Abortion Recovery: Organizations, resources, and links
Please note: The services offered by help/healing groups are confidential and, in many cases, free. Inclusion in this list should not be taken as an endorsement of any group’s programs or philosophy.
Use your best judgment and discretion as you investigate these links. If you are experiencing shame or guilt because of abortion, and have a negative experience with a particular group, you may believe that is what you deserve. It isn’t. What you deserve is respect, a nonjudgmental attitude, and effective assistance as you heal. If one person or organization isn’t right for you, another one will be.
Abortion Recovery Network
National hotline at 657-464-7071
A network of ministries that provides information and counseling for those suffering after abortion. Their web site helps locate post-abortion ministries both in the U.S. and internationally. Also provides help to men, family members, medical personnel and those in prison who have been affected by abortion.
Lumina: Hope and Healing After Abortion
National toll-free hotline at 1-877-586-4621 or email lumina@postabortionhelp.org
A post-abortion referral network that offers group programs, retreats for women and men, referrals to professional therapists, post-abortion ministries, and clergy members trained in post abortion stress. A network of women and men who have walked through the pain of abortion are also ready to accompany you through the darkness, into the joy of a renewed life.
National Helpline for Abortion Recovery
National toll-free hotline at 1-866-482-LIFE (1-866-482-5433)
24 / 7 confidential care helpline for women, men and families struggling after abortion. Calls are answered by trained phone consultants who have themselves experienced abortion and want to help others find healing. They can help you find the support group nearest you. A directory of local support groups, searchable by zip code, is available on the organization’s web site.
Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries
National toll-free hotline at 1-877-HOPE-4-ME (1-877-467-3463)
Email support
Ask an expert about healing / online Q&A
Rachel’s Vineyard weekends for healing after abortion are offered throughout the year in locations across the United States and Canada, with additional sites around the world. Retreats are open to married couples, mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings of aborted children, as well as persons who have been involved in the abortion industry. They also offer support through email.
Rachel’s Vineyard has a monthly e-newsletter, “Vine and Branches,” which is archived on their website and available on request. It has various aftercare resources including an email newsletter called “Oaktrees,” and offers individual email support through the website.
Rachel’s Vineyard has had an annual national Leadership Conference since 2000 and also offers one-day clinical trainings throughout the country. It hosts a very active e-group for mental health professionals and laypeople who serve on retreat teams, or are planning to offer the retreat.
Ramah International
Sydna Masse, Director; phone (941) 473-2188.
This Christian group supports post-ab ortion ministry through training programs, resources, research and promoting awareness of post-abortion issues. Director Sydna Masse is the author of the recovery book, “Her Choice to Heal”. Sydna has also created a leader’s guide so that “Her Choice to Heal” can be used as the basis for in-person weekly recovery groups.
Ramah International has a newsletter, various additional resources, and can be used as a point of referral to weekly recovery groups around the country. You can also find e-mail support through the Ramah website.
Project Rachel / EsperanzaPosaborto.org (Spanish site)
National toll-free hotline at 1-888-456-HOPE (4673)
Project Rachel Ministry is the Catholic Church’s diocesan-based ministry to those suffering in the aftermath of abortion. Confidential and non-judgmental help is available for all who seek God’s mercy, healing and love.
Local Pregnancy Center Based Support Groups
Some Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) and Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) host post-abortion support groups. These groups typically meet weekly for a period of anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks, and use a variety of recovery guides, including “Forgiven and Set Free”, “Her Choice to Heal”, PACE (Post-Abortion Counseling and Education), the Rachel’s Vineyard weekly support model, or the “My Guilt, Grief and Shame are Ending Soon” program.
To find out if there is a PRC or CPC offering post-abortion help in your area, check with the following groups:
Option Line
1-800-712-HELP (4357) or text HELPLINE to 313131
www.optionline.org
Live Chat with the Helpline
Healing After
www.healingafter.com
Canadian Organizations Offering Post-Abortion Counseling
Canadian Association of Pregnancy Support Services
1-866-845-2151 (MST)
Online directory of pregnancy centers that offer counseling and support for those who have had abortions.
Project Rachel Affiliates in Canada
Provides support with trained clergy and counselors, retreats and support groups.
Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries
Rachel’s Vineyard weekends for healing after abortion are offered throughout the year in locations across the United States and Canada, with additional sites around the world. Retreats are open to married couples, mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings of aborted children, as well as persons who have been involved in the abortion industry. They also offer support through email.
Groups Offering Online Support
Abortion Changes You
A website giving women, men, family members and others involved in abortion a safe place to share their experiences in a confidential and neutral environment. Includes articles, information and resources on coping with abortion and resolving the experience, along with links to local support and counseling groups.
Rachel’s Vineyard
Rachel’s Vineyard has numerous volunteers who can answer any questions you may have through confidential e-mail. Some have experienced abortion and healing, others are counselors trained in post-abortion healing or women who run retreat teams.
Kala’s Group
An online community with an intimate feel. Kala’s Group hosts message boards, and scheduled chats. It also has a memorials page.
My Healing Choice
A free online course and workbook for post-abortion healing. There is one version for women and a second version for men.
Lifecall: Getting the Help You Need
Informative webpage by Teri Reisser, author of “A Solitary Sorrow,” a self-help book and Bible study for healing after abortion. This page includes streaming audio presentations.
Independent Email Support Groups at Yahoo Groups
In addition to e-groups sponsored through some of the sites listed above, there are a number of independent post-abortion e-groups, most of just people wanting to offer support to each other. It is free and easy to create an e-group through Yahoo Groups. Anyone with an email address can do it. Here’s a link that takes you to the Yahoo index for these groups. Note that we have not vetted any of these groups, so you will need to check them out to see if they are helpful.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list. While we try to keep this list updated, omissions and errors may occur. Send additions and corrections to elliotinstitute@gmail.com
