Abortion Recovery Counseling: Finding Healing, Hope and Freedom

Healing from a past abortion is a delicate process.  Many women push down their feelings because they fear that opening that wound will feel overwhelming.  Instead of healing, they often learn to survive and live with anxiety, depression, or emotional numbness fueled by guilt and shame.  This unresolved pain becomes an undercurrent that can quietly affect many areas of life, including relationships, faith, self-worth, and emotional well-being. It exists quietly within our communities, often unspoken and unseen. As a result, many women carry this pain alone, unsure where or whether it is safe to talk about it. Some sense that something inside them remains unresolved. They may also feel uncertain about what healing might actually involve or whether facing it could make things worse rather than better.

For many women, this uncertainty is tied to deep spiritual conflict after an abortion. They may know in their minds that God offers forgiveness yet still struggle to believe that it truly applies to them. Guilt and shame can linger, creating a sense that they must continue to carry the weight of what happened rather than move toward healing. But ongoing shame does not bring healing. It keeps people stuck rather than restored.

Healing can come, and guilt and shame can be released as we gently and courageously work through the emotions and beliefs connected to a past abortion. Healing is possible, and while it does take courage to begin the work, it does not have to be done alone. The journey may require revisiting some of the most painful moments of your life, but on the other side of that work, many women, and men as well, experience freedom, peace, and a renewed sense of hope.

If you have experienced an abortion in your past and have noticed lingering emotions such as guilt, shame, avoidance, anger, loneliness, sadness, depression or anxiety, I encourage you to reach out for support. These feelings are common and understandable.

If you are considering reaching out or wondering whether it might be time to talk with someone, support is available in a safe and confidential space where healing can take place at your pace. I approach abortion recovery with great care and compassion, and I want you to know that hope and freedom are possible and often begin with a single, courageous step.

Michelle Traudt, LPC Associate

Supervised by Deana Reed, LPC-S #68220

michelletraudt@nlcc1.com