Heal My Heart
IADC GRIEF THERAPY
A gentle, evidence-based approach to finding peace after loss.
Welcome to Heal My Heart
We provide Induced After Death Communication (IADC) Therapy
in person (Melbourne Australia) and online worldwide— a groundbreaking approach to reducing the sadness associated with grief. Research shows it can provide significant relief in only two 90-minute sessions.
What Is IADC Therapy?
Induced After Death Communication (IADC) Therapy is a derivative of the well-known trauma therapy Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and was developed by Chicago-based clinical psychologist Dr Allan Botkin in 1995 during his work with traumatised war veterans.
Specifically, IADC Therapy is a protocol that targets the sadness associated with grief and bereavement. Dr Botkin altered the traditional EMDR protocol in several specific ways, including targeting the 'core sadness' as the source of his clients' distress, and reported superior results. His very brief protocol (2 × 90-minute sessions) can significantly reduce the sadness associated with grief, and in many cases results in an ADC.
ADCs are a common, naturally occurring phenomenon that can provide healing and assist in the resolution of unresolved issues relating to a death. Regardless of whether a client experiences an ADC, the primary aim of the therapy is to reduce sadness.
Meet your IADC therapist
Dr Ramona Lever
BA Counselling & PhD Metaphysical Science
With over 20 years of experience helping people, Dr Ramona Lever offers in-person IADC Therapy sessions in Melbourne, Australia, as well as online sessions for clients worldwide. She is passionate about reducing the sadness associated with grief and loss, and looks forward to supporting you on your healing journey.
IADC Therapy Works for Pet Loss Too
The grief of losing a beloved pet can be just as profound as any other loss. IADC therapy can help reduce the deep sadness associated with the death of a pet, whether a dog, cat, horse, or any companion animal that held a special place in your heart.
Who Can Benefit from IADC Therapy?
IADC therapy can assist with all types of bereavement-related grief — the loss of a spouse/partner, parent, child, sibling, dear friend, or pet. Research shows it can help with moderate to severe grief, including complicated/prolonged grief and traumatic losses.
How IADC Therapy Helps with Grief & Loss
Emotional Healing
The majority of clients report reduced sadness, sometimes to a large degree. They are more able to recall happy memories and associated positive emotions. Previously distressing imagery is lessened, and intrusive thoughts often feel like "facts" that are "in the past."
Restoring Connection and Peace
ADCs occur for approximately 70%–75% of IADC therapy clients. After sadness is processed with bilateral stimulation, clients enter a receptive state of calm and peace. ADCs can be visual, auditory, tactile, or simply an emotional sense of presence.
The Science Behind IADC Therapy
The core science behind IADC lies in its ability to quickly process "core sadness" — the deep emotional pain of loss — using bilateral stimulation to facilitate a mental state that often results in a profound, subjective sense of connection with a deceased loved one.
Key Components & Scientific Principles
Derivation from EMDR
IADC uses similar bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tapping) to EMDR, which is believed to activate the brain's natural information-processing system to process distressing memories and emotions.
Targeting "Core Sadness"
Unlike conventional EMDR, which often focuses on traumatic memories, IADC is specifically tailored to address the profound, "stuck" sadness of grief.
Inducing a "Receptive State"
Through the intervention, clients are brought into a state of mind that allows them to experience a perceived communication with the deceased (a spontaneous ADC).
Corrective Emotional Experience
The IADC experience is considered a corrective emotional experience, where the sense of reunion changes the meaning of the loss, leading to rapid acceptance and a shift from traumatic distress to peaceful, loving memories.
Phenomenological Overlap with NDEs
Studies show that IADC experiences strongly resemble Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), characterised by vivid sensations, feelings of profound peace, and the sensation of being with the deceased in a non-earthly environment.
Proven in Experimental Research
The first experimental study of IADC by Dr Janice M. Holden and colleagues, published in Grief Matters: The Australian Journal of Grief and Bereavement, compared two sessions of traditional grief counselling with two sessions of IADC Therapy. Results indicated that IADC clients improved significantly more overall than those who participated in traditional talk therapy for grief.
Effectiveness & Research
70–80%
of participants experience a perceived connection with a deceased loved one.
2 Sessions
of 90 minutes each can significantly reduce sadness and grief symptoms.
6+ Months
of sustained reduction in grief intensity confirmed in follow-up studies.
How Our Process Works
1
Pre-Screening
Complete the Pre-Screening Questionnaire (2 minutes) to see if this therapy is likely to be a good fit for you.
2
Free Screening Call
Book a free 25-minute screening call over Zoom. Meet your therapist, who will outline the process and answer any questions.
3
Therapy Sessions
2 × 90-minute in person
(Melbourne, Australia)
or online grief therapy appointments
Frequently asked questions
"No matter how long it's been, there are times when it suddenly becomes harder to breathe."
Anonymous
How Does IADC Therapy Help people in Grief?
IADC helps reduce sadness, calm the nervous system, and gently shift how loss is held in the body. But most importantly, it helps restore a sense of connection that may feel distant right now.
Clients commonly describe feeling lighter, more peaceful, and emotionally settled, with a renewed sense of closeness and clarity.
You don’t lose your connection.
You transform it.
Instead of carrying pain, you carry love.
Instead of heaviness, you feel peace.
Instead of longing, you feel connected.
IADC therapy is offered in person in Williams Landing, Victoria, or online via Zoom, allowing you to access support in a way that works for you.
