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Video: Supporting Cops and their Families in Grief

Posted on May 1, 2017 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley talk to the Dennis Jones, the Executive Director of Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) in the 44th episode of The Open to Hope Foundation show. They also discuss this issue with Anthony (Babe) Muro, who’s an avid supporter of the police community. COPS is committed to helping families and individuals of loved ones who have fallen in the line of duty. Gloria’s father was a policeman and a military member, so she has always had a soft spot for police departments. Jones is a former police officer of the NYPD for 25 years, and after […]

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Getting Back to Life When Grief Won’t Heal

Posted on April 26, 2017 - by Gloria Horsley

Dr. Gloria Horsley talks with Dr. Phyllis Kosminsky, the author of Getting Back to Life When Grief Won’t Heal. Dr. Kosminsky says, “I wrote it because people were coming in and asking me if they were grieving in the right way.”. There are many stages of grief, and that’s talked about in depth, but it can be confusing. People in grief will look at stages and see them as consecutive, but that’s not the case. This can be particularly frustrating in the second year when you think you “should” be progressing, but suddenly find yourself back in an early stage. […]

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Webinar: How Do I Know If It’s Grief or Depression?

Posted on April 23, 2017 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

This webinar features Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley talking about grief vs. depression with Dr. Howard Winokuer. As the co-founder of TO LIFE, a non-profit that offers education and counseling to those struggling with loss, he knows all too well that there are blurred lines. Dr. Winokuer has helped thousands of people along their grief journey, offering seminars and workshops around the country (and in nine international locations). A popular author and speaker, he notes that sometimes grief and depression can cross lines. However, there are some big differences. For starters, grief is the interpersonal experience of handling a loss […]

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Webinar: What a Father Learned From the Death of his Son

Posted on April 21, 2017 - by Gloria Horsley

Dr. Gloria Horsley interviews Pastor Dennis Apple about “Where is God?” after a loss—and in many cases, especially on holidays like Easter. Apple lost his son, Denny, when Denny was only 18 years old. He died of a sudden illness in 1991. Today, Apple counsels others who are grieving the loss of a loved one. He’s also a pastor at College Church of Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas. Along with his wife, Buelah, Apple is consistently working towards addressing his own grief in a healthy manner. He wrote Life After the Death of My Son: What I’m Learning as a tool […]

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Is There Such a Thing as Closure After a Loss?

Posted on April 19, 2017 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley with the Open to Hope Foundation discuss continuing bonds and closure after loss. At 17 years old, Heidi’s brother Scott was killed in a car accident. Everyone told her and her mother that they would “get over it” eventually and find closure. Know that closure isn’t for love accounts—it’s for bank accounts. You can and should get over the suffering, but getting over the loss can feel like erasing someone from your life. Instead, you can transform your grief into actions that can positively change the world. The mother-daughter team created the Open to Hope […]

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Suffering a Loss Yet to Come

Posted on April 19, 2017 - by Carla J Vagnini

My father’s wife of 30 years passed away in November 2014. Prior to her passing, he was her caretaker in all senses of the word, even to the extent that he was neglecting himself.  We knew while he was taking care of her that something was happening with his cognition, but he was a wonderful, loving caretaker and soldiered on, only focusing on her. After she passed away and his mission was over, he seemed so lost in loneliness and alone in his thoughts.  Thankfully, he wanted to move 700 miles from Alabama to Virginia near me and my husband.  […]

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Webinar: Healing After a Fatal Car Accident

Posted on April 19, 2017 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

The Compassionate Friends, the Open to Hope Foundation, and Carl McDonald, the National Law Enforcement Initiatives Manager for MADD, offer a special webinar on grieving after losing a child due to a driving under the influence (DUI) incident. Drs. Heidi and Gloria Horsley, the hosts, lost a loved one to a DUI crash—Gloria’s son and Heidi’s brother, Scott, was killed in a car crash. They met McDonald at The Compassionate Friends years ago, and were inspired by his ability to find hope after losing his daughter. McDonald’s ex-wife was an alcoholic, and that was the primary cause of their divorce. […]

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Finding God in Daily Life

Posted on April 5, 2017 - by Charles W. Sidoti

God isn’t removed from us, sitting on some throne up in heaven somewhere. The “universal creative life energy” is found within the created world, within life’s natural cycles. From womb to tomb, our lives are fundamentally affected by the cycles and rhythm of life. The beat of our hearts and our breathing, without which nothing else would matter, are examples of our inseparable connection to life’s rhythm. The cycles at work in the world are easy to see. For instance, every day the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, marking the start and end of each new day, a […]

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A Young Widower’s Marathon, Part 2: Healing, Resilience and Dating

Posted on April 4, 2017 - by Michelle Jarvie

Andy Guice’s life forever changed when he met his wife. She uplifted and encouraged him in ways he’d never known. Then she underwent three rounds of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer and suffered a terrible death during just before their third wedding anniversary. He was 31 years old. The first part of this interview series covered her illness and the many difficult months following her death. Months that held suicidal ideation and intensive therapy. The remainder of his interview now follows, revealing wisdom and hope that have changed him once again. JARVIE: What truths about life have you learned from your […]

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A Young Widower’s Marathon, Part 1: Cancer and its Aftermath

Posted on April 2, 2017 - by Michelle Jarvie

The night of April 21, 2016, I opened my email and saw the following subject: “My dentist, Melanie, gave me your name as a fellow griever…” I thought back to my last cleaning and kind dentist who always remembered and asked about my journey. As I clicked on Andy Guice’s name and began to read his message, unveiling the heartbreak of cancer and young widowhood, I most recognized the plea to not feel alone. I stayed up late that night, meditating on his words and what I could offer in return. I was 23 when my husband was killed on […]

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