Leftovers

By Jim Walsh

     A cocker spaniel barks excitedly, telling Elizabeth Severino that a visitor is at her door.
      But the yips and yaps may be just one way the dog speaks to Severino, a Cherry Hill woman who says she shares a telepathic bond with the animal kingdom.
      In fact, Severino makes a living as a "psychic communicator and healer" for pets and people.
      In the past few years, Severino says, she's conversed with more than 1,000 animals -- typically absorbing the mental images they send out.
      "I've done dogs, cats, horses, llamas, goats, sheep, iguanas, fish, chinchillas, rabbits and one bird, " she said. "I've done plants, too."
      Severino says she can identify an animal's likes and dislikes, while also helping to resolve a pet's problems.
      If you're surprised by this, imagine how the animals feel.
      At first, says Severino, "They all were wondering, 'Who the heck is this?' I must have been asked (by animals) 400, 500 times, 'What are you doing in human form?' "
      Oddly, Severino doesn't seem odd. Sitting in a living room that's fragrant with incense, she's earnest but easygoing, spiritual but sensible.
      "I know this is going to sound bizarre," she says during a talk that touches on energy fields, miracles and the reincarnation of cats. "But there are a lot of people who do believe."
      Severino believes. After an inner voice emerged to help her heal from a serious injury in 1989, she left a lucrative career in computers for an uncertain future in the spirit world.
      It wasn't a smooth transition. Severino had to overcome a financial crunch and widespread skepticism. "Just about everyone else thought I'd gone crazy," she observes.
      Now, a clientele of pet owners pays Severino $35 for a phone consultation and $100 an hour for a personal visit.
      Severino had her first inter-species chat while walking with her dog, Tanaka. They met some neighbors, out with their dog, in search of a lost kitten.
      "My neighbor's dog had an energy exchange with Tanaka and Tanaka had an energy exchange with me," says Severino. Acting on an image sent by Tanaka, Severino suggested the neighbors check in their bathroom vanity -- where, she says, they found the kitten.
      She didn't mention the tip came from their dog via her dog. But, she recalls, "I was looking at Tanaka, thinking, 'Well, this is interesting.' "
      Severino, who regards 6-year old Tanaka as a teacher, is preparing a book on animal communication. She'll discuss the subject Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Borders Books & Music on Route 73 in Marlton.
      Severino's also immersed herself in other alternative-health practices, such as Reiki, a hands-on healing art developed by a Japanese monk. And from an earlier existence, the Vassar College graduate has a bachelor's degree and an MBA.
      "Ah, man, the ironies of life," she says. "I have so many credentials and so many degrees. But what I've learned about this work is you can't think. You have to be open."

Reproduced with permission. Original article printed Monday, August 11, 1997

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