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 Sibling Loss
June 23, 2016
Houston, Texas counselor Beryl Kaminsky shares tips for handling sibling loss during the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) conference. She wrote Mending the Broken Heart: After Your Child Dies, which is also an audiobook. Working through the loss of a sibling can be traumatizing. Growing up in the shadow of sibling loss can put too much pressure on a child, which Kaminsky experienced first-hand as an adolescent. Your parents are grieving, the rest of your family is grieving, and siblings can feel pressure (imagined or not) to keep everyone together. Then, at 27 years old, Kaminsky also lost […]
Episode 77: Proactive Grieving
June 3, 2016
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Alan Petersen, Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends, interview Megan Carmody, bereaved sibling of Kelly and Gwen Oliver, bereaved daughter of Marlene, on finding hope after the death of a sibling/parent. Megan’s father Mitch, author of Letters To My Son, and is founder of Proactive Grieving®, joins the conversation. Alan and Mitch close the show singing and signing to Thanks For the Little While. Words and music by Alan Pedersen.
Jordon Ferber: Adult Sibling Grief: What Parents Need to Know
June 2, 2016
Comedian Jordon Ferber is the producer of the podcast “Where’s the Grief” Inspired by the death of his brother, Russell. As the sibling leader of the Manhattan chapter of The Compassionate Friends Jordon has helped thousands of siblings recover from loss. http://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/02064437/Jordan-Ferber-MP3-for-Audio-Podcasting.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Adult Sibling Loss
June 1, 2016
Dr. Gloria Horsley interviews Dr. Brenda Marshall from Toronto, Canada. A management executive and executive coach, she’s completing her doctorate degree in adult education at the University of Toronto. Adult sibling loss is one of the most disenfranchised of losses. Suddenly, a few years ago, Marshall’s brother died. That was her “last day of normal.” Her world fell apart at that point. When she looked for support from the community, she found nothing for adult siblings—all sibling loss focus was on teens and children. There are many myths about losing a sibling as an adult, starting with the idea that […]
For the Ones Left Behind: A Guide for Helping Loved Ones After a Death
May 23, 2016
A death can shatter the lives of those left behind. Now, there are so many things to do. Who do you call? Where do you start? How can you help? Managing to survive in the aftermath of a loved one’s death is a daunting task. For the Ones Left Behind, A Guide for Helping Loved Ones after a Death was written with the intentions of assisting the countless who step forward or are called upon to provide support after a death. by Carla J. Vagnini Purchase Yours Today
Episode 67: Finding Hope After A Terrorist Attack
April 26, 2016
Joining Dr’s. Gloria and Heidi Horsley on this show are Melissa Pettignano, singer and songwriter and her mother Evelyn whose aunt/sister Arlene was killed in the World Trade Center and Mary Fetchet who Co-founded Voices of September 11th in 2001 following the death of her son Brad on 9/11. A clinical social worker, Mary created a new paradigm in providing long-term services for victims’ families. A clip is shown produced by Voices of September 11th. Song by Melissa Dear Lord Jesus.
Sibling Loss Changes a Sister Left Behind
April 25, 2016
“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 […]
It’s Never Too Late to Grieve
March 19, 2016
How do I make peace and forgiveness with myself for not grieving and mourning my sisters Margie and Jane for 30 years? It is more the regrets, of years lost, of memories forgotten, of a soul missing, of dreams shattered, of a hole in my heart. Was the the pain too hard? I got used to being so alone and having no one to share my grief or my sisters with. I had no one to walk with me on a path so complex and confusing I did not know how to navigate. I also lacked understanding of being my […]
65: Sibling Loss
March 9, 2016
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley discuss the impact of losing a sibling with Elizabeth Devita-Raeburn whose brother Ted, died of an immune disorder. She is the author of “The Empty Room: Losing a Brother or Sister At Any Age”. The second guest will be Molly Gandour a documentary Filmmaker and producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary Gasland. A clip will be shown from her most recent documentary film “Peanut Gallery” based on the death of her fourteen year-old sister, Aimee to leukemia.
