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| Basic Expectations From Counseling | 
 Confidentiality. Your confidentiality and privacy should be severely esteemed at all times, unless you are threatening damage to yourself or others. Besides, no one should share the details of your story – even if no one would identify that it is about you – with others without your clear agreement.
No force to "tell your story". Due to wanting to stretch out to those who still suffer, lots of people who have underwent post-abortion trauma do share their story with friends or in public. This is a very individual choice, with many, many factors that you will have to think over. If you show an interest in raising consciousness through sharing your story, a good support group will support you to carefully distinguish what is truly best for you, and to take plenty of time in making this decision.
Quick response. If you send and e-mail letter to an organization, you should wait for their response within 48 hours. If you call a hotline or therapist and get voicemail, you should get full information about when you can speak to someone personally. If you leave a message, you should get a call back within 48 hours.
No political issues. The program should not include any political component at all. Because pro-life organizations like the Catholic Church were disposed to believe that post-abortion syndrome exists, pro-life groups were and are very important in supporting post-abortion research and recovering. In opposition, some pro-choice advocates can feel threatened by the idea that abortion can harm a woman emotionally or spiritually, and react in damaging and defensive ways to your pain.
End result: You may find help from a source you did not expect, but you should probably steer clear of any therapist, clergyperson or healing program that in any way will use or reduce your pain or susceptibility or tells you that you have to be pro-life or pro-choice to receive help or to heal.
Respect and professionalism. The program and the individuals involved with it should be non-judgmental, respectful, and knowledgeable.
Keep away from “quick fixes” and “spiritual band-aids”.
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