Resources

Pro-Voice Counseling includes building a network of support for each person after abortion. Recommending resources and referrals for other services is an important part of how Exhale extends our mission beyond our own services. 

After-abortion counseling & emotional support

While there are number of people, agencies and faith-based services that offer post-abortion support, we use the following criteria to assess our recommendations:

• does the service respect the full range of human emotions after an abortion?
• does the service empower each individual to define wellbeing for themselves after an abortion experience?
• does the service address specific needs we’ve heard expressed from our talkline callers and community members?

We have carefully screened and selected these resources. If a service has a one-size-fits-all approach to after-abortion emotions, or only meets one or two of our criteria, they are not listed here. We list the resources that can best support people across the spectrum of after-abortion emotional needs.

These organizations provide after-abortion counseling through a talkline:

Backline
1-888–493-0092
Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Pacific
Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Pacific

Connect & Breathe
1-866-647-1764
Tuesdays & Thursdays 6pm - 9pm EST
 

Saturdays 10am - 2pm EST

Faith Aloud
1-888-717-5010
You will reach a voicemail. Leave your first name and phone number; a counselor will call back. Trained counselors are clergy of various religious faiths: Roman Catholic, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, Protestant Christian, and Buddhist. Persons of no particular religious faith are equally welcome to receive services. Faith Aloud supports reproductive freedom for every person. See their video "For Women Who Have Had An Abortion."

Other After-Abortion Emotional Support Resources:  

The following after-abortion resources do not necessarily reflect Exhale’s Pro-Voice approach to after-abortion support. We know that different approaches work for different people. If you use one of these, we would love to hear what you think about it! 

Books

• The Healing Choice: Your Guide to Emotional Recovery after an Abortion, by Candace De Puy, Ph.D., M.S.W. and Dana Dovitch, PH.D., M.F.C.C.
• Experiencing Abortion: A Weaving of Women’s Words, by Eve Kushner.
• Peace after Abortion, by Ava Torre-Bueno. Website also available.

Websites

• Pregnancy Options: Includes helpful information about after-abortion feelings and some useful exercises to work through them.
• Hope Clinic: Offers many pamphlets on a range of issues for women and men after an abortion.
• Peace After Abortion: Website designed for women hurting after an abortion. There is also a book available.
• Being at Peace with Choices: A guided imagery CD available for purchase.
• Healthy Coping After an Abortion: A downloadable pdf available from the Abortion Conversation Project.
• Project Voice: An oral history project documenting abortion stories. Read stories or share your own.
• Inner Healing After Abortion: A booklet available for purchase.
• Emerge: Sharing Our Voices, Supporting Our Choices: A free post-abortion support group offered in South Minneapolis.
• A Heartbreaking Choice: Supports women who have undergone a pregnancy termination specifically for medical reasons. Includes private forums and an email list to connect with others who have similar experiences, memorial ideas, and suggestions for healing.

Additional Resources for your Emotional & Physical Health Needs: 

Abortion & Other Medical Information

If you believe that you are experiencing a medical emergency, please seek appropriate care immediately. In most communities in the United States, dial 911 for an emergency.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
1-800-230-7526 (PLAN); 24 hours; English and Spanish
Locates the nearest health care center for services, including: abortion, birth control, emergency contraception, general health care, HIV testing, Hepatitis vaccines and HPV vaccine, LGBT services, men’s health, patient education, pregnancy testing & pregnancy services, sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing & treatment, women's health

National Abortion Federation
Call toll-free 1-800-772-9100
Weekdays: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET

The Mayo Clinic
Medically accurate information about a range of women’s health topics online.

Currently Pregnant? Information and counseling about your options:

Backline
Call toll-free 1-888–493-0092
Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Pacific
Friday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Pacific

The Pregnancy Options Workbook
This website includes helpful exercises to work through pregnancy decisions.

Domestic Violence:

National Domestic Hotline
Call toll-free 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)
24 hours a day, 7 Days a Week

Sexual Assault:

National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call toll-free 1-800-656-4673
24 hours a day, 7 Days a Week

Sex and Sexuality:

Sex, Etc
Sex education by teens, for teens.

Scarleteen
"Sex information for the real world."

Suicide/Depression:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255); 24 hours; English (other languages vary)
1-888-628-9454; 24 hours; Spanish
1-800-799-4TTY (4889);24 hours; TTY
Automatically connects you to your closest certified crisis center. Trained crisis center staff are available to listen to your needs and offer crisis counseling, suicide intervention, and mental health referral information.

Substance Abuse & Mental Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1-800-662-4357; 24 hours; English, Spanish
For help finding the nearest drug and alcohol abuse and mental health treatment programs.

Religious Counseling

Faith Aloud
1-888-717-5010 
You will reach a voicemail. Leave your first name and phone number; a counselor will call back. Trained counselors are clergy of various religious faiths: Roman Catholic, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, Protestant Christian, and Buddhist. Persons of no particular religious faith are equally welcome to receive services. Faith Aloud supports reproductive freedom for every person. See their video "For Women Who Have Had An Abortion."

Parental Stress

Boys Town National Hotline
1-800-448-3000; 24 hours; English, Spanish and translation services
Crisis, resource, and referral line for teens and parents with any concern (suicide, depression, parental stress, school issues, domestic violence, substance abuse, and more).

Miscarriage

HAND (Helping After Neonatal Death)

1-888-908-4263; English; 24-hour message center;counselor will call back within 24 hours.
Offers support services to families in Northern California and the Central Valley to help parents, their families, and their healthcare providers cope with the loss of a baby before, during, or after birth; website provides national referrals.



Eating Disorders

ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
Offers phone and email support, regional support groups, and related services and information for individuals and families regarding prevention and alleviation of eating disorders.