What is PAS?
A baby’s cry. A mother kissing a scraped knee. A dad playing football with his son. Triggers abound, reminding you that you could have experienced these moments, if not for that one painful act. Abortion often leaves anxiety, fear, shame and endless questions in its wake. Rationalization and fear initially convinced your mind — but not your heart — that the “easy alternative” was abortion. The immediate flood of relief you expected (and perhaps experienced) has been replaced by the anguish and grief of ending your child’s life. Post-abortion stress lasts for years, often worsening with the passage of time and the anniversaries of what “would have been.” For those experiencing guilt or considering abortion, there is forgiveness, peace and hope for your future.
Symptoms:
- The inability to process the painful thoughts and emotions, especially guilt, anger, and grief, that arise from one or more unplanned pregnancies and abortions,
- The inability to identify the loss that has been experienced, and
- The inability to come to peace with God, oneself, and others involved in the pregnancy and abortion decision.
- Symptoms include: guilt, anxiety, avoidance behaviors, psychological numbing, depression, re-experiencing events related to the abortion, preoccupation with becoming pregnant again, anxiety over fertility and childbearing issues, interruption or disruption of the bonding with present or future children, self-abuse/self-destructive behaviors, anniversary reactions, brief psychotic disorder.
PACE Programs for Women and Men
Our PACE programs exist to:
- offer post-abortive women and men an opportunity to discover and discuss side effects which may have resulted from an abortion,
- give direction towards God’s healing of Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS), and
- allow God’s healing to take place in lives through prayer, Scripture, and the support of others who have been through an abortion.
The counselors:
PACE program is led by trained volunteers who understand the needs and questions of those concerned with a past abortion experience. Most of the leaders do not have academic degrees in counseling, nor are they licensed by the State. The support group is not intended to be a substitute for professional counseling.
Our Counselors are:
- Diane Braun, PACE Program Director
- David Clawson, Men’s PACE Director
The program:
Strict confidentiality is maintained at all times, unless as required by law regarding child abuse or neglect. The program itself is a 10-12 week small group Bible study using the workbook, “Forgiven and Set Free: A Post Abortive Bible Study.” Many women’s group leaders are post-abortive women who have found healing through God’s grace and mercy. Each session will include prayer, absolute confidentiality, and prayer/ accountability partners for support.
One-on-one counseling is also available to work through the healing process with any one of the counselors.
For more information, or to schedule a counseling session, either one-on-one or small group, call us at (585) 235-0690.
