Nationally Renowned Grief Therapist to Address Eric Clapton Spot on ABC News' 20/20
Nationally renowned grief therapist and syndicated radio host to respond to spot featuring Eric Clapton’s ex-girlfriend and the tragic death of their son. Clapton’s son died after falling out of a window of a Manhattan high rise apartment building. Clapton went on to win a Grammy for his heart-wrenching tribute “Tears in Heaven”.
New York, NY (PRWEB) September 8, 2006
Nationally renowned grief therapist Dr. Heidi Horsley, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and grief and loss specialist, has been asked by ABC News to respond to a new spot featuring Lori Del Santo, the ex-girlfriend of legendary guitarist Eric Clapton.
The controversial spot, which airs nationally this Friday the 8th at 10 PM on ABC News’ 20/20, features never before seen video of Clapton’s four and a half year old son Conor who died tragically after a 53 story fall from the Manhattan apartment of his Italian-born mother 15 years ago. The much publicized and controversial event devastated Del Santo and Clapton and shocked the world.
Del Santo, a photographer, documented Conor's life from the beginning. After his death, she locked the tapes away because they were too painful to look at again according to the ABC News website.
The release of the video Friday on ABC’s 20/20 is generating its own controversy regarding how parents deal with grief and the loss of a child and the appropriateness of releasing these private videos.
“Probably the most difficult thing any parent can face is the loss of a child. Dealing with that grief publicly and privately is an unbelievable challenge for any parent. Dealing with that loss in the forefront of the public eye presents a completely different set of obstacles,” commented Dr. Horsley.
Dr. Heidi Horsley herself is a bereaved sibling whose 17 year old brother, Scott died in an automobile accident when she was 20 yrs. old. Currently she is an adjunct professor teaching several graduate courses at Columbia University's School of Social Work, including Intervention for Grief, Loss and Bereavement.
“One of the biggest challenges we address both in private counseling and with listeners every week on our radio show is how much ‘sharing’ of our grief is appropriate and helpful. When a tragedy happens in the public eye a whole new set of moral issues and personal decisions are raised.”
Dr. Horsley co-hosts the nationally syndicated "Healing the Grieving Heart” (http://www. centralpt. com/pageview. aspx? nomenu=1&id=9384&site_id=177) radio show, broadcast on local radio stations and syndicated live and in rebroadcast on The VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Network (http://www. centralpt. com/pageview. aspx? nomenu=1&id=9384&site_id=177).
“Everyone deals with loss differently and what’s appropriate or healing for one person may not be appropriate or may actually cause harm to others in the way they deal with their individual grief. This is especially true with parent dealing with the loss of a child.
Clapton, legendary rock and blues guitarist, claims to have found solace in writing music. His son “Tears in Heaven” was featured in the 1991 film “Rush” and earned Clapton a Grammy Award.
“The pain runs deep and although this interview and release of the video maybe part of the healing process for Ms. Del Santo there are hundreds of thousands of parents in America who will be once again addressing feelings and emotions that they may have thought were ‘taken care of’ years ago.”
“It’s true that reality is a tough thing, but we’ve found after working with thousands of parents that coping with the loss of a child even decades after the actual event still resonates at a very deep level,” stated Dr. Horsley.
ABC News will broadcast the never before released video and interview with Del Santo and Dr. Horsley Friday, September 8th at 10 PM nationally. Dr. Horsley’s syndicated radio show can be heard live every Thursday at 9 AM PST on The VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Network (http://www. centralpt. com/pageview. aspx? nomenu=1&id=9384&site_id=177) and rebroadcast and archived at “Healing the Grieving Heart” (http://www. centralpt. com/pageview. aspx? nomenu=1&id=9384&site_id=177).
About Dr. Horsley
Dr. Horsley holds a doctorate degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco, a masters degree in social work from Columbia University and a masters degree in mental health counseling from Loyola University in New Orleans. Dr. Horsley is an adjunct professor.
Dr. Horsley co-hosts the nationally syndicated “Healing the Grieving Heart” (http://www. centralpt. com/pageview. aspx? nomenu=1&id=9384&site_id=177) radio show, broadcast on local radio stations and syndicated live and in rebroadcast on The VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Network (http://www. centralpt. com/pageview. aspx? nomenu=1&id=9384&site_id=177). Her website is http://www. healingthegrievingheart. org (http://www. healingthegrievingheart. org).
Dr. Horsley currently lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
Contact:
Dr. Heidi Horsley
Healing the Grieving Heart
415-994-8263
Http://healingthegrievingheart. org (http://healingthegrievingheart. org)
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