Open to Hope Radio
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John Stanley: Can Faith Heal You?
November 15, 2018
John Stanley is a Minister with the First Presbyterian, Gastonia, NC. Following the death of this only child Susan, John and his wife Rose co-founded a Chapter of The Compassionate Friends and John served on the National Board. He recently presented at the Bobby Resciniti Foundation’s Day of Hope and Healing with Dr. Gloria and […]
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Basia Mosinski: Mind, Body, & Spiritual Alignment
July 5, 2018
Basia Mosinski is founder of OneLife.Coach and serves as chapter leader for the Newport Beach Compassionate Friends. In 1993, Basia’s stepson, Logan died in a head on train collision and in 2014, her adult son, Richard died of a pulmonary embolism on an airplane. As a Life Coach, Basia helps clients navigate the pain of […]
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Joe DiNardo: Meditation Practice
May 3, 2018
Joe DiNardo is a businessman, attorney and the author of A Letter to My Wife. In 2005 a brain tumor and the death of his wife to Pancreatic cancer in 2015 forced him to confront his own mortality and to test himself and his Buddhist practice. https://www.opentohope.com/wp-content/themes/oth/audio/Joe-DiNardo-Meditation-Practice-Stereo.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Christine Duminiak: Afterlife Contacts and Signs
September 14, 2017
Christine Duminiak is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, radio co-host, Member of National Alliance for Grieving Children and Founder of Prayer Wave for After-Death Communication. http://opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/11062522/Christine-Duminiak.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Jean Ann Williams: God’s Mercies After Suicide
July 27, 2017
Jean Ann Williams published a book on suicide loss after her youngest son Joshua took his own life in 2004. “God’s Mercies after Suicide: Blessings Woven through a Mother’s Heart” is a devotional style memoir showing how God walked alongside her in the most difficult grieving journey of her life. http://opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/17172019/Jean-Ann-Williams.mp3Podcast: Play in new window […]
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Heather Stang Topic: Calming Your Mind And Restoring Your Spirit Time
March 16, 2017
Heather Stang is the author of Mindfulness & Grief, and a contributor to Techniques of Grief Therapy: Assessment & Interventions. Her inspiration for helping others stems from her uncle’s death by suicide and her stepfather’s sudden death following a surgical procedure. She offers free guided meditations at MindfulnessAndGrief.com. http://opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/28063840/Heather-Stang.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Charles Sidoti Topic: Simple Contemplative Spirituality
March 9, 2017
Charles W. Sidoti, BCC, is a clinically trained, board certified, Chaplain (NACC), and Coordinator of Spiritual Care at South Pointe Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System. He is the author of two books, Living at God’s Speed, Healing in God’s Time, published in 2011, and Simple Contemplative Spirituality, published in 2016. http://opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/13175144/Charles-Sidoti.mp3Podcast: Play in new window […]
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Randi Ragan: LIVING MINDFULLY
December 29, 2016
Randi Ragan is a holistic wellbeing expert and green-living entrepreneur. She is the founder of Green Bliss Eco Spa and for more than twenty years, has led yoga and spiritual retreats. She is the author of A year of Living Mindfully. Her work strives to provide readers with ideas, tips, and inspiration for creating a […]
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Finding A New Beginning: Rabbi Daniel A. Roberts
November 10, 2016
Rabbi Daniel A. Roberts is currently Rabbi Emeritus at Temple Emanu El, and part-time Rabbi, at Temple Beth Israel in Sharon, PA. He has served as Chaplain in the US Navy and is co-author of Clergy Retirement; Every Ending Has A New Beginning. http://opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/04052438/Rabbi-Daniel-Roberts-MP3-for-Audio-Podcasting.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Susanne Latessa: Healing Mind, Body and Spirit
October 6, 2016
Susanne Latessa is a grief counselor, and educator, with a certificate in spiritual direction. She believes fully in the mind, body, and spirit connection, and finds it an honor to walk with and work with the bereaved. http://opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/06101947/Susanne-Latessa-MP3-for-Audio-Podcasting.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Elisa Medhus and Kim Babcock: Death of A Son
September 29, 2016
Dr. Elisa Medhus, MD practiced internal medicine for thirty years in Houston. After the death of her son, she began journaling her grief in her blog and communicating with him. An author and radio host, Dr. Medhus will be joined by Kim Babcock, who is a spirit translator for Erik. She and Eric are the […]
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John A. Sarkett: Making Friends With The Unfriendly Through Music
August 25, 2016
John A. Sarkett is the author of twenty-five books. He has worked in public relations, marketing, television production and syndication, software, and financial industries. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Ohio State University. His latest books are Bach and Heaven: The promise of Afterlife and Death in Classical Music: Making friends with the unfriendly. […]
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Articles
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Chuck Overton: Spiritual Journey
October 6, 2018
Open to Hope recently spoke with Chuck Overton, a Spiritual Director at Caris Healthcare in Knoxville, Tennessee. As a chaplain, Overton has worked closely with grieving families as they learn to navigate life after losing a loved one. One of the biggest hurdles, Overton explains, is “their experience with feeling abandoned.” This can include by […]
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Patricia Therese: Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria
September 26, 2018
As the first Bereavement Consultant for the Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria, established under the archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia, Therese attended the 2015 Association of Death Education and Counseling where she spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley about her work and this new position in the church. Therese’s experience with bereaved families stretches back […]
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Don’t the Dead Take their Time Leaving?
September 23, 2018
After my father died, I became fascinated about where he went. Someone came to take his body out of our house and to a funeral home. He was cremated and his remains were put into an urn. But he was gone. Gone where? Where was the essence of him? I remember my siblings, mother and […]
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To The Widow Struggling With Guilt
September 3, 2018
On the outside, the world sees you hurting from the loss of your spouse. They don’t know; however, that in addition to the “normal” feelings of grief, you’re also struggling with guilt. You blame yourself for not insisting that he see the doctor when his cough got progressively worse. You beat yourself up for not […]
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Spirituality After a Loss: Interview with Reverend Michael Jemmott
August 10, 2018
At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Reverend Michael Jemmott about faith and spirituality after loss. Reverend Michael works with bereaved people in Baltimore and runs an organization called Roberta’s House, which is a family grief support center. When it comes to dealing with grief, where is God in […]
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Head and Heart: Like the Acorn and the Oak Tree
February 9, 2018
Grasping a concept or idea intellectually is one thing: having it become a real part of who you are is something different. I once heard it said, “Scripture contains the word of God in the way that the acorn contains the oak tree. It is all there, but its presence is made known to us little […]
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Waiting for God to Respond to a Prayer
December 22, 2017
There is a classic psychological question you may be familiar with that is related to our ability to wait on God: “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound?” When we pray the words of the Serenity Prayer, “God, grant me the […]
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Keep the Door to Your Soul Open
December 17, 2017
I was given a pocket size daily devotional after Mack died called “Healing After Loss” written by Martha Whitmore Hickman, who was also a bereaved parent. I carried it in my purse for two years until the binding weakened, the cover fell off, and each page was dotted with notes and stained with my tears. One of the daily reflections […]
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Stories I Do Not Tell: Grief & Spirituality
November 16, 2017
Einstein said, “Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be changed from one form into another.” Strange that a scientist’s quote brought me comfort in dealing with the death of my husband, Gary. It also became the means by which I convinced myself I wasn’t crazy when seemingly inexplicable, spiritual experiences happened. These are […]
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Where Do They Go?
September 14, 2017
Recently, I have received phone calls from dear friends who have lost people they love. Lost. That word, it is so final, but do we really know? Still, there is that empty space of where are they? What’s it like? Are they happy and safe? It is so difficult to wrap our human brain around […]
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Antonio Sausys: Healing the Body, Mind and Spirit
September 8, 2017
During the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling conference, Dr. Heidi Horsley spoke with Antonio Sausys from Uruguay. Sausys operates a program that integrates yoga techniques and therapies that combine the mind, body and spirit “in order to help grievers go through the difficult process.” Contrary to popular belief, grief is not purely emotional—or […]
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Galen Goben: Faith and Healing After a Death
August 15, 2017
The Grief Support Coordinator for Forest Lawn, Galen Goben, spoke with Dr. Heidi Horsley of the Open to Hope Foundation during the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling conference about having faith after a death. Forest Lawn is an organization in California that helps people plan ahead for death, including full funeral, crematorium and […]
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How Can I Connect With My Child-In-Spirit?
July 25, 2017
If you are reading this article, let me first say that I am so sorry for your loss. No one understands the wounds of loss better than another bereaved parent. Nothing is more devastating than attending your own child’s funeral and I’m sorry to be welcoming you to this club. That said, let me share […]
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Becoming Aware of God’s Presence
May 23, 2017
“We have what we seek. We don’t have to rush after it. It was there all the time. If we give it time it will make itself known to us.” – Thomas Merton As a young child I remember a picture hanging on the wall in my grandfather’s house. It showed Jesus standing outside a door and patiently […]
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Finding God in Daily Life
April 5, 2017
God isn’t removed from us, sitting on some throne up in heaven somewhere. The “universal creative life energy” is found within the created world, within life’s natural cycles. From womb to tomb, our lives are fundamentally affected by the cycles and rhythm of life. The beat of our hearts and our breathing, without which nothing else […]
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Seven Years Later, the Grief Lingers
March 9, 2017
7 years seems like such a long time, yet it also seems like such a small amount of time as well. 7 years full of birthdays, holidays, weddings, birth of nieces and nephews, beginnings and endings of friendships, and cross country moves. March 9th is the 7th anniversary of my beloved Greg being with Jesus. […]
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You Can’t Sleep With a Butterfly
February 17, 2017
Several years ago, one of the cancer patients I counseled told me she was going to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where her mother lived, to resolve her difficulties with her mother and die there. She accomplished all that she had hoped for and died there feeling loved, complete and at peace with herself. About […]
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Día de Muertos: Eat, Speak, and Remember
October 28, 2016
The Oxford English dictionary defines “remember” as to “have in or be able to bring one’s mind an awareness of someone or something from the past.” I have thought a lot about remembering or memory since our son Mack died on New Year’s Eve 2012, two weeks shy of his 9th birthday. Often a memory […]
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How Belief Systems Shape Our Grief
October 14, 2016
This is the third of four articles based on concepts, research and experiences shared in, LOVE NEVER DIES by Elizabeth Horwin. WHAT DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND? The first article in this series focused on the concept of What is Life and the second focused on the concept of What is Death. I encouraged the […]
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Time Doesn’t Heal; Gratitude Does
September 11, 2016
I remember after the death of our son in 2011, how disconnected I felt that first year. Things I once enjoyed, even special relationships, I was unable to maintain. It wasn’t that I had stopped caring, never that, but the energy involved in even writing a simple letter was too much for me. I was […]
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No Longer the Victim: Emerging From Loss
September 1, 2016
When we have children, being a parent becomes one of the deepest parts of our identity. As a woman, my identity is being the mother of Becca, Christopher, Kimmy, Jamison, and Austin. When Becca went through times of severe illness (such as cancer at age 3, being given a 50/50 chance of surviving labor and […]
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Celestial Conversations: Reaching Through the Veil
August 18, 2016
When my mother died in 2004, we had so much unfinished business that I thought her death ended all chances of healing our strained relationship. Encouraged by a friend, I began journaling with the intention of reaching through the veil to my mother. Even though my Catholic religion frowned on talking to the dead, it […]
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Ten Common Signs that the Deceased Send to Loved Ones
July 30, 2016
After our loved ones cross over, they are very anxious to let us know they are okay and are aware of what is going on in our lives. If we are not able to feel them around us, they will often give us signs that we cannot ignore. The person who is given […]
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Ode to an Urn Maker: Commemorative Urns of Eliza Thomas
July 18, 2016
Ceramic artist Eliza Thomas has a unique practice of creating commemorative urns and offering them to those grieving a loss. Hearing of this work, I was intrigued, and tried to track her down. When we finally meet at Caffe Borrone in Menlo Park, we are just a short walk from Stanford University. Next door neighbors […]
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A Young Father’s Murder
June 17, 2016
I met Randall when he was just six years old, the youngest of three siblings, one brother Mickey, and older sister Nancy, who was to become a lifelong friend. But at thirteen, we rarely thought of the future. It was fun to go to her house. Since I was an only child, I thought her […]
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Fathers of Faith
June 15, 2016
The hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, inspires the worshipper to be true to our forefathers’ Christian faith and to lead others to Christ through the example we set in our own lives. As Father’s Day approaches, it is with gratitude to God that I remember those whom we have “loved and lost awhile” as well […]
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Why Does it Hurt So Much?
June 13, 2016
Grieving people usually don’t ask directly: Why does it hurt so much? But I see that it hurts; I hurt like that. It hurts because you loved. You were connected to another human being heart to heart. It hurts. Death hurts a lot when we love like this. This hurt causes an incredible amount of […]
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Staying Open to Signs of Continued Love
May 29, 2016
Karla Wheeler and her daughter, Jenny Wheeler, share with the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) their story of loss and healing. How can you stay connected with a loved one who has died? Jenny’s grandparents/Karla’s parents have both passed away. Additionally, Karla’s husband and Jenny’s father died a few years ago. The mother-daughter […]
Open to Hope TV
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Episode 141: Grief Shock; Your Body Is Your Buddy
September 24, 2018
On this show Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley interview Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki, co-founder of Shine Yoga Center and Heather Stang podcast host and author of Mindfulness & Grief on the importance of paying attention to the physical as well as the mental aspects of Grief. A video is shown of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk […]
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Episode 139: Grief: Attending To The Physical and Spiritual Journey
August 1, 2018
On this show Dr. Heidi Horsley explores with Brandi Hamlin LICSW, CYT, and Heidi Gessner MDiv, their unique approaches to grief and recovery. Brandi has an interest in yoga and treats the whole-person. Heidi is a Palliative Care Chaplain and bereavement specialist who believes in attending to the emotional pain and transformation that is the […]
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Episode 134: Parent Death A Discounted Loss
June 27, 2018
On this show Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley interview Open to Hope writers Lauren Muscarella author of Alice’s Law: Finding Deeper Meaning and Honoring Lost Loved Ones, and founder of Trauma to Art: Turning Grief Into Creativity, and Lisa Irish, Chaplain, spiritual director and author of Grieving – the Sacred Art: Hope in the […]
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Episode 131: Redefining Ourselves After Loss
April 11, 2018
On this show, Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley interview Christine Duminiak and Dr. Tanya Lord about redefining ourselves after multiple losses. Christine is an internationally recognized expert on afterlife contacts and signs, and a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. She has authored 5 books and co-hosts, Ask the Angels radio show. Tanya lost her […]
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Episode 115: Spiritual Experience and the Afterlife
January 8, 2018
On this show Dr. Gloria & Dr. Heidi Horsley interview bereaved parents Elizabeth Boisson, Irene Vouvalides and Ernie Jackson regarding their view of the afterlife and how their experiences have helped them to cope with their losses. Their organization, “Helping Parents Heal,” founded by Elizabeth Boisson, offers bereaved parents an open discussion of spiritual and […]
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Episode 98: Dr. Jason Stroller and Dr. Matthew McKay: Exploring The Invisible Universe
January 5, 2017
Where do we go what happens after death? On this show Dr. Gloria and Alan Pedersen Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends explore the invisible universe with two bereaved dads Dr. Jason Stroller author of My Life After Life Matthew McKay Ph.D. author of Seeking Jordan regarding their books written in collaboration with their deceased […]
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Episode 85: Transforming Grief After The Death of A Mother and Daughter with Lo Anne Mayer
October 2, 2016
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley interviewed Lo Anne Mayer on the death of her mother and how she found comfort and understanding by conversing with her mother through meditation and writing. After the tragic suicide of her daughter, Cyndi, Lo Anne again found comfort in writing as a conduit between […]
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Episode 83: Spouse Loss with Audrey Pellicano and Rabbi Jeffery Sirkman
August 21, 2016
On this show Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley interview bereaved spouses Audrey Pellicano. RN MS Health Counselor and educator, and Rabbi Jeffery Sirkman, Senior Rabbi of Larchmont Temple, regarding the challenges of lousing a spouse and how they have again found hope. Joining in the discussion of finding hope after the loss of a partner […]
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Episode 82: Coping With Murder with Zander Sprague, Koshin Ellison and Robert Campbell
August 20, 2016
On this show Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley interview Zander Sprague regarding the murder of his sister and the strong emotions of anger, shame and guilt experienced by survivors. Joining in the discussion of forgiveness and hope are Buddhist Monks, Koshin Paley Ellison, Robert Chodo Campbell, and Jeffery Sirkman, Senior Rabbi of Larchmont Temple. The […]
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MINDFULNESS & GRIEF Coping With Grief & Loss Through Meditation, Yoga & Journaling
May 27, 2016
Coping with grief when your loved one has died may seem like an impossible task. Few words bring comfort, and there is no quick fix for a broken heart. In addition to overwhelming sadness, many of us feel stuck and unsure of how to proceed with life after loss. There is no right or wrong […]
