Do you have a secret from your past that you've shared with no one? Have you had an abortion and feel like you have never emotionally recovered from it? Are you unsure on how to go about processing a voluntary pregnancy termination? If you are keeping this secret from your past, I want to encourage you that "you are NOT alone." There are 1,000's of women hiding their secret pregnancy terminations who do not know how to process through the emotions lurking deep inside.
My journey started where you are right now. You have taken the first and hardest step. There is a place in your heart that is painful and confusing for you. You are missing a piece in your life that you’ve never processed through. You're looking for answers. You want to tell your story and you want to know you're not alone.
It’s not like you can talk with just anyone about your secret voluntary pregnancy termination. You may not be able to share with your best friend or even with your spouse. It would be impossible for them to understand what you feel right now that “your gut” is telling you to walk this journey.
There are two typical reactions when you share your secret with an unsafe person. You might feel invalidated. For instance the person might say something like, “Oh that was years ago, you need to just get over it. After all, abortion is legal. You need to get on with your life.” They’ve invalidated the pain you’re feeling.
On the other end of the spectrum you can get condemnation. You could get an answer like, “You should feel bad. Look what you did!” So this person just heaped more coals of shame on your head and further silenced your voice. This is truly a secret that is too heavy and too dark to share with just anyone who doesn't understand.
Hi, I'm Trudy Johnson and the most fulfilling part of my life has been this season of using my education and my gifts to help women process grief caused by voluntary pregnancy termination. I love that I am a safe place for them to share their honest feelings and expose that tender place deep inside their hearts that is so vulnerable and full of grief.
My second most exciting thing has been the writing of a self-help plan to help women work through grief after abortion without fear. Dr. Christiane Northrup even mentions me in her chapter on abortion in her latest release of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom.
I wrote C.P.R. ~ Choice Processing and Resolution to help women find a safe to be validated and receive some freedom from the grief. If the sisterhood of women keeping their voluntary pregnancy terminations a secret started talking in a safe place we would be a much healthier and empowered community mentally, emotionally, spiritually and even physically.
