FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL POST-ABORTION COUNSELING FOR WOMEN AND MEN
When you’re struggling with confusing or painful emotions, it may seem easier to keep them to yourself—especially if you are feeling ashamed or embarrassed. However, navigating this path with compassion from another can help you better understand your experience, process your losses, and find the courage to re-embrace your life.
For Women
We offer both individual counseling sessions and group support. If you are interested in participating in individual counseling and/or group support, please email or call Amber, our Director of Counseling After Abortion at Amber@YouhaveAlternatives.org or 720.915.0560. You are also welcome to fill out the interest form below and Amber will reach out to you.
Join a group today
Virtual
9:00-10:30 AM
1st and 3rd Saturday of every month
In-person
5:30-7:00 PM
1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month
Alternatives Pregnancy Center
23 Inverness Way East, Suite 101
Englewood, CO 80112
For Men
Individual counseling sessions for men provide a non-judgmental and therapeutic space to help you—or you and your partner—process your experience, personally and within your relationships.
You can either call the 24-Hour Helpline at 303.295.2288 to request a free appointment, or you can request an appointment online using the button below.
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING AFTER AN ABORTION, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT’S BEEN, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
When you had your abortion, maybe you hoped for a sense of relief and a chance to move on with your life—and maybe that was true for a while. But now, you’re feeling overwhelmed with mixed emotions like sadness, regret, shame or confusion.
You might feel like you have nowhere to turn, especially if your partner, family or friends encouraged you to go through with the abortion.
Perhaps you have kept your abortion decision a secret for a long time—maybe even for decades—out of fear that people would judge you or treat you “differently” if they knew. But the emotions you’re feeling have become too much to bear alone.
Or, maybe it’s your partner who decided to end her pregnancy, and now you’re left to carry the burden of an abortion you didn’t choose.
Whatever your experience may be, you do not have to go through this alone.
Alternatives is a professional and safe place to share about and explore your abortion experience, no matter when it took place. We are here to walk beside you as you begin the journey toward healing.
To schedule an initial consultation, please email or call Amber, our Director of Counseling After Abortion at Amber@YouhaveAlternatives.org at 720.915.0560.
You are also welcome to fill out the interest form below and Amber will reach out to you with more details.
You can also call the 24-Hour Helpline at 303.295.2288 and talk to someone right now who can connect you to resources and support.
Watch Cassi’s Story
“I really want our community to know that they have Alternatives; a place where there is compassion and support; a place where you can get the help you need.” – Cassi, Counseling After Abortion Client
Common questions after abortion
After going through a life-altering situation, it is natural to question if what you are experiencing is normal or common.
Yes, you may experience a range of emotions afterward, either immediately or years later, including…
- A sense of relief
- Confusion and anxiousness
- Sadness
- Anger
- Guilt
It’s natural for changes to occur with your partner, family or friends following an abortion decision. If you are still together, you may find intimacy between you and your partner to be difficult or lessened. You may naturally withdraw from even your closest relationships for some time. You may even feel fear of judgment from those around you, also causing you to withdraw.
We understand it may be difficult to talk about your abortion experience with your closest family or friends. Alternatives provides you with a safe, non-judgemental space where you can feel the freedom to process your emotions. We can also help you learn how best to have these difficult conversations with those closest to you.
Sharing about an abortion decision can seem especially difficult in a church or religious setting, so you might feel uncomfortable talking to your pastor or spiritual leader. You may sense yourself questioning or doubting what you believe. Or, you might even feel a new or renewed curiosity about faith or a belief system.
What are some signs that I may need counseling or support after an abortion?
- You feel intensely sad, empty, depressed or hopeless (i.e., suicidal thoughts).
- You feel angry, anxious, regretful or detached from relationships.
- You have doubts or questions that won’t go away.
- You feel like your hopes and dreams for your future have been lost.
- You feel like you can no longer trust those around you.
- You try to ignore or deny your feelings and cope with them in unhealthy ways (i.e., emotional eating, drinking, using drugs or engaging in harmful behaviors).
- You keep your feelings bottled up and feel very isolated or alone.
These feelings can become too difficult to sort through and process alone, which is why it’s important to seek emotional support.
- Sharing your story
- Having a safe place to be honest about your feelings and thoughts—without judgment
- Identifying and grieving your losses
- Forgiving yourself and others
Our caring, professional staff can help you identify how your abortion has affected you in all areas of your life. We will provide therapeutic resources to encourage and support you as you move forward in life. Whether you join a group or opt for one-on-one counseling, there will always be someone to walk with you during this recovery process.
- If you are ready to seek freedom from emotional pain
- If you are tired of pretending everything is okay
- If you want to confront the “if only” voices in your head
- If you want to rebuild your self-confidence
- If you want to understand faith and forgiveness in a deeper way
- If you desire healthier relationships
- If you want to live more fully with hope for your future
We invite you to reach out to us. It’s time to care for yourself and begin this journey—hope and peace are possible!
More Questions?
If you have more questions please call our 24-Hour Helpline at 303.292.2288, or contact Amber Havekost, MA, LPC, BCC at Amber@YouhaveAlternatives.org. (unsecured). With the caller’s permission, she will call back during regular business hours.
No matter your situation or how long it’s been, You have Alternatives.
I Had an Abortion When My Husband Left – Annie’s Story
I was at a wonderful time in my life. I was 27, a wife and mom to a beautiful 2-year-old. But one day my husband came home from a business