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Stimulating Your Senses to Promote Healing

Posted on February 2, 2016 - by Bunny Bennett

There are times during our grief that we must make a conscious choice to embrace the day. Despite our pain, we are glad to be alive. When we grieve, we often feel numb or frozen, so how can we remind ourselves that we are alive? One way to feel alive is by enjoying our five senses. Here are some suggestions to stimulate your senses when you need a break from the pain or feel desensitized. Sense of smell Visit a candle store and sniff the fragrance of every single one. Try closing your eyes and guessing what type it is. […]

Cindy Kort: Writing to Heal

Posted on January 28, 2016 - by Gloria Horsley

During the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Dr. Gloria Horsley interviews Cindy Kort, who recently lost her mother and discovered that writing was one of her best ways to heal. Ellen Kort was a famous poet laureate for Wisconsin who worked closely in the grief and loss field. Cindy also lost her brother years ago, and Ellen commemorated him by writing about him often. She left a fantastic legacy, and something Cindy will treasure forever. Some of the topics the Korts discuss in their writing include how much support is necessary for the bereaved. Telling your story is also […]

Sara Daren: Boys and Grief

Posted on January 28, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Boys and girls grieve differently, as do men and women. Dr. Heidi Horsley talks with Sara Daren about the unique way boys grieve. Daren is from Experience Camps, and as the founder and executive director she runs one-week camps for boys in Maine and New York. In 2015 a camp for girls began, but she has focused on boys for the past seven years. Boys and girls emote differently. At camp, the boys are often stiff and uncomfortable when they first arrive. Boys like to play before talking and need to get active. Diving right into camp with tug of […]

Jordan Karem: Kate’s Club Helping Teens and Kids with Grief

Posted on January 26, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Jordan Karem works with Kate’s Club, an organization that helps kids and teens going through grief. She’s 15 years old, and lost her dad to stage four lung cancer in 2011. She was eleven when her father died, and found herself needing a unique type of support. Living in Atlanta, Georgia, she found Kate’s Club herself after doing an online search. Grief groups, activities, and outings are all available, as well as a summer camp. Here, Karem said she felt normal and could meet other kids who’ve experienced a similar loss. Her other friends weren’t familiar with parental loss and […]

Thom McLeod: Tips for Teens who have Suffered a Loss

Posted on January 25, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

At the National Alliance for Grieving Children, Dr. Heidi Horsley talks with Thom McLeod, a hospice chaplain in Ft. Lauderdale. He also facilitates a teen bereavement group in Davey, Florida. Working closely with teens puts McLeod in a unique position. He says teens can find hope after loss in many ways. The bereavement process is a normal process (if you’re lucky and live long enough to experience it). You need to find a new normal, and teens are going through so many changes already. They’re readjusting to loss while also moving from being a child to a young adult. He […]

Therese Oettl: Outdoor Grief Programs

Posted on January 24, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

At the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Dr. Heidi Horsley interviews Therese Oettl, who’s studying for a master’s degree in European Outdoor Studies. She studies with a group of 18 people throughout England, Norway, and Germany. The group is looking at how Outward Bound and other outdoor programs help people grieve. There’s a variety of these programs in the US, but few in Germany and Europe. She’s here to discover what’s working, how to initiate the programs, and why they’re important. Dr. Horsley has personal experience with Outward Bound, having gone on the program for a month in Colorado […]

Evan Johnson: Loss of a Parent by Suicide

Posted on January 23, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Evan Jonson lost his father in 2010 to suicide. Dr. Heidi Horsley interviews him about his experience Johnson lives in Portland, Oregon and he struggled to find hope afterward. He was in complete disbelief at first, unable to fathom why his father killed himself. It came out of the blue for Johnson, and as that shock wore off he moved out of denial and into reality. That’s when anger arrived, and Johnson was angry at the situation rather than at his father. His dad destroyed his family, and it upset the life that everyone had planned. When Dr. Horsley’s brother […]

Laurie Goble-VanDiest: Loss Due to Adoption

Posted on January 22, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Dr. Heidi Horsley talks with Laurie Goble-VanDiest, the mother of three adopted children. Dr. Horsley adopted one of her children as well. Goble-VanDiest explains that she decided to adopt after she couldn’t conceive. She went the route of foster to adoption and was initially just looking for one child. A three-year-old girl was in her home for six months when it was discovered that the girl’s brothers were also becoming adoptable. The girl had already bonded with the family, and it was important that the siblings stayed together. The instant family happened quickly. Adopted children are born from our hearts. […]

Jim Stewart: Katy’s Kids at CCMe

Posted on January 21, 2016 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

Dr. Gloria Horsley talks with Jim Stewart from Katy’s Kids. A bereaved parent himself, Stewart founded Katy’s Kids after his daughter Katy died at ten years old. The Children’s Museum of the East End was born via Katy’s courage, and today Stewart and his wife are constantly looking for ways to give back. They also have a son, who was six when Katy died. They wanted to teach him how to grieve, that it was normal, and to surround him with peers who understand what he’s going through. The Stewarts serve the bereaved around the country, and were inspired by […]

Kristan Glover: Foster Club

Posted on January 20, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

While at the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Dr. Heidi Horsley talked with Kristan Glover from FosterClub. Based in Arizona, Glover is a former foster youth. FosterClub fosters for children in the foster system, and encourages foster kids to never lose hope. There are things you will face that nobody should have to handle, but you can overcome them. She remembers times when she hated herself and hated her life, but knows that it’s up to her to be positive and be happy. For foster youth, there are additional challenges that can make growing up very difficult, and identifying […]