EMDR therapy for loss and grief: The phenomenon of after death communications--Spontaneous and induced

Participants will explore an extraordinary phenomenon observed during EMDR therapy for grief following the loss of a loved one, a close friend, or a stranger whose death they feel responsible for. During or shortly after an EMDR session, a patient may see, smell, hear, or otherwise sense the presence of the deceased. There may be implicit or explicit communication. In addition to the reassuring sense of the deceased's presence, patients sometimes report hearing a message like, “I am OK, and you should continue to live and enjoy your life.” Impasses in grieving are characteristically resolved following an After Death Communication (ADC). EMDR therapist Alan Botkin, PhD, made slight modifications to EMDR methodology, which led to the surprising emergence of ADC phenomena in a high percentage of his grief patients. The modifications involved preemptive delivery of typical EMDR interventions normally used after processing becomes “stuck.” Botkin subsequently called his approach “Induction of After Death Communication” (IADC). This workshop will include Botkin’s interventions and challenge participants to make sense of the ADC phenomenon. The workshop will feature lectures, case vignettes, videos, participant reports of their own experiences, and a Q&A session.

Conference

English

George Abbott
Ted Olejnik

Abbott, G., & Olejnik, T. (2025, August). EMDR therapy for loss and grief: The phenomenon of after death communications--Spontaneous and induced. Presentation at the 3rd annual EMDR HAP conference, Denver, CO