Heidi Horsley

Dr. Heidi Horsley is a licensed psychologist, social worker, and bereaved sibling. She co-hosts the award-winning weekly cable television show and podcast, Open to Hope. Dr. Heidi is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, and an award-winning author, who has co-authored eight books, and serves on the United Nations Global Mental Health Task Force. She also serves on the Advisory Boards for the Tragedy Assistance Program, the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation, and Peace of Mind Afghanistan. She served on the National Board of Directors for The Compassionate Friends, and for 10 yrs. worked on a Columbia University research study looking at traumatic loss over time in families who lost a firefighter in the World Trade Center.

Articles:

Art and Writing as Healing Tools

When Britney DeSantis lost her father at age 13, she found solace in an unexpected gift – a journal. Two decades later, this simple act of putting pen to paper has evolved into a powerful healing journey that has touched thousands of lives. Through her business, Peak Paper Company, DeSantis has taught calligraphy, watercolor, and journaling to over 50,000 people worldwide. In a recent Open to Hope Conversations podcast interview with Dr. Heidi Horsley, DeSantis shared insights from her personal grief journey and discussed her award-winning guided grief journal, “Forget You Not.” The journal, which hit Amazon’s #1 most gifted […]

Top 10 Podcasts for Grief, Loss and Healing

Grief is a deeply personal journey, and while everyone’s experience is different, listening to others share their stories and insights can be incredibly comforting and healing. Podcasts about grief offer a range of perspectives, from experts in mental health and mindfulness to everyday people sharing their personal stories. Here’s a list of top grief podcasts that provide valuable support, empathy, and understanding for those navigating loss. 1. Open to Hope Podcast The Open to Hope Podcast, hosted by Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley, is a powerful resource for individuals dealing with loss. Drawing from personal experiences and professional […]

Open to Hope in the News!

We appreciate all the talented people who make Open to Hope such a fulfilling place to work. Over the years, we have had so many people give their time, energy, and skills in assisting us with help those who are grieving and need support. Although some stay with us, others go on to pursue other passions. We love following their journeys and celebrating their successes. Recently, we received an article that appeared in The Press Sentinel about our recent Columbia University intern, Mallary McGahee. Gloria and our staff trained her and quickly had her feeling like part of our team. […]

Jason Stout: Heroic Journey, Outward Bound

The Executive Director of Open to Hope spoke with Jason Stout of Outward Bound during the 2015 Association of Death and Counseling Conference. When asked about how he got into this field, Stout responded, “I fell in love with the mission.” Personal growth via a challenge is something that everyone faces, including when losing a loved one. Horsley’s personal experience with Outward Bound was life changing, and she sees why Stout has been with the organization for 14 years. At 20, Horsley’s brother and cousin died in a car crash. Unsure of how she could move forward after such a […]

When the Loss is Not a Death: Interview with Dr Darcy Harris

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Dr Darcy Harris about families and their struggles with infertility and the unacknowledged loss. Darcy originally got interested in this topic when she was doing research on couples going through infertility treatment. The language they were using was the language of grief and loss even though there wasn’t a death in the traditional sense. They were mourning the loss of baby they were hoping for but never appeared. That experience got Darcy thinking more about non-death related loss. There is still a lot of misunderstanding when it […]

Sibling Loss: Interview with Stephen Stott

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Stephen Stott about the loss of his sister and how eventually he found peace and hope with new friends and The Compassionate Friends organization. Stephen lost his sister in a car accident in 2002. His mother started going to The Compassionate Friends shortly after, but it wasn’t until a few years had passed before Stephen felt comfortable enough to go. The experience ended up being great, but it’s nervous going somewhere for the first time with no idea of what to expect. In the video below, Stephen […]

Todd Hochberg: Creating Rituals

The man behind the film “Other Rituals, Parents’ Stories and Meaning Making,” Todd Hochberg, joined Dr. Heidi Horsley at the Open to Hope Foundation’s annual conference to discuss the importance of creating rituals as part of the grieving process. In the film, Hochberg interviews many of the families he’s worked with including many parents whose children have passed away. By helping families through the process with pictures, Hochberg describes in the film how such processes optimize healing and shine a lantern in an otherwise dark period of time. One of Hochberg’s innovative approaches is offering photography services soon after a […]

Donna Bacon: Finding Hope and Healing After Multiple Loss

Dr. Donna Bacon got into the field of grief because of her own personal losses, and she shared a moment with Open to Hope’s executive director Dr. Heidi Horsley. Today, she’s a lecturer at Nassau Community College. “When I was four years old, my mom died of breast cancer—she was 34.” Bacon and her twin sister spent the next 12 years living with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and in that timeframe subsequently lost all of them. By the time she was 16, Bacon was very familiar with loss. Her uncle was murdered, one aunt died at 26 of HIV/AIDS and […]

Carole Hilton: TAPS for Widows

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) was a buoy for Carole Hilton, who discovered the program just a few days after her husband died. He was an active member in the Navy, and when the officer arrived at Hilton’s doorstep to deliver the news, within the paperwork was a TAPS brochure. Hilton talked with the Open to Hope Executive Director, Dr. Heidi Horsley, during the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling conference about what TAPS means to her. Nobody plans on becoming a young widow or ever having that title bestowed upon them. However, Hilton says that simply […]

Expressive Arts to Heal from Grief: Interview with Brianne Overton

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Brianne Overton about using the healing arts to help people cope with grief. In the video below, Brianne discusses healing/expressive arts and how they can help you get through the grieving process. Here are some key takeaways from the video: Drawing, writing, poetry, storyboards, and music can all be used as healing arts. Anything that allows you to express yourself creatively. When it comes to storyboards, you start off with just a blank piece of paper folded into 4’s or 6’s. From there, draw a picture in one […]

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.