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‘Were You Two Close?’ Reflections on the Death of my Virtual Father

Posted on June 7, 2016 - by Heather Stang

When I was in my mid-20s, my mother married a charismatic photographer named Tom. He was the owner of a photography studio and son of a LIFE magazine photographer, and he and I connected on the subject of art and entrepreneurship. I was an art history major, and had just started my own business as a web developer. We hit it off quick. At the time, Tom seemed easy-going, and unlike my father’s new wife, Tom did not engage in a power struggle with me for my mother’s affection. This was a welcome relief, as my father’s new wife neurotically […]

Peter Hanlon: Bereavement Camp

Posted on June 6, 2016 - by Gloria Horsley

During an Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference, Dr. Gloria Horsley interviews Peter Hanlon, a registered nurse and bereavement specialist at HSE who manages bereavement camps. Based in Ireland, the camps began in 1995 for children only, but over time it was found that a family camp was necessary. Groups of families are brought together to learn about loss, coping, and healing. That same message needs to be spread throughout the family, not just with children, and bringing everyone together can help strengthen familial bonds. Four hours per day are dedicated to counseling, while the rest of the […]

Adult Sibling Loss

Posted on June 1, 2016 - by Brenda Marshall

Dr. Gloria Horsley interviews Dr. Brenda Marshall from Toronto, Canada. A management executive and executive coach, she’s completing her doctorate degree in adult education at the University of Toronto. Adult sibling loss is one of the most disenfranchised of losses. Suddenly, a few years ago, Marshall’s brother died. That was her “last day of normal.” Her world fell apart at that point. When she looked for support from the community, she found nothing for adult siblings—all sibling loss focus was on teens and children. There are many myths about losing a sibling as an adult, starting with the idea that […]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military

Posted on May 31, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Dr. Heidi Horsley talks about military post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with Dr. Ed Tick, an expert in the field. He’s the author of “War and the Soul” as well as four other books. He’s the director of Soldier’s Heart and has worked with military members and their families for several years. There’s a difference between military PTSD and “regular” PTSD. Trauma from military PTSD is impacted by traumatic accidents, illnesses, and deaths, but also involves being an agent of death and destruction. Veterans are asking for help feeling forced to be perpetrators. Training military members means training killers, and […]

Disenfranchised Grief

Posted on May 30, 2016 - by Ken Doka

Disenfranchised grief is a type of grief that a majority of people stigmatize and/or don’t feel comfortable talking about. This can include suicide, pet loss, death from an overdose, and other losses that aren’t considered mainstream. Dr. Gloria Horsley interviewed Dr. Ken Doka at the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference to talk about disenfranchised grief in American culture. Dr. Doka is a professor and consultant to the American Hospice Foundation. He’s written and spoken about disenfranchised grief for years, and is a leading expert in the field. It’s a loss where you’re experiencing grief, but you don’t […]

Staying Open to Signs of Continued Love

Posted on May 29, 2016 - by Karla Wheeler

Karla Wheeler and her daughter, Jenny Wheeler, share with the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) their story of loss and healing. How can you stay connected with a loved one who has died? Jenny’s grandparents/Karla’s parents have both passed away. Additionally, Karla’s husband and Jenny’s father died a few years ago. The mother-daughter team has gone on to write several articles and books on the subject of grief, and they are now in-demand speakers around the country. They founded Quality of Life Publishing to help publish and spread stories of loss to readers around the world. A sign […]

Dianne Gray: When a Child is Diagnosed with a Life Limiting Illness

Posted on May 28, 2016 - by admin

The president of Hospice and Healthcare Communications, Dianne Gray, speaks with the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) about the process of having a child that’s diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Her condolences come first. There was a time when Gray herself was the parent of such a child. “Get ready for the ride of your life,” she says. There will never be a time again when life seems limitless. There won’t be birthday cakes and candles where everyone looks forward to the future with eager anticipation. Every day is a gift now, and the entire family will get […]

Participants Needed for Study on Physician Behavior After a Loss

Posted on May 27, 2016 - by admin

We are writing to invite you to participate in a study about your loss and the experiences you may have had in contacts with a physician following the loss. We are inviting people bereaved from all causes of death. At this point, we don’t know much about the experience that bereaved individuals have in their contacts with physicians after the loss. It is our hope that your participation in this study will help us to better understand the experiences that people have in contacts with physicians after losing a loved one. We intend to use the results to inform recommendations […]

Hope After the Loss of a Spouse

Posted on May 27, 2016 - by Laurel D. Rund

Artist, poet, and writer Laurel Diane Rund talks about finding hope once again after losing a spouse. Losing her husband took her on a journey to sorrow and personal transformation. According to a Chinese proverb, birds sing because they have a song—not an answer. Rund didn’t have any answers or know how to grieve. However, she knew intuitively that she had a song inside her. Overwhelmed with sadness, she wasn’t an “us” anymore after 42 years with her husband. She felt invisible, alone, and unattached. Death was a tough and unexpected teacher. If not now, when? That was a question […]

Is Visiting a Gravesite a Help?

Posted on May 26, 2016 - by Harriet Hodgson

We don’t visit our daughter’s grave. While this is a shocking statement for some, others understand our feelings. Whether or not to visit a gravesite is a personal decision, based on religious and spiritual beliefs, relationship with the deceased, the grief work that has been done, current feelings, and plans for the future. The comfort derived from a visit is another factor. On the first anniversary of our daughter’s death my husband and I, family members, and a few of her friends, gathered at her gravesite. I passed out a list of my daughter’s values—practices that she lived by […]