New Subscriber Profile: Sydney Biddle Barrows

Sydney Biddle Barrows, Photo by Tyler Joe

On October 16, 1984, Sydney Biddle Barrows — whose ancestry led The New York Post to crown her the “Mayflower Madam” — was busted as head of an upscale escort service. She was fined $5,000 and received no jail time or community service.

Barrows turned herself into Manhattan Central Booking after being arrested under the alias of Shelia Devon on October 16, 1984, Photo Courtesy of New York Daily News.

Ms. Barrows, a former debutante and the descendant of four Pilgrims who escaped England for America aboard the Mayflower in 1620, was photographed outside Manhattan Central Booking in a chic gray wool suit. She never went for flashy clothes; that was never her style.

Candice Bergen starred as Sydney Biddle Barrows in the 1987 movie Mayflower Madam

A prolonged bout of unemployment led Barrows, who graduated first in her class at FIT, to be fired from a job as a store buyer because she refused to participate in a kickback scheme, eventually leading to her involvement in an explosive sex-for-sale scandal that inspired a 1987 movie starring Candice Bergen.

I was seated next to Barrows at the Museum Of Arts And Design + Barbara Tober Host Tour And Lunch For Barbie Exhibition on the November 18th luncheon. She introduced herself (I only heard the first name), and while she looked familiar, it took some time to figure out why.

From left, Laura Lobdell and Sydney Biddle Barrows, photo by Patrick McMullan

In keeping with the event’s theme, Sydney was a study in pink: She wore a pale pink sleeveless knee-length shift dress and ballet flatsand carried a small bag with a pink floral design. Sydney looked demure, modest, and unassuming.

Naturally, the conversation turned to fashion. Sydney told me she likes to be well-turned-out, well-groomed, and classic. Among the women whose style she admires are the late Lady Diana and Kate Middleton.

Best Selling Book

Sydney, the author of several best-selling books, explained she is now in the “energy” business. It’s the business of Energy Medicine or Energy Healing, a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel “healing energy” into patients and effect positive results.

Sydney’s confidence in her work is palpable. She shared that many of her satisfied customers leave glowing testimonials on sydneybarrows.com. She is so sure about the positive results that she offers a money-back guarantee. I couldn’t help but wonder if she offered this option back in her escort service days.

I wanted to learn more about what she does, so I followed up with Sydney, who explained that it’s not possible unless I’ve experienced it myself. She suggested having a 20-minute phone conversation first so that she could give me an introductory overview of what it is and what to expect when we get together. That little chat turned out to be highly informative.

“I know it sounds crazy. If some of this stuff sounds weird to you, believe me, it sounds weird to me too, but it works!” Sydney Biddle Barrows

As a client, you start with a bullet point list of up to 6 things you would like to change in your life, and for some reason, you can’t. Barrows must identify all the roadblocks and find out what energies are holding you back so she can rid them and allow the brain to recalibrate.

Barrows, right, celebrated the launch of The Art of The Deal, with Ivana Trump in 1987, Photo by Ron Galella

Sydney’s first session is always two hours long, and she insists on no distractions. Physical surroundings play no part in this other than the client must be in a place where they won’t be disturbed, and any distractions, primarily electronic devices, are not allowed.

Also, unlike therapy, it does not require the active participation of both parties. Her clients’ activities are limited to saying yes (or no) when asked if she has their permission to clear negative energies. She always emphasizes the non-therapy aspect during the initial exploratory phone call.

Barrows gets on the phone, and you sit there and do nothing. Then comes the “voodoo part”. With your permission, Barrows connects with your subconscious mind so she can act as your proxy for most of the session; this is the only way to find out what’s going on in your mind.

Sydney Biddle Barrows, Photo byTamra Beckwith NY Post; T. Cooper w crowdMGMT; Markphong Tram w ABTP; Location Sanctuary Hotel

Sydney uses “ThetaHealing” to explore how emotional energy affects their clients’ health. The technique teaches practitioners to use their natural intuition and connect with the “Creator of All That Is” to reprogram their minds and clear limiting beliefs.

“What I do is proprietary; nobody else does it the way I do,” says Barrows, who stresses that she does not slog through the mud looking for all the bad things that happened in your life. Rather, she emphasizes the positive part of therapy, getting to the heart of what is blocking you, preventing you from achieving your goals. Her unique approach is both intriguing and refreshing.

“I have a 100% money-back guarantee. If you don’t see a positive change after four sessions, I will give you all your money back, and in all these years, not one person ever asked me to do this.” – Sydney Biddle Barrows.

Barrows attended ‘The Mayflower Madam Debuts New Advice Hotline’ on July 12, 1995, at Vince and Linda’s in New York City. – photo by Ron Galella

Back in the 90s, Barrows was a consultant for small businesses. She met a woman who wanted to start an energy psychology business. Sydney thought it sounded ludicrous, but she decided to help market the woman’s business, and in exchange, Barrows got free sessions.

Nobody was more surprised than Sydney that it worked; she surmised it would be an excellent tool for helping her clients. Sydney learned how to do it by taking a seminar and practicing on herself and others. Through happy clients’ word of mouth, Sydney has built a practice.

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Marilyn Kirschner

I am a long time fashion editor with 40+ years of experience. As senior market of Harper's Bazaar for 21 years I met and worked with every major fashion designer in the world and covered all of the collections in Paris, London, Milan and New York. I was responsible for overall content, finding and pulling in the best clothes out there, and for formulating ideas and stories.

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