Forbidden Grief

The Unspoken Pain of Abortion

By: Theresa Burke, David C. Reardon

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

It’s time to move beyond the politics of abortion. It's time to listen to the needs of those who are struggling with trauma, depression, grief, pain or other problems after abortion. It's time to break down the social taboos that stifle discussion of abortion-related feelings. Forbidden Grief is a haunting review of Dr. Theresa Burke’s experience in counseling hundreds of women for abortion-related emotional problems. She discusses the pressure and coercion faced by many women before abortion, the ordeal of the abortion itself and the obstacles in the way of resolving and healing from the experience. She also reviews the full range and depth of post-abortion adjustment problems, and illustrates how we can create a more understanding and healing society where women will no longer be required to hide their pain. If you know someone who has had abortion, Forbidden Grief will help you to better understand, listen, and help those you love. If you have had an abortion, Forbidden Grief is a great resource to see that you are not alone, to gain insight into your own experience, and guidance on healing.

• Learn about the pain and trauma that is often revealed only to a therapist, but that everyone should understand.
• Understand how unwanted and/or traumatic abortion experiences can be reenacted through repeat pregnancies, multiple abortions, substance abuse, eating disorders, and broken relationships.
• Discover how to help loved ones — or yourself — take take steps toward healing after abortion.

Psychotherapist Theresa Burke, Ph.D., has specialized in treating women struggling with post-abortion issues through individual counseling and group therapy sessions since 1986. Many of the women she treated had been rebuffed by other therapists who would not believe their abortions had caused such trauma. Others came to her because their family and friends refused to acknowledge the reality of their pain and grief. In Forbidden Grief, Dr. Burke explores the cultural and psychological obstacles to post-abortion healing. She examines why friends and families erect walls of silence around a loved one’s grief and reveals how we can and should listen to those who are struggling with past abortions. Drawing on the experience and insights of hundreds of her clients, Dr. Burke shows how repressed feelings may be acted out through self-destructive behavior, broken relationships, obsessions, eating disorders, parenting difficulties, and other emotional or behavioral problems. Forbidden Grief also explains how to help loved ones, or yourself, simply by better understanding the nature and origin of unresolved abortion issues — and what steps will help you find healing. You’ll also learn about the latest research on abortion problems, and the inside story of the fight within the psychiatric community over recognizing post-abortion trauma.