Are you looking for someone to talk to about your personal abortion experience?
866-4-EXHALE
Talkline Hours:
Sunday 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. PST
Monday 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. PST
Wednesday 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. PST
Exhale offers a free, national talkline that provides emotional support, resources and information. All calls are completely confidential and counselors offer support and respect without judgment. The Exhale talkline is available to women and girls who have had abortions, and to their partners, friends, allies, and family member.
You can also receive after-abortion support from the following resources:
Who calls Exhale?
People of all backgrounds call Exhale, and everyone’s experience is unique. Some people feel relief that the abortion is over and just want to tell someone. Others feel a sense of loss and are looking for ways to work through their grief. Parents, friends and partners want to learn how they can best provide support. Women may call the day after their abortion, a month after or years later.
Counselors will support you with Pro-Voice Counseling, which:
- values your emotional wellbeing and welcomes the full range of emotions;
- approaches you as a whole person, recognizing that many facets of your life are part of your abortion experience;
- respects and works within your belief system (religious, social, and political) to support your needs;
- works with you as you discover new strategies for your own emotional wellbeing.
We know that you are resilient and resourceful and that you have personal strengths that will help you to take care of yourself.
At Exhale, we believe there is no “right” way to feel after an abortion. We also know that feelings of happiness, sadness, empowerment, anxiety, grief, relief, and guilt are common. Abortion can be hard to talk about and finding the right person to talk with can be difficult. Exhale provides the opportunity to talk with someone who supports and respects you, in a safe and confidential environment.
Are you a service provider?
Many of Exhale’s callers learn about our service through their health care provider. If you are a provider and would like to refer your clients to the talkline, you can download our outreach materials for free.