A specialized approach to grief and loss
IADC Therapy is a brief, structured psychotherapy focused on processing the emotional pain associated with grief. Through focused grief processing and bilateral stimulation, IADC offers an opportunity to experience grief in a different way.
Some people report a vivid or meaningful sense of connection with the person who died during the process. Others experience shifts in their grief without this type of experience.
IADC does not require a particular spiritual or religious belief, and no specific experience can be guaranteed.
Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) Therapy was developed in 1995 by psychologist Allan Botkin, PsyD, while working with individuals experiencing trauma and grief.
The approach grew out of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy and uses eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation as part of a focused grief process.
As emotional distress related to the loss is processed, some people report an unexpected and vivid sense of connection with the person who died. This may be experienced as a felt presence, an image, a memory, a sense of knowing, or in another personally meaningful way.
These experiences are often referred to as after-death communications, or ADCs.
IADC stands for Induced After-Death Communication. An after-death communication (ADC) refers to a perceived experience of connection with someone who has died. These experiences have been reported in many cultures and may occur spontaneously during bereavement.
The word “induced” can be somewhat misleading. The therapist is not inducing a communication with the person who died. Rather, IADC uses structured grief processing and bilateral stimulation, during which these experiences may sometimes arise spontaneously.
The name describes an experience that some people report during the process, not a claim about where that experience comes from.
No.
You do not need to hold a particular religious or spiritual belief to participate in IADC Therapy. People understand their experiences in different ways.
For one person, an experience may feel spiritual. Another may understand it psychologically or neurobiologically. Someone else may simply remain curious about what occurred without needing to define it.
There is no expectation that you adopt a particular explanation. The meaning you make from your experience belongs to you.
An after-death communication cannot be promised or guaranteed. While some people report a perceived expereince of connection during IADC, it is not something the therapist can create or control.
Not experiencing an ADC does not mean that you did anything incorrectly or that the process was unsuccessful. Your experience will be approached without expectation or pressure to have something particular happen.
IADC is a focused and emotionally intensive grief intervention and may not be appropriate for everyone or at every point in grief.
It may be considered when:
The IADC International Institute generally recommends waiting at least six months following a death, although for some people a longer period may be appropriate.
Before beginning IADC, we will meet for an initial screening appointment to talk about your loss, what you hope to address, and whether IADC appears to be an appropriate approach for you.
If IADC isn’t the right fit - or isn’t the right fit yet - we can talk about other ways of supporting your grief.
IADC is typically a brief and focused process. Following an initial screening, the IADC intervention generally takes place across two extended sessions, typically scheduled on consecutive days.
During the sessions, bilateral stimulation - such as guided eye movements - is used as part of structured grief processing. You remain awake, aware, and engaged throughout the process.
Because every person’s grief and circumstances are different, the process may vary based on your individual needs and readiness.
IADC is one option within a broader approach to grief counseling that recognizes the ongoing nature of our relationships with people who have died. It is not intended to make you forget, detach from, or "move on" from someone you love.
For some people, IADC may become part of exploring that continuing connection. For others, the most meaningful part of the process may simply be a shift in the emotional pain they have been carrying.
Kristi Capriglione, MA, LPC, has completed professional training in Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) Therapy through the IADC International Institute with César Valdez, LMSW.
IADC is offered as one of several grief-focused approaches available through Daylight Grief and is considered only after appropriate screening and consideration of each person's individual circumstances.
If you’re curious about IADC and wondering whether it may be appropriate for you, the first step is an initial screening.
We’ll talk about your loss, where you are in your grief, what you’re hoping for from the process, and whether IADC appears to be an appropriate fit.
You don’t need to know whether IADC is the right fit before reaching out.