Gloria Horsley

Dr. Gloria Horsley is an internationally known grief expert, psychotherapist, and bereaved parent. She started "Open to Hope" to help the millions in the world with grief. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Nurse Specialist, and has worked in the field of family therapy for over 20 years. Dr. Horsley hosts the syndicated internet radio show, The Grief Blog which is one of the top ranked shows on Health Voice America. She serves the Compassionate Friends in a number of roles including as a Board of Directors, chapter leader, workshop facilitator, and frequently serves as media spokesperson. Dr. Horsley is often called on to present seminars throughout the country. She has made appearances on numerous television and radio programs including "The Today Show," "Montel Williams," and "Sallie Jessie Raphael." In addition, she has authored a number of articles and written several books including Teen Grief Relief with Dr. Heidi Horlsey, and The In-Law Survival Guide.

Articles:

Practical Strategies for Holiday Survival

The holiday season can be particularly challenging for those who have lost loved ones. In a heartfelt discussion on the Open to Hope Conversations podcast, Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughters, Dr. Heidi Horsley and Rebecca Barra, shared their personal experiences and professional insights about managing grief during the holidays. Understanding Holiday Grief The first holiday season after losing a family member often proves to be the most difficult. Rebecca Barra, who lost her father four years ago, initially resisted setting up holiday decorations or participating in festivities. Despite having four children, she struggled with acknowledging the holidays without her […]

For Widows Navigating Finances

The journey through widowhood presents unique financial challenges that many individuals find themselves unprepared to face. During a recent Open to Hope Conversations podcast, financial expert Kathleen Real shared valuable insights about helping widows navigate their financial futures after losing their partners. Understanding the Three Stages of Widowhood Real, author of “Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows,” outlines three distinct stages that most widows experience: Grief Stage: Characterized by shock and emotional turmoil, making it difficult to make clear financial decisions Growth Stage: A period of normalization when widows begin to take control of their financial […]

Finding Light in the Darkness

Finding Light in the Darkness: A Message of Hope and Healing In times of profound struggle and emotional turmoil, it’s easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed. However, Sue Frederick, a renowned spiritual guide and author, offers a powerful message of hope and reassurance for those experiencing what is often referred to as “the dark night of the soul.” She helps us in finding light in the darkness. The Dark Night of the Soul: Understanding Your Journey The concept of the “dark night of the soul” has its roots in spiritual and mystical traditions. It describes a period of intense spiritual […]

Finding Hope After Spouse Loss

Hard to believe it has been five months since my husband Phil, passed away of a staph infection post back surgery. Phil loved Open to Hope and all the wonderful people we have spent time with since the death of our son, Scott in 1983. As I like to say I have talked the talk of helping the bereaved find hope and now I am again walking the walk. You may wonder if being a part of the grief world has helped me during my loss and I would say a definite “yes”. I have learned a lot from our […]

Griefspotting Losses For a Post-COVID Era

As we have gone from days to weeks to months dealing with the Covid epidemic, I have become increasingly concerned that our unresolved issues around grief and loss are mounting. It occurs to me that it is not too early to address some of the issues that will plague us in the future by identifying them and intervening where we can in preparation for a postcovid world. I like to call this intervention Griefspotting. What, you may ask, is Griefspotting? Doesn’t it have something to do with Trainspotting and Heroin tracks? Not in my world. When I was a kid, […]

Personal Growth and Trauma

Trauma does create post-traumatic stress, but it also can lead to extraordinary personal growth. On today’s Facebook Live, Heidi and I explored this idea with Dr. Richard Tedeschi, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also a licensed psychologist and helped originate the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG), publishing many academic books and articles on the subject. Traumatic Times All of us go through trauma in our lives to varying degrees. It can be the loss of a loved one, a life-threatening illness, injury, or other issue that puts us in a place where […]

Death, Loss and Spiritual Growth

Are you having a difficult time coping with the loss of a loved one during these traumatic times? Today, on Facebook Live, Heidi talked with Galen Goben, Grief Support Director for Forest Lawn Mortuary and an ordained minister, about the intersection between death, loss, and spiritual growth. What’s Changed? People feel stuck in their grief and angry at the inability to recognize their losses — COVID-19 or otherwise — over the last few months. Not being able to hug your friends and family and get that physical support has left so many feeling lonely. What’s Possible? While there are still […]

Join Us for an International Day of Coping with Grief Event

Today, on our Facebook Live discussion, Heidi and I talked about how to cope with the fact that all of the upcoming bereavement conferences have been cancelled due to the shelter-in-place mandates and the ongoing need to maintain a certain physical distance. In-Person Bereavement Conferences Cancelled We’re all sad that all the summer in-person bereavement conferences have been cancelled. This is the season for so many of them. It’s a time we all look forward to so we can connect with old friends, make new friends, and get hope from the hope and healing that’s part of the conference panels, […]

Bereavement Struggles During COVID-19

As we know, we are experiencing life and death during unprecedented times. That means that all the things we did do to address bereavement and loss aren’t possible right now. The result is that we feel disappointed and lost. And, we might still in disbelief that our loss even happened. Today, on our Facebook Live discussion, Heidi and I are joined by Dr. Gale Larson. He is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University as well as noted author and speaker. Gale shares many insights into the bereavement struggles that many of us may experience now. He also […]

Happiness After Loss is a Choice

Are you afraid you will never be happy again after experiencing a loss? Many people feel that way after losing a loved one or they feel guilty at the thought of pondering their happiness. Today, on our Facebook Live discussion, Heidi and I are joined by Chelsea Hanson, a grief expert and educator experienced with significant loss, including her parents, two babies, and her Father-in-Law. She is the author of “The Sudden Loss Survival Guide” and “Shine On: Healing Tools to Inspire and Empower You to Live Life.” Chelsea is also the Founder of With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes, which […]

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.