This businesswoman is building her ‘psychic portfolio’

Psychic Kelle Sutliff (left) held hands with a client during a reading at her Billerica office. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Donald Trump as president? Making that prediction — back when he was just another candidate in the pack — was Kelle Sutliff’s big psychic “coup,” and her prognostication made headlines. She also claims to have predicted the Patriots winning the Super Bowl, terrorist attacks in California and Paris, and the Marathon bombing, among other events. While fortune tellers and mediums have been around for centuries, Sutliff is part of a recent wave of palmistry, astrology, aura readings, and other metaphysical operators. Sutliff says she has solved several missing person cases as a psychic investigator and has clients ranging from executives to bereaved families. “I’m not one of those 1-800 psychics but the real deal,” says Sutliff, who has an office in Billerica. Sutliff says mediums such as herself are “normal” people — they just have an intuitive gift honed through practice and mentorship. She does New Year’s predictions, readings over Skype, and provides business or personal consultations. The Globe asked Sutliff to talk about her work in the field of psychic services.

“I charge $160 for a half-hour reading; $225 for an hour; $450 for two hours. Readings can be booked and paid for online. Today, mediums such as myself have very different roles — like any business, you have to diversify and find new tools to make money. Mine just happens to be a ‘psychic portfolio’ that includes missing person cases, media appearances, speaking engagements, teaching classes on intuition, and writing books. It’s not like the old days when someone poured you a cup of tea and read the leaves, although that is a lost art.

“I have typical profit and loss expenses like any other LLC out there. You should always find a psychic medium by referral. That way, you know the person is good at what they do. No different than when you ask for a good, profitable financial planner. I have insurance to protect me against liability.

“I’m not naive; I know there are charlatans in this line of work that scam people, which is awful and makes it harder to show people the integrity of this business. I read internationally and nationally. Sixty percent are phone or Skype readings, and [the] rest [are] in my office. I start each reading with a meditation to help clients feel comfortable. Then I connect with passed loved ones and spirit guides. Clients want to know about future opportunities in their life path, relationship questions, business decisions. Having a reading is a guideline and a map.

“Lately, it’s very sad — I’ve done a lot of readings for loved ones who are dealing with family members dying from heroin overdoses. One week, I had six readings in a week like this, and it was very emotional and touching dealing with the heartache. When someone passes suddenly from a car crash or overdose, the energy and info that comes through is very apologetic for the crisis they put family and friends through. There’s a strong love vibration, and a reading can offer closure.

“This work is not a guessing game as many people think. Of course, there are always skeptics. But I don’t care. I was born with this gift; no one actually raises their hand and says, ‘When I grow up, I want to be a psychic medium.’ ”