Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion (Hardcover)

by Theresa Burke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An exceptional book...It is essential reading for social workers and other mental health professionals." -- Tim Brandyberry, MSSW

"An outstanding book...Highly recommended for those who counsel." -- Dr. Paul C. Vitz, Psychology Department, New York University

"Magnificent...The experience and wisdom here will give countless women the hope and self-awareness they so deeply desire and need." -- Georgette Forney, post-abortion counselor

"Those of us who have faced this 'forbidden grief' can be thankful for Burke and Reardon's beautifully written book." -- Susan Stanford-Rue, PhD and author of Will I Cry Tomorrow?

Product Description
For more than thirty years, our nation has argued about abortion. In that time, over 30 million women have had one or more abortions. While the political battle rages, little has been done to address the emotional needs of those who struggle with feelings of grief, shame, guilt, and feeling judged by others. Instead, social taboos stifle discussion of abortion-related feelings. Women are left feeling isolated, and their recovery is inhibited. "Forbidden Grief", as one reviewer commented, "stands to become a classic on many levels: as a source of self-discovery for the millions of women who have had abortions, as a learning experience for all the other lay readers, [and] as a textbook for psychotherapists."--Dr. Patrick Fagan, former Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Acorn Books (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964895781
• ISBN-13: 978-0964895782
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #143,921 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > Abortion & Birth Control
  #84 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Ethics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness to the Truth, July 8, 2004

By	Pamela Staerker (Monticello, FL) - See all my reviews

I read this book shortly after my Rachel's Vineyard retreat, which was in May 2004 (25 years after my abortion). Reading this book has definelty played a part in my abortion healing process. Each story of pain and grief has validated my own. I would recommend it to anyone who has had an abortion, or who knows someone who has had one...A mother's love DOES begin at conception.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You, Theresa Burke, July 8, 2004

By	Susan Swander (Waldport, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a post-abortive woman, who after 36 years of silence and denial, is finally finding healing and peace from the nightmare of my 3 abortions. My journey started by seeing a small box ad for Rachel's Vineyard retreats and then investigating their web site - www.rachelsvineyard.org. It was there that I "met" Theresa Burke and ordered this wonderful book. It was this book's honesty and courage that gave me the courage to go to my retreat. Theresa Burke investigates and reveals the horrors that many post-abortion women suffer. She also offers hope for healing. This is a MUST read for anyone touched by abortion's nightmare. Thank you Theresa Burke.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A candid, powerful, and informative examination, July 6, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Featuring a foreword by Dr. Laura Schlessinger (a.k.a. radio personality "Dr. Laura"), Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain Of Abortion by Theresa Burke (psychotherapist and founder of post-abortion training and healing ministry Rachel's Vineyard) and with the assistance of David C. Reardon (post-abortion issues expert and Founding Director of the Elliot Institute) is a candid, powerful, and informative examination of the trauma of abortion, the dramatic negative impact it can have on women, and the grieving and recovery process women who have experienced abortion undergo. Written specifically to help women struggling with the pain of surviving an abortion, Forbidden Grief is highly recommended reading as an open, emotional, and serious work that seeks to help women heal from psychological and emotional post-abortion trauma.