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:

Dr. Kay Fowler: Adult Sibling Loss

Adult sibling loss is a common disenfranchised loss. Dr. Heidi Horsley interviews Dr. Kay Fowler at an Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference. Dr. Fowler is the editor of the ADEC Forum, and she lost three adult sisters in a 15 year period. The deaths of Jenny, Ann, and Mary Grace have largely impacted Dr. Fowler’s life and work. Mary Grace died of a heart attack at 44, and Dr. Fowler just couldn’t process it. There was no language or way to make sense of the situation. She felt invisible, with all the focus on her mother and […]

Lynne Ann DeSpelder: Healing Through Art

A leader in the field of grief and loss, Dr. Lynne Ann DeSpelder talks with Dr. Heidi Horsley about using art to help heal from grief. Dr. DeSpelder is also a professor of psychology, counselor, and author of The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying (now in its eighth edition). When someone dies, think about what you used to do before—and what you do now. Often, what you did was pretty normal. Dr. DeSpelder recalls a young mother who lost her baby. Before Justin’s death, she used to make clay artwork and sell it at a boutique. Dr. DeSpelder told […]

Bridget Park: Teens and Sibling Loss

The Executive Director of the Open to Hope Foundation, Dr. Heidi Horsley, talks to Bridget Park about losing a brother. Sibling loss is often a disenfranchised one. Park recommends leaning on your family and letting others love you and just be there for you. It’s tempting to push people away because you don’t want them to feel sorry for you. Being there for one another is critical. Parents worry when a teen doesn’t talk after losing their sibling. Parents think teens should talk, but Park says in her experience she was trying not to upset her parents. They don’t want […]

Stephanie Groepper: Spouse Loss

Losing a spouse is unexpected, since you see yourself growing old with this person. Dr. Heidi Horsley talks to Stephanie Groepper, a military widow. She’s a psychology student and the founder of Washington Warrior Widows, a non-profit for widows and widowers in Washington State. Groepper’s daughter is seven years old, and was only four months old when her partner died. In the military, it’s the loss of both a spouse and a lifestyle. As part of the military, it can be a sudden loss of your community. You’re given one year to move off base if you live in military […]

Jake Abbott: Creative Expression and Art Therapy for Children

Jake Abbott works with the Seattle-based non-profit organization, , which offers creative therapy for bereaved children. He was interviewed by Dr. Gloria Horsley and says his organization publishes books that help with art therapy. Blending narrative, art and cognitive based therapy was the driving force behind five books that help children handle trauma. Bullying, divorce and, of course, death are all traumatic events. Finding hope after loss is challenging for everyone, including children. One tip Abbott offers is identifying partnerships and resources that specialize in child therapy. Art with Heart builds partnerships with local hospitals, focusing on everything from doodling […]

Diana Wright: TAPS Youth Programs

The recent National Alliance for Grieving Children conference brought together Dr. Heidi Horsley and Diana Wright of TAPS Youth Programs. She’s been a volunteer for five years, and came on staff as a programs coordinator. She first learned about TAPS in 2007, and learned how incredible the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is for bereaved military members and their families. She started volunteering and found a path of healing after her son died in the military. It took six months after his death before she started actively looking for grief support. Both of Wright’s children have died, and this has […]

Sara Daren: Boys and Grief

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

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

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

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 […]

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.