Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) is a brief, focused grief therapy that helps you process the deep sadness of loss and, for many people, restore a sense of connection with a loved one who has passed. It grows out of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), one of the most widely used approaches for healing trauma, and is usually completed in two sessions.

At Modern Alchemy, we offer IADC because grief does not follow a timeline. Whether your loss happened recently or many years ago, this approach makes room for both the pain and the love that remain.

Where IADC Comes From:

IADC was developed by Dr. Allan L. Botkin, a clinical psychologist who spent years treating combat veterans with grief and post-traumatic stress at a Veterans Administration medical center in Chicago. In 1995, while using a specialized form of EMDR, he noticed something unexpected: after their deepest sadness was processed, his clients began describing vivid experiences of their deceased loved ones, often followed by remarkable emotional relief.

One of the first was a veteran who had grieved for 28 years over the death of a young Vietnamese girl he had planned to adopt. After his session, that long-held grief finally eased.

Dr. Botkin refined these observations into a structured method, documented in his book Induced After-Death Communication: A New Therapy for Healing Grief and Trauma, co-authored with R. Craig Hogan. In 2003 he founded the Center for Grief and Traumatic Loss to train other licensed clinicians in the approach.

How IADC Works:

IADC uses bilateral stimulation, a gentle rhythmic pattern of guided eye movements or tapping that is the core of EMDR. Each session moves through two phases.

1. Processing Core Sadness
We begin with the heart of your grief. Through guided sets of bilateral stimulation, we work directly with the deepest sadness tied to your loss. As that sadness softens, there is more space for peace.

2. Opening to Receptivity
Once the sadness has eased, we guide you into a calm, open state. You close your eyes and simply notice whatever comes. Your therapist does not suggest or direct what you experience. Whatever arises is your own.

If an experience feels unclear, the process can be gently repeated to bring more clarity.

You do not need to hold any particular belief for IADC to be helpful. People from many spiritual backgrounds, including those who consider themselves skeptics, have found meaningful relief through this work.

What You May Experience:

During IADC, many people report an after-death communication (ADC), a felt sense of their loved one’s presence. These experiences are personal and usually internal, and they may include:

• Seeing an image of your loved one in your mind’s eye

• Hearing their voice or receiving a message

• A physical sensation, such as being touched or embraced

• A deep, wordless sense of connection

Many people describe a sense that their loved one is at peace, along with encouragement to keep living and enjoying life.

Experiences like these are not unique to therapy. Research shows that between 30% and 80% of people experience a spontaneous sense of a loved one’s presence, especially after a loss. IADC creates a safe, supported space where this kind of experience can unfold.

Every experience is different, and no specific outcome is promised. The central goal of IADC is relief from the weight of grief, whatever form your healing takes.