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:

Fay Green: The Compassionate Friends

Fay Green is a leader at The Compassionate Friends organization in San Antonio, Texas, and recently talked with Open to Hope’s Dr. Gloria Horsley at the Association of Death Education and Counseling conference. Green’s latest project focuses on “group processing,” saying that it helps those who have lost someone “recognize that they’re not alone in their grief.” While every loss is different, the same emotions and feelings are often experienced in each situation. Isolation can exacerbate the grieving process, and a supportive community is critical. The Compassionate Friends is an organization for parents who have lost children, regardless of age. […]

Kayce Hodos: Adolescent Grief

Kayce Hodos is a licensed professional counselor who works in a private practice in Raleigh, North Carolina. She specializes in grief and loss counseling for both adolescents and adults. Recently, Hodos spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley at the annual Association of Death Education and Counseling Conference about what it means to serve this demographic. “It’s a tough group,” says Hodos. “Naturally, they feel very alone and seeking to belong, so it’s very important that they know there are people out there they can talk to and that they can trust.” Adolescence is a tough enough journey in itself, but add […]

Mark de St. Aubin: Men and Grief

A member of the University of Utah Social Work Department, Mark de St. Aubin attended the 2015 Association of Death Education and Counseling conference where he spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley about the unique relationship between men and grief. Having lost both his parents at a young age, St. Aubin explains, “I’ve had to process my own grief.” Over the years, he’s studied how grief processing works, and now teaches MSW students skills necessary for grief counseling. “I liken grief (for men) as being lost in a car on a trip,” says St. Aubin. Men don’t want to ask for […]

Coping With the Next Loss Differently: Interview with Dr. William Buckley

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Dr. William (Bill) Buckley about how people can cope with a loss in a different manner if they do not feel like they coped well with a previous loss. Many families have already gone through a loss, and with that loss they carry a range of bad feelings about the experience they went through. In anticipation of future losses, Bill explains that families want to know how they can do better. Hear his advice in the video below. Here are some key takeaways from the video: Many […]

Quitter? Returning to College After a Family Death

Whether it’s the loss of a parent, sibling or friend grief can be all consuming and lead to a deep depression that makes it difficult to deal with life’s normal routine. Dealing with the death of a loved one can be particularly difficult for college students, especially if they are away from home. They often have trouble dealing with their loss because of the overwhelming energy grief requires on top of the demands of attending classes, focusing on homework and participating in the social life that college offers. A study published by Purdue University found that approximately 40% of college students […]

Daniela Silva: Coping with Grief in the Brazilian Culture

Daniela Silva of Brazil recently spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley of the Open to Hope Foundation during the Association for Death Education and Counseling conference about the difference in grieving between Brazilian and US cultures. In Brazil, Silva explains that the extended family is very involved with the grieving process. However, the idea of talking about grief isn’t as accepted in Brazil as it is in the US. Plus, Silva explains, “We don’t have programs, we have little professional training in grief therapy and we’re trying to improve this now.” Hospices are rare in Brazil, with the first one opening […]

Ana Bendana: Bereavement and Culture in Nicaragua

“Culture makes a difference,” says Ana Bendana when interviewed by Dr. Gloria Horsley at the Association for Death Education and Counseling 2015 conference. Bendana came to the conference from Nicaragua to learn and share how grieving differs around the world. She says so many third world or developing countries have suffered and survived so many catastrophes that it’s shifted how grieving is done. “It does build resilience, or simply numbs you,” she says, which can make processing grief look easier on the surface, but can lead to negative long-term effects if not addressed. Revolutions, earthquakes and other disasters have taken […]

Sharon Strouse: Collage Therapy to Process Grief

The author of the book Artful Grief, Sharon Strouse, spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley during the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling conference about collage therapy. “This book came out of the experience of losing my daughter to suicide in 2001. She was an artist herself.” It took a year, even in therapy, before Strouse realized she wasn’t tapping any creative means of processing her grief. She was feeling very lost, finding that traditional therapy and support groups were somewhat helpful but not the catharsis she needed to really begin healing. She found hope in collaging. Making that first […]

Grief 101: Is There Value In Suffering?

Grief 101 is the title of my presentation at the Compassionate Friends Conference on July 28, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. It will be a very heartfelt conference and will be attended by over one thousand bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents as well as other friends and family. As I prepare my workshop I ask myself the question, “What can I possibly say that will ease their suffering?” I know the depths of their hurt as a number of years ago our son, Scott and his cousin died in a fiery automobile crash. At the time my pain was so great […]

Glen Lord: The Grief Toolbox

As part of The Grief Toolbox, Glen Lord spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley at the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling conference about the death of a parent as an adult. “Death of a parent” searches make up about half of Open to Hope’s searches. He says the death of a parent when the child is an adult is often minimized, especially if the death is expected. Lord’s mother was suffering from kidney failure and liver failure. Since she was living a low quality life, Lord feels many people thought it was “better she died,” which makes grieving a […]

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