For Guidance Counselors & Professionals
Teens caught up in an unplanned pregnancy can present themselves in your office feeling scared and trapped. They may come to you before or after their decision. Data suggests that adolescence are more likely than adults to report feeling pressured or forced to choose abortion. They may feel extreme pressure from a partner, friends or their family to take a certain course of action. This state of mind is not conducive to making sound decisions. They may even have trauma associated with this pregnancy. The last thing you want is for them to experience further emotional or mental distress. Because of the increased risk for mental illness in post-abortive women, it is imperative that adolescents (both those considering abortion as well as those who have experienced abortion) receive adequate counseling from a compassionate and educated source.
They need a safe person to talk about how they feel who won’t pressure them to do something. They need information about their options. They need space to think about what they want. You’re there because you care about them, but you may not be able to provide all of these things. At Clearway, we’d like to support you in your role by being a place where you can confidently refer your teens. Like you, we don’t want them to feel trapped or afraid or pressured.
You also may see adolescents coming to you with symptoms of depression or anxiety or grief after an abortion. This provides a unique challenge for them because of the secrecy which usually surrounds the procedure. We’ve worked with many women to help them heal from the pain related to an abortion. Most important is for them to experience compassionate, non-judgmental contact. Next, they need to be given information which supports their experience and removes their isolation. They need to know that they are not alone in their experience. We offer them on-on-one support as well as options for grief groups with other women. We specialize with working with women experiencing this type of disenfranchised grief. This is a category of grief that because of the society’s expectations, is challenging to freely express. This sort of pressure to keep silent about one’s emotions can increase the risk of mental illness.
At Clearway they’ll get:
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An advocate who will listen to them and provide a safe place for them to talk
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They will learn about our program to heal from abortion trauma and be given the opportunity to join one on one or in a group
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If they are still pregnant, they will receive non-judgmental education about all their options.
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They can receive a free pregnancy test and an ultrasound. They can meet with a nurse or doctor to get their questions answered.
All of our services are provided free of charge. Please call for more information or to just speak with someone about our Pregnancy Medical Center and After Abortion Care program.
