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:

Grace Christ: Comparing Sudden and Anticipated Loss

Dr. Heidi Horsley interviews Dr. Grace Christ about sudden loss vs. anticipated loss for the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Both professors at the Columbia University School of Social Work, the two Drs. know each other—and their work—quite well. Dr. Christ also works with the New York Fire Department and is the director of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network. She’s the author of two books about grief and counseling. As Dr. Horsley’s mentor, they’ve worked together since the 9/11 tragedy. Working with families who experience anticipated loss is very different than working with sudden loss. An […]

Tiffany Papageorge: Transformation Comes When We Feel the Loss

During the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference, Dr. Heidi Horsley connected with Tiffany Papageorge to discuss her book, My Yellow Balloon: A Book About Loss. It’s a book about any kind of loss, using metaphors to take you through the process of loss. It was initially written as a high school project for class. Her teacher adored it so much she tried to publish it. That didn’t happen, but the story followed Papageorge through the years. Now it’s been published, and focuses on the transformation that comes when we feel our way through grief rather than push it aside. […]

Deborah Antinori: Pet Loss

Registered nurse and licensed professional counselor Deborah Antinori joins Dr. Heidi Horsley to talk about pet loss, one of the most disenfranchised losses. She’s also a drama therapist and grief counselor. There are practical and emotional issues surrounding pet loss. When you lose a pet, it’s similar to any other kind of loss. Sadness, tearfulness, depression, and anxiety are all common. Pets are with you every day, and when they’re gone it feels like something is very wrong. You might feel angry with yourself—should you have taken them to the vet sooner? It’s easy to blame yourself, your vet, and […]

Angela Melvin: Parent Loss

Angela Melvin is with Valerie’s House, a non-profit organization in the Naples area of southwest Florida. She’s the founder, and Valerie was her mother who was killed in a car accident 25 years ago. There were no services at that time, and very few now. She knows exactly what it’s like to be a grieving child, and is now committed to making sure no other child is in a similar situation. She recommends helping children cherish the memory of their loved one. Children shouldn’t be ashamed or like they’ll upset their surviving parent if they bring up the loss. Adults […]

Lynne Ann DeSpelder: Death Rituals

Lynne Ann DeSpelder talks with Dr. Heidi Horsley about death rituals during the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference. DeSpelder is a counselor, professor of psychology, and co-author of the book The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying, which is now in its eighth edition. A leader in the industry, DeSpelder got into the field of death and dying like many others: It stemmed from first-hand experience. Rituals that are rooted in history are rich in our society today. In a recent visit to the Smithsonian, DeSpelder discovered that making a memorial quilt has been in practice for […]

Valarie Molaison: Supporting Grieving Families for the Long Haul

Right after someone passes is often the most difficult period. Dr. Heidi Horsley interviews Dr. Valarie Molaison about how to handle this time, and what you can do to help support grieving families. Dr. Molaison is the clinical director at Supporting Kids in Delaware. Dr. Horsley points out that society gives people a lot of ideas on how to provide support in immediate situations, such as when planning a memorial. However, what kind of support does a family want afterward? Isolation and abandonment are common feelings after the rituals are gone. People don’t know what to do, and this feeling […]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military

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 […]

Sibling Loss Changes a Sister Left Behind

“Every loss is unique. The truth is, the worst loss is the one that is happening to you, the one that has picked you up and thrown you down and left you struggling to put your life back together.” — (Devita-Raeburn, 2004, p. 184) When I was 20 years old, I was awakened in the middle of the night to the terrible news that my 17 year old brother Scott and cousin Matthew, had been killed together in a car accident. It seemed inconceivable that my brother had died. My brother, who I had grown up with, shared a history […]

Lisa Dinhofer: Delivering a Death Notification

Certified thanatologist Lisa Dinhofer talks about the best way to deliver a death notification during an Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference. As a death educator, she specializes in very traumatic loss. After years of training, she’s learned a lot about the impact of death notifications. Do it in person whenever possible. Avoid the phone, and always have a partner with you if you can. Look the person in the eye—you’re telling them very important information. If you can’t look them in the eye, they can’t trust you. They’ll want to know the details leading up to the […]

Tonia Tanner: Roberta’s House is a Place of Hope and Healing

Dr. Heidi Horsley talks with Tonia Tanner from . Her first encounter with the organization was a personal one in 2010 when her father passed away. Her family attended the center to help with the grieving process. It was a space where she found hope when she felt entirely lost. She wasn’t sure how to move forward and felt alone. When she became part of the program, she received endless support. It was a place that taught her what grief was, and that it was okay to grieve. There were days when the sadness was palpable, and going to Roberta’s […]

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.