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Sunday, December 31, 2006

Comments

Kelly Gorski

It is difficult sometimes to be a counselor. I know because I was one. In a culture where everything is expected quickly, rarely do people have time to "check in" emotionally, as you say. Sure, these women "go through the motions and talk," but it isn't until they sit down with a counselor that they open up, ask questions, and receive the information they need to be comfortable with their decisions-- either to terminate their pregnancies or carry them to term.

We, as counselors, just want people to make the best decisions-- decisions they can live with long after the choice has been made. We cannot and do not want to make these decisions for them.

You're right, Bon. Every situation is unique. I just wish there wasn't so much anti-choice disinformation out there trying to influence (dare I say make?) a woman's decision about regarding her private medical procedure.

Jaisee

Hi Bon :)

It must be an interesting place to work, with people from all walks of life with the exact same problem, what do you say to a client who is having second thoughts?

H

I just found your blog and am grateful to see it. I am a counselor at a Planned Parenthood and it is nice to be able to go to a site where people share similar experiences from the provider side. I've never seen such a thing so far. I really wish people who aren't supportive of the idea of this blog would just go away. There is room for debate in the world, but sometimes people of like mind just want to gather to share ideas. I don't think we should have to argue and defend every statement we make when the reason this blog seems to exist is to share. There are other places where debate is great and necessary and appropriate. I don't consider this to be one.

Andrea S.

Please forgive me for using your comment box to speak with you, but I could find no way to send you a more private e-mail. You may feel free to delete this comment if you see fit.
Reading through your blog has been very interesting to me. I want to be completely honest with you, in that I am a post-abortive pro-life activist, who works to raise awareness about post-abortion trauma and the importance of counseling, as well as helping women who are facing crisis pregnancies to make a healthy and informed decision for themselves and their children. You (both) have compassion and care for the women who receive your services - your frankness is very educational to me, and both are heartening to see in a field where you and I both know many doctors are hardened and do not care properly for their patients.
I wanted to ask you what your opinion of organizations that provide non-judgemental post-abortion counseling. (If you would like a list of organizations that I as a post-abortive woman give my support to, please let me know) You must see that abortion is a very difficult decision, one rarely (and hopefully never) taken lightly by many women who are faced with very trying life circumstances. Do you believe post-abortion counseling and emotional/spiritual support is important? If so, do you believe that abortion can be healed without recognizing the mother's loss of her child, in addition to the trauma to the individual of the procedure itself?
I greatly appreciate your time. Thank you for reading, and you can e-mail me anytime. I will continue to follow your dialogue - thank you for sharing.

Anon

This is a real need for better abortion care on the part of providers. Here are some women's experiences of being shuffled through clinics with little to no counseling, false information, and very little care.
http://passboards.org/showthread.php?t=142391

http://passboards.org/showthread.php?t=146445

Julie

Hey Bon!
Thanks for being as direct as possible about some of the procedures involved in abortion. I hope you had a good Christmas and that 2007 is as rewarding and thought provoking as 2006.

aftersophie123

I think it is wonderful that the two of you offer counseling and are caring enough to check in with the women you see need that extra help. I, myself went through an abortion and felt like i was on an assembly line. the experience was horrible and could have been prevented had i been lucky enough to come into contact with someone as caring and perceptive as the two of you seem. Keep up the exceptional work!

my blogspot, where i regularly write not only about the experience itself, but how i am dealing with it to this day, is http://aftersophie.blogspot.com/

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