Cori Bussolari

Dr. Cori Bussolari brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her practice, working extensively with children, adolescents, and families coping with illness, death, or a significant life transition. She is a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Educational Psychologist, and Credentialed School Psychologist. Dr Bussolari is one of the featured writers for the Open to Hope Foundation Death of a Pet Blog, for which she publishes a column http://thepetlossblog.com Dr. Cori Bussolari appeared on the radio show “Healing the Grieving Heart” with Dr. Heidi & Dr. Gloria Horsley to discuss “Being Orphaned at Nineteen.” To hear her being interviewed on this show, click on the following link: www.voiceamericapd.com/health/010157/horsley061407.mp3

Articles:

Death of a Parent: Healing Mind, Body and Spirit

The death of a parent can be one of the most devastating of losses, no matter what your age. Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley talk with Dr. Cori Bussolari and Antonio Sausys about this unique loss and how to heal the mind, body and spirit. Dr. Bussolari specializes in grief and loss, especially when it comes to losing your parents. Sausys is a yoga instructor who discovered how physical symptoms pop up during grief, and how yoga/meditation can be a great tool to heal. Dr. Heidi Horsley has known Dr. Bussolari for several years, meeting her during the first day […]

Cori Bussolari and Wendy Packman: Pet Loss

A professor at the University of San Francisco, Dr. Cori Bussolari, and a professor at Palo Alto University, Dr. Wendy Packman, recently spoke with Dr. Heidi Horsley during the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling about the grief process that follows the loss of a pet. Having just completed a study on pet loss together, Dr. Packman says, “The most immediate thing (a person who has lost a pet needs) is to garner support.” Many times pet loss can be disenfranchised, although that’s improving in the US. You may have people and support networks already in your life that […]

Cori Bussolari: Grief Therapy What Families Need

With a background in pediatric psychology, Dr. Cori Bussolari now specializes in grief therapy within a private practice and also teaches at the University of San Francisco. She has extensive experience working with parents of dying children and parents of children who have already passed. Recently, she spoke with the Executive Director of the Open to Hope Foundation, Dr. Heidi Horsley, during the Association of Death Education and Counseling conference about strategies for coping with such losses. Dr. Horsley has known Dr. Bussolari for several years and notes that she’s such a positive person—though Dr. Bussolari had lost both of […]

Dad Troubled by Accidental Death of Son’s Kitten

By – Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT, DCC Question from a reader: I received a phone call last night from my frantic wife with my 13-year-old son screaming and crying in the background. He put the recliner chair down and it crushed his 12-week-old kitten. She died on the way to the vet’s . . . I am surprised at my own mourning because she attached herself to me quite a bit, napping in my arm or on my chest a lot. She could make us smile no matter what was going on, no matter how bad it was. She is […]

Common Myths and Misconceptions about the Loss of a Cherished Pet

by – Marty Tousley, CNS-BC, FT COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE LOSS OF PETS: There is nothing special about the relationship between animals and humans. Your relationship with a companion animal can be just as special and loving as those you have with any other family member or close friend. Loving an animal is different from loving a human being, because a pet loves you in a way that people cannot: profoundly, boundlessly and unconditionally. Losing an animal is less painful and less significant than losing a human loved one. Pain over the loss of a beloved companion animal is as […]

Children React Differently When A Pet Dies, Based on Their Age

By – Colleen Mihelich Many factors can contribute to how a child will feel when their pet dies. The child’s age and maturity are important factors. As with older people, the relationship the child had with the pet, the circumstances of the pet’s death, and other events or losses the child has experienced will influence the grieving process. The ability of the parents and others to provide support will also play an important role in helping the child work through the grief. Some generalities on how children may respond differently to the loss of a pet, as related to age […]

Continuing Connections: Mourning the Death of Your Pet

By Cori Bussolari —

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.