Hi.
What you are doing already as you have described seems just fine. If it is working for you well, then you are already well protected.
What I will recommend is having a healthy faith that you indeed are protected and within God's, Great Spirit's protection and unconditional love and support already. As far as what you are already doing, I am certain you are well protected.
Remember- we are not given a gift if we are not able to make use of it. God or if you do not believe in a higher power that is fine too, but realize you were chosen for this path, and your set of gifts for a reason. You would not be on the path if you did not have the strength inherent within you.
Personally knowing this for myself is the reason I do not use too much protective means when I read.
What I do instead is surround myself the reader as well as the client in 3 visualized lights or energy in 3 colors I use only to aid in the connection. So I focus myself on aiding the connection with the other before the reading, but do not ever focus on any type of fear related thought. Not really even protection. My faith that both I and the client as spiritual being's living within the light of the great spirit is protection enough.
Glad to hear your strengthening of your abilities is going quite well. Thank you again for the reading you gave me.
May you progress further and enjoy a tremendously rewarding, and compassionate journey.
Blessings.