Theresa Caputo is famous for many things — her eye-catching hairstyle, her sassy Long Island accent and, of course, her psychic abilities to channel and communicate with loved ones who have crossed over. In 2011, Caputo’s TLC reality show, Long Island Medium, premiered and over the course of eight years on the air, she developed a loyal following of viewers who were thrilled by her ability to communicate with the souls of the deceased.

Long Island Medium ended in 2019, and Theresa Caputo recently debuted her new Lifetime reality show, Raising Spirits. In Raising Spirits, we both get a taste of Caputo’s personal life as a self-described “edgy and fun-loving” mother and grandma, and see her at work as she helps others find comfort and closure in their grief.

“I want people to know there truly is an afterlife,” Caputo tells Woman’s World in an interview for our latest issue on sale now. “There are many things that happen that really validate an afterlife. I believe it and I say to people I’ll find out what it is when I get there.” 

How Theresa Caputo uses her gift

Caputo first gained awareness of her psychic gift as a child, and often struggled with knowing how to use it. Seeking a spiritual healer and teacher at age 20, she learned that her ability to communicate and channel dearly departed loved ones was her purpose in life and she honed her unique skill. Today, at 56, she’s one of the best known mediums around.

In addition to the new show, Caputo has continued to keep busy with private sessions, tours and writing books. After the pandemic, Caputo felt that her gift could help people reconnect and remove themselves from self-imposed feelings of isolation.

“I felt like my gift and the work that I do restores people’s faith,” she says. “We might not have lost someone during Covid, but we all lost something” — and now she’s back on TV helping people connect with their deceased loved ones

Keeping faith alive

Raised in a Catholic family, Caputo admits she struggled to reconcile her gift with the beliefs of her upbringing. “My faith has evolved over the years,” she says. “It’s gotten a lot stronger doing the work that I do. I think as a child, I was afraid of death and still having a strong faith, I was still thinking, ‘How can this be?’ and wondering how to deal with it all.” She continues, “I didn’t understand what was happening to me when I was younger. I couldn’t understand who would want to come and see a medium and connect with their loved ones after they’ve died.”

As it turns out, millions of people have wanted to make that connection and Caputo has a 10-year waiting list for some of her psychic readings. “At the end of the day, I’ve been blessed,” she says.

Caputo adds, “I don’t carry any burden of guilt or approval with my gift,” but she still feels humbled by it decades into her journey. “Still, to this day, I say things to someone and say, ‘Oh my God. How can that be? How did I even get to say that?’ But to watch someone change right in front of my eyes — someone going from sadness and grief to smiling and maybe even laughing is an amazing gift.” 

Staying positive

Caputo’s new show follows her and her family through many exciting adventures. Throughout the series, cameras are there to capture impromptu moments, no matter where she might be. As Raising Spirits takes her around the world, it seems she’s never off the clock — which happens to suit her just fine, as she feels a deep personal investment in what she does.

Channeling spirits and talking people through vulnerable moments can be stressful, so where does Caputo find her own joy? “Besides the people around me in my life — my parents, my children, my granddaughter, people at work… I’d say I lift my own spirits,” she says. “I find I take the responsibility for that. I work very hard at creating positive energies for myself every single day.”

Caputo practices positivity as soon as she wakes up. “I wake up every morning very grateful and I remind myself of all the blessings I have,” she says. “I try and set intentions of paying it forward, being nice to someone… I try and envision my day like rainbows and Skittles.”

Taking 10 minutes for quiet thought and meditation every morning also puts Theresa on the path for a calmer day. “Years ago I used to wake up at 5:00 A.M. and be cleaning the house, already have the floors done and a load of laundry in,” she says. “Now, I wake up and it takes me a half-hour to even throw the covers off of me. I take that time in the morning for myself” — and practicing positivity and slowing down puts her in the right frame of mind to do her work.

How Theresa Caputo maintains her signature hairdo

Theresa Caputo is instantly recognizable, thanks to her sky-high blonde bouffant. She’s worn her hair this way for years, and when she got it cut during a period of personal struggle, she called it one of the worst mistakes she ever made.

“People can’t believe that after everything I do to my hair it’s still healthy,” says Caputo. “It’s all about maintenance.” To keep her locks looking vibrant and feeling soft, she favors Oribe Shampoo for Beautiful Color. She also uses Goldwell Ultra Volume Boost at the roots to perfect her look.

The importance of humor

Caputo may be solemn when she talks about her calling, but she also has a sense of humor and knows how to have fun. “Laughter is medicine for the soul,” she says. “I’ve always said we need to bring laughter to people.” Surprisingly, she feels humor is essential to what she does. As she explains, “We need levity because it is very heavy to hear messages from departed loved ones.”