Gloria Horsley

Dr. Gloria Horsley is an internationally known grief expert, psychotherapist, and bereaved parent. She started "Open to Hope" to help the millions in the world with grief. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Nurse Specialist, and has worked in the field of family therapy for over 20 years. Dr. Horsley hosts the syndicated internet radio show, The Grief Blog which is one of the top ranked shows on Health Voice America. She serves the Compassionate Friends in a number of roles including as a Board of Directors, chapter leader, workshop facilitator, and frequently serves as media spokesperson. Dr. Horsley is often called on to present seminars throughout the country. She has made appearances on numerous television and radio programs including "The Today Show," "Montel Williams," and "Sallie Jessie Raphael." In addition, she has authored a number of articles and written several books including Teen Grief Relief with Dr. Heidi Horlsey, and The In-Law Survival Guide.

Articles:

Kayko Tamaki: Helping Grieving Teens

Kayko Tamaki and Dr. Gloria Horsley connect at the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference. She works at Hospice of the East Bay, working with families in grief. There’s the Bridge Program that works with teens, kids, and their families. She says the most challenging group is the teens. They have so much happening and so much going on already. There are sports, school, friends, and big changes. Finding a group that works for them can be tough. However, Tamaki is looking to create engaging programs meeting teens where they are. Finding what holds their interest and what they relate […]

Kelli Tucker: Helping People After the Death of a Loved One

At the latest National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Kelli Tucker talks with Dr. Gloria Horsley about how to help those who are bereaved. Tucker works with Roberta’s House in Baltimore, the only grief center in the city. She got a job offer via email from Roberta’s House, interviewed, and was hired as the volunteer coordinator. She’s had plenty of losses herself, including her brother who was killed by a drunk driver. He was a police officer working on New Year’s Eve when he was struck and killed. Years before that, her mother died of breast cancer. She considers the […]

Ashley Maderr: Death of a Father

At the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Dr. Gloria Horsley talked with Ashley Maderr, who lost her father. Together with her mother and sister, Maderr now serves the bereaved. Located in California, Maderr was 20 years old when her father died. As an adult child, it can often be a disenfranchised loss that isn’t recognized. It was one of the toughest things she’s been through. As a daughter, she didn’t realize how much she needed her dad until he was gone. Going through dating and being an older sister, it was critical to have a male perspective. At 20 […]

Marissa McGehe: Helping Children Cope with Grief

The National Alliance for Grieving Children conference brought together Dr. Gloria Horsley and Marissa McGehe. She works at Haven Hospice in Florida serving all types of clients. However, McGehe focuses on in-school counseling for children. Her advice for parents of children going through a loss is to know that it’s normal to be taken aback. If you’re looking to help, schedule some strong routines in your family. Ensure immediate needs like food and comfort are readily available. Take care of yourself as a caregiver and guardian. Having a safe place to express yourself in a home is also important. Remember […]

Vonceil Levine: Grieving and Cultural Sensitivity

At the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Dr. Gloria Horsley discusses cultural sensitivity with Vonceil Levine, who works with Haven House in Florida. Being sensitive to the cultural needs of an African American requires being open and available. You work from the family and community base, so you may need to take the services to them. Don’t expect that this community will come to you, since there are trust issues that have been accumulating through history. Even in that spiritual community, there are still limits to how people can offer support. There aren’t a lot of informed and supportive […]

David Leonard: Grieving Men

Men and grief can be a difficult relationship. Dr. Gloria Horsley talks with David Leonard of New Hope Grief Support based in Long Beach about his experience as a bereaved man. He says one of the biggest challenges is the stigma that men shouldn’t grief. They can hide things and stuff them inside, but the opposite needs to be done. There should be safe spaces for men where they can express themselves in a healthy manner. Coping mechanisms and skills need to be learned. For men, finding out what the gifts of the head, hands and heart are key. Find […]

Dr. Leeat Granek: Get Familiar with Death

A psychologist at McMaster University in Canada, Dr. Leeat Granek talks with the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) about coping with grief. Like many in the bereavement field, Dr. Granek was drawn to the industry because of personal experience. Her mother died of breast cancer, and Dr. Granek immediately set her sights on the field of grief, death, and loss. She’s well-known in her field for her academic work, as well as working with family and patients who are struggling with their own losses. Dr. Granek organizes meetings across Canada to discuss loss. Becoming more comfortable with death […]

Pauline Boss: Ambiguous Losses

Dr. Gloria Horsley with the Open to Hope Foundation interviews Dr. Pauline Boss, a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota. Ambiguous loss is one that’s unclear. It’s not death—perhaps someone is physically missing, such as a soldier MIA or a 9/11 disappearance. There’s also being psychologically missing, like with dementia or severe addiction. In her doctoral research as a grad student, Dr. Boss got interested in ambiguous loss and this has continued throughout her career. It’s different than death because there’s no validation. With no body to bury, no death certificate, and no closure, it’s very challenging to cope. […]

Amy Florian: Healing After Loss

Dr. Gloria Horsley talks with Amy Florian during an Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference about how to heal after losing a loved one. Florian is the founder and CEO of Corgenius, which was named after “cor” (Latin for “heart”) and “genius” for brain. Connecting hearts to the brains and businesses is her calling. She speaks with businesses, healthcare organizations, and faith-based organizations. We need people to come into our organizations because although we all have hearts, they get hidden. We live in denial, and remove death from our daily lives. We use hospitals as an excuse to […]

Stillbirth: Coping With and Supporting Those Whose Babies Have Died

Last month I wrote a blog for the Huffington Post discussing what to do with personal items and pictures after a loss. In response to this a reader commented that she had a stillbirth and wished she had kept more of the items she had prepared for her baby. I was moved by her comments and prior to booking our next Open to Hope cable television show I reviewed the articles and radio shows we have posted on stillbirth, but noted that we lacked a television show on the topic. In order to find a guest with expertise on this […]

Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.