Project Rachel

Post-Abortion Healing

Project Rachel is an outreach of the Catholic Church for anyone hurting psychologically or spiritually after involvement with abortion. This outreach is named after Rachel, the Old Testament figure mentioned by Jeremiah (31:16-17): "Thus says the Lord: Cease your cries of mourning. Wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown will have its reward. There is hope for your future."

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Counseling Center (IHMCC) is part of this outreach and provides individual counseling to anyone who has been impacted by and is struggling with the aftermath of an abortion. Because abortion is a traumatic event, our therapists provide compassionate care through the use of trauma-informed therapies to help with the healing process.

Abortion is a disenfranchised loss, in that, it is not recognized by society as something to grieve. As such, the symptoms after and reactions to an abortion can be of wide-range. Some may feel mild grief where others might have more profound reactions. Many in society feel abortion solves a problem. Because of this, women and men may feel healing is not available for them.

Having an abortion can cause symptoms that are common to complicated grieving such as:

·   Depression
·   Guilt
·   Shame
·   Isolation
·   Anger
·   Nightmares
·   Flashbacks
·   Difficulty sleeping
·   Suicidal thoughts
·   Drug and alcohol abuse
·   Relationship problems
(At times, a woman might have had the abortion to save the relationship, only to have the relationship end after the abortion. A woman may distance herself from family and friends.)
·   Difficulty bonding with subsequent children
·   Anniversary reactions

Program Eligibility and Financing

Project Rachel is open to anyone in need, regardless of their faith background. There is no initial charge for those who contact our agency for Project Rachel support. If extended professional counseling is needed, financial arrangements can be made through our business office.

To learn more about Project Rachel’s post-abortion healing, click the link below or call us at 402-489-1834 or 800- 964-3787.