Open to Hope Articles
Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
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Coping with Traumatic Loss of Daughter
January 3, 2024
What is Traumatic Loss? In 2007, the traumatic loss of my daughter became imprinted in my mind forever. A traumatic loss is sudden, unexpected, and happens without warning. The loss of Helen was more than traumatic; it was violent. I pictured the crashed car in my mind and Helen’s crushed, bleeding body. The images were torturous. Her death was nature’s mistake, an out-of-turn death. The car crash happened on a snowy February night. Helen and her daughter, one of her twins, were on their way home from a Girl Scout meeting several towns away. It was snowing, and the country […]
Happy New Year is Tough on Bereaved Parents
January 1, 2024
When the ball at Times Square drops, champagne corks pop. Ample hugs and kisses are dispensed all around. A new year, new hope, new ventures, new possibilities. Wow, it’s all so exciting! However, for the parent who has lost a child in the previous year, the dawning of a new calendar year can be rough. In fact, most of the time, it is. The bereaved parent can feel isolated, lonely, and sorrowful while everyone else is celebrating. Daniel died at age four in February 1997 and entering 1998 was hard. My mind was filled with questions like: What am […]
Episode 210: Developing Passion and Purpose After Loss
December 21, 2023
Does it feel impossible to develop passion and purpose after loss? Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with their guests Elizabeth Coplan, Ken Ross, and Claudia Coenen to discuss how they eventually found passion and purpose after loss. Elizabeth Coplan turned her personal loss into the groundbreaking play cycle Grief Dialogues. Ken Ross is the son of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and serves as the founder and President of the EKR Foundation. Claudia Coenen is the author of the acclaimed book, Seasons of Grief: Creative Interventions to Support Bereaved People.
Episode 209: Finding Hope After an Anticipated Loss
December 20, 2023
What is unique about anticipated loss and how does one find hope again? Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with their guests Ken Ross, Elizabeth Coplan, and Jennifer O’Brien to discuss their experience with anticipated loss. Ken Ross is the son of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and serves as the founder and President of the EKR Foundation. Elizabeth Coplan turned her personal loss into the groundbreaking play cycle Grief Dialogues. Jennifer O’Brien is the author of, the award-winning book, The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: A Journal.
Jessica Elder: When a Family Grieves
November 16, 2023
What helps a family in grief? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their guest Jessica Elder, Bereavement Manager for the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation and therapist for Revive Counseling and Wellness in Scottsdale, Arizona. Get tips and tools to get you through those hard times. jessica@revivecounselingandwellness.com https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/content.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/Jessica-Elder-When-a-Family-Grieves.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 207: From Grief to Peace
November 13, 2023
Does moving from grief to peace after a loss feel impossible? Join Dr. Heidi Horsley, and her guests’ Heather Stang, Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, and Gina Moffa, as they discuss how to move from grief to peace after a loss. Heather Stang’s book From Grief to Peace, was the inspiration for this show. She is also the author of Mindfulness & Grief, and hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal is a psychologist and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has been at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center […]
Episode 206: Making Meaning After Loss
November 13, 2023
Have you ever wondered how to make meaning after a loss? Join Dr. Heidi Horsley, and her guests’ Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, Gina Moffa, and Heather Stang as they discuss meaning making, and what it actually is. Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal is a psychologist and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has been at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center since 2005, and her federally-funded research was the inspiration behind this show about meaning making. Gina Moffa is a licensed psychotherapist, who authored the book, Moving on Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A […]
Episode 205: Moving on Doesn’t Mean Letting Go
November 13, 2023
Are people telling you that in order to move on after a loss, you have to let go? Join Dr. Heidi Horsley, and her guests’ Gina Moffa, Heather Stang, and Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, as they discuss healthy ways to stay connected with those we have loved and lost. Gina Moffa is a licensed psychotherapist, whose book, Moving on Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss, was the inspiration for this show. Heather Stang, is the author of Mindfulness & Grief and the guided journal, From Grief to Peace, and hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. Dr. Wendy […]
Angry At a God I Didn’t Even Know
November 9, 2023
Angry at God Bereaved parents become experts on all things grief soon after the death of a child. We research. We read articles, talk to doctors and therapists. And we constantly self-assess, trying to figure out which of the five stages of grief we are in and how long before we get to the next one. We find facebook groups with other suffering parents and silently compare pain, wondering to ourselves, “Am I that bad?” or “How can she be doing that well so soon?” We gather information from all kinds of sources, desperately trying to piece together a new […]
