My friend wants to go to Lilydale.

She has recently lost a child to suicide and wants desperately to connect with him. Anyone here been?

There were good discussions both started by Orleans, here about Lilydale http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=245x120130
And here about Spiritualism http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=245x120235

I hope they help her make a a well-considered decision :hug:

I told her I would take her, wish I knew how to choose the right spiritualist to connect with.

I can't even imagine.... :cry:

A dear friend, who is both a clinical psychotherapist and a spiritualist, wrote a book about her experience of living through her son's suicide, "Mothers Who Cry in the Night."

I don't think Betsie offers services as a medium, but perhaps she can help in some way?

http://shamanichypnosis.com/index.php

I have several friends who have lost children through illness or accident but suicide adds a whole other level that makes it so much worse.

A nearby Spiritualist church does gallery readings once a month where they open to make contact for as many people in the audience as they can. They ask for $10 to attend and they managed to get to most of the people in the 3 hours giving details that seem to be on target from people's reactions. My Mother went with me and we both got what we both felt were good confirmation of contact by the medium. I would have been comfortable paying for a longer private reading with one of the mediums but I didn't feel the need. I am sensitive enough to pick up spirits at times even if rarely anything other than that they are there and what their emotional state is. I went more to get my Mom outside confirmation that the contacts I had experienced with my Father were not wishful thinking and that he really was doing good over there.

It might be useful to check for local spiritualist churches and if they do gallery readings or psychic fairs so your friend could find out if anyone there has the right stuff and also if she would be comfortable working with the medium.

I am so sorry for your friend and her family's loss. I hope she finds the contact she needs very soon.

I tried this last year after a friend died very suddenly and unexpectedly. Unfortunately I didn't get the experience I hoped for after three sessions with a therapist trained in IADC, but alot of people have. I don't know if it was me trying too hard or the therapist just wasn't good enough at bringing about an IADC. The website shows where therapists trained in this technique can be found. If your friend is near Chicago though, she could go to Dr. B, himself. His book on the subject is very interesting and good. Raymond Moody's book Reunions is interesting too, for some other ways to make contact. Good luck to your friend and so sorry to hear about her loss.

http://www.induced-adc.com/

If the experience worked for her she might find it more satisfying than working with a spiritualist. My therapist advised me to meditate as that would help me have the experience so if your friend already meditates, she may have the experience quite easily.

yesteerday was the first time I think I ever went into this particular DU Forum. I hope the info is of interest to your friend. Today I was on amazon.com looking for books and saw some others that might be of interest:

Visitations from the Afterlife - Lee Lawson
Visions of the Bereaved - Kay Witmer Woods
I'm Still with You - Carole J. Obley

The last author is a medium who does phone sessions. I would really recommend Dr. Botkin's book too though from the website I posted yesterday, Induced After-Death Communication: A New Therapy for Healing Grief and Trauma, Alan Botkin.