with an ocean view this October sets sail on the first ever true crime voyage from a award winning exclusively adult virgin voyages featuring the hosts behind iHeart's most popular True crime podcasts like Buried Bones, Betrayal and stuff they don't want you to know. This five night Caribbean cruise blends live podcast recordings, meet and greets and Halloween themed events with all the luxury of Virgin Voyages book [e-mail] truecrime this is.

[Andrea Gunning]

Andrea Gunning from Betrayal. I want to take a moment to talk about something that impacts how we feel every day or gut health. If you've been dealing with sluggish digestion, constant fatigue, brain fog, trouble losing weight or poor sleep, your gut may need some extra care. Introducing Bioma, a novel supplement that contains everything you need for a healthy gut. Enjoy comfortable digestion boundless energy and even smoother weight management when following a healthy lifestyle. Just take two bioma capsules each morning before breakfast and start feeling your best. Visit bioma health and use code betrayal to get 15% off your first order.

[Commercial Voice]

At homes.com we do whatever it takes to get you the in depth info on local schools you won't find anywhere else. Things like student teacher ratio, test scores and school programs. And sometimes that requires attending school recitals. So many recitals. That's my son. Isn't he terrific? Yeah, a real prodigy. Homes.com we've done your homework.

[Dr. Leslie]

Okay, I have to ask this and I know I said I wouldn't. Who's here?

[Lisa Mercer]

Now I'm not looking to do like a total reading, but there is a younger male energy that is present who is cute. So remember we talked about like they like to show up and tell me how cute they were. It's a little bit of the. They like the spotlight, they like the attention. But I would say that he would have passed away. There's some sort, my heart is racing giving you this information, some sort of unexpected nature surrounding his death. So whether he died suddenly or he was sick and died before we sort of expected it. There is that kind of. But he's very lively. He has a very beautiful personality. He's fun. He has a great laugh. I feel like I hear him singing.

[Dr. Leslie]

Nothing comes to mind.

[Lisa Mercer]

There's also an older. There's an older male and an older female and they feel to me like grandparents. So like if you have a grandmother on the other side and. Or a grandfather on the other side because I feel like, well, do you have a grandmother on the other side?

[Dr. Leslie]

Yeah, I never met her, but a grandfather who passed away last year.

[Lisa Mercer]

Okay. Okay. There is this overwhelming love for you. And also this. I don't. This. I'll just say it. Permission to have all the spectrum of feelings surrounding who he was when he was alive. So all the good things and all the not so good things, like there's this message to you of, you don't have to pretend like I always contributed good stuff to the family. Like I also contributed to some of the dysfunction, some of the shit in the family. And it's okay to be real about that. He owns that. He takes accountability and responsibility for that.

[Dr. Leslie]

What's really interesting is since he died, my family has fallen apart.

[Lisa Mercer]

Wow. Yeah, wow.

[Dr. Leslie]

Like he was the. Oh, it's fine. I'm cold and callous and burnt out. But he was the reason we all got together for holidays.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

Since he died, there hasn't been one.

[Lisa Mercer]

I'm sorry. It's harder because it adds to the. It adds to the experience of loss because the tradition then is also lost. But do you understand that when he says I also contributed to some of the. Like, okay.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh, yeah.

[Lisa Mercer]

Okay. Because he's, like, saying, be real about who I was.

[Dr. Leslie]

Yeah.

[Lisa Mercer]

So it's interesting that you said the family's kind of fallen apart. I'm gonna just say this and be direct. He goes, it wasn't really that intact.

[Dr. Leslie]

It wasn't.

[Lisa Mercer]

Okay. Is that. That's not. I don't wanna be offensive or demeaning.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh, it's 100% true.

[Lisa Mercer]

Okay. Okay.

[Dr. Leslie]

It was a false intactness.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes.

[Dr. Leslie]

Which I think is so important for so many people to know because every family is so fucked up. And what we see is never what is really what's happening behind the scenes.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yeah.

[Dr. Leslie]

And it's heartbreaking when clients realize the shattering. I call it the fall from grace. It's heartbreaking.

[Lisa Mercer]

Yes. Yeah. And so he's. I think, too, he has this message for you of, like, accept that I was kind of an asshole. Maybe didn't hold himself to, like, such high moral standards always. But he also had a lot of love, had a lot of happiness, and had a good sense of humor, and so that fueled a lot of the togetherness. But at the core of the family unit, there's a lot of half in, half out, take it or leave it kind of energy that makes sense to you.

[Dr. Leslie]

Oh, total dysfunction.

[Lisa Mercer]

Okay.

[Dr. Leslie]

And then. Okay, yeah, I don't want anything to do with that.

[Lisa Mercer]

Sticky. Well, so he. But I'm gonna tell you this. The positive message that he has is you get to just. In your own line of work, but also you know how to help people heal. So I'll just be direct and tell you this. He says, do that for yourself. Do that for yourself. 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. Don't live like that because you're only getting. Well, you're getting a false sense of what your life actually is. And even if you have to go into the heavy, icky feeling, the truth of the dysfunction of my family, good, you're gonna face it, and then you never. When you face it in the future, it's never gonna be that intense. It's never gonna be that dark. As soon as you shine the smallest bit of light through something that's dark, you can no longer say that it's all dark.

[Dr. Leslie]

That's true.

[Lisa Mercer]

And so he's encouraging you, the same passion that you have had all of these years to help other people. Why the hell aren't you taking that seriously within yourself?

[Dr. Leslie]

Because I'm not paying myself.

[Lisa Mercer]

And there's the connection to the dysfunction.

[Dr. Leslie]

Lisa, thank you for being here. And thank you to everyone for listening or watching. Intentionally disturbing. I hope this opened your mind a little bit to other forms of therapy and other forms of ways to treat trauma and just different ways to look at the world. Tune in next time. Oh hey.

[Eli Lilly Advertiser]

Our partner Eli Lilly & Co. Just announced duets for type 2 diabetes, a campaign celebrating real patient stories of support because managing type 2 diabetes doesn't have to be a solo act. Share your [e-mail] duets mounjaro tirzepatide is an injectable prescription medicine that is used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mounjaro is not for use in children. Don't take Mounjaro if you're allergic to it, or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome, type 2. Stop and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain or vision changes. Serious side effects may include inflamed pancreas and gallbladder problems. Taking Mounjaro with a sulfonylnorrhea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Tell your doctor if you're nursing pregnant, plan to be or taking birth control pills and before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and may cause kidney problems. Once weekly, Mounjaro is available by prescription only in 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 milligrams per 0.5 milliliter injection. Call 1-800-LilyRx 800-545-5979 or visit mountjaro.lily.com for the Mountjaro Indication and safety summary with warnings. Talk to your doctor for more information about Mountjaro. Mountjaro and its Delivery device base are registered trademarks owned or licensed by eli Lilly & Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates.

[Commercial Voice]

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus. In 2007, Amanda Knox was halfway around the world studying abroad in Italy. She had no idea that that her dream would turn into a nightmare inspired by the actual events of her wrongful conviction and 15 year fight for freedom. Watch the Hulu Original series the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

[Andrea Gunning]

Every day has a to do list.

[Podcast Announcer]

But adding Enjoy Belvita to yours can help you knock out the rest of it.

[Lisa Mercer]

Belveda Breakfast Biscuits are a tasty and convenient breakfast option when paired with low fat yogurt and vegan fruit that provide.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Steady energy all morning while Belvita Energy.

[Lisa Mercer]

Snack Bites give you the perfect mid morning refuel.

[Dr. Leslie]

Best part?

[Andrea Gunning]

They both taste great so make the.

[Dr. Leslie]

Most out of your morning with a bite of Belvita.

[Lisa Mercer]

Pick up a pack of Belvita at your local store today.

[Podcast Announcer]

Every business has an ambition. PayPal open is the platform designed to help you grow into yours with business loans so you can expand and access to to how hundreds of millions of PayPal customers worldwide and your customers can pay all the ways they want with PayPal, Venmo, pay later and all major cards so you can focus on scaling up when it's time to get growing. There's one platform for all business PayPal open grow today at paypalopen.com loans subject to approval in available locations.

[Dr. Leslie]

This is an iHeart podcast.