2012 Teleconferences
Women’s Integrative Healing Support Circle
free of dogma/shame/blame!
Post-abortion Support
To Register:
Tuition: $140.
paid at the 'products & services' page on this website: http://terrawise.net/products.html
Contact:
Terra Wise, Midwifefor the Soul
terrawise@gmail.com
www.terrawise.net
Overview: 2012 Women’s Healing Support Groups
copyright Terra Wise
I have worked with women and men as an educator and transpersonal healing counseling guide since 1983. In addition, a number of years ago I developed a form of compassionate transformative care known as Womb Wisdom TM
I provide non-biased empowering support for women (couples/men too) connected to pregnancy loss and termination -- after miscarriage and abortion. Womb Wisdomä meets a need, fills a societal void experienced by many women following a womb event. This support is an integrative cross-cultural guidance that is free of shame, blame, religious and political dogma.
The reality is women have abortions, miscarriages, and children too, combinations of many womb experiences. Plus, for some women, who at a certain point in their life are ready to be pregnant, describe additional anxiety (during pregnancy and/or labor) stemming from their past experiences of termination and loss.
Throughout North America and in many countries women have a legal right to choose a safe medical procedure that terminates a pregnancy. However, just because there is a legal right to choose does not mean there is cultural acceptance when it comes to speaking of the experience afterward.
There exists a tremendous taboo placed upon women connected to this complex experience regarding the voicing of feelings. Simply because a choice is made does not negate the fact that feelings can be associated with it too. It is my belief that women have a right to speak safely about their feelings in the days, months, or years after their abortions -- and to do so without hostility, judgment, or threats of any kind. Pro-choice does not mean you must never speak of your experience again, the two can co-exist!
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We often hear discussion in society regarding the importance of compassionate listening, and sharing of personal stories. We know that for many, many people individual counseling and group support is effective as a method to help with stress relief, healing, the easing of distress and trauma, and to assist with personal insight.
Can you imagine if military veterans were denied the right to speak about their post-combat experiences, or if you were told it was taboo to discuss any feelings you had about your choice to seek a divorce and the events connected to it? Imagine if you were hushed, met resistance and were not supported when you yearned to discuss an illness, or a significant life change. So why is it that women's experiences of womb events, particularly abortion are denied this right?
In life the unexpected happens, and for any number of reasons women and couples from various age ranges and from all walks of life, religions, and cultural beliefs can find themselves pregnant and unable to proceed with the pregnancy. It is likely that someone you know has had an abortion. The estimate is one in three American women. In England, in 2010, there were almost 190,000 abortions performed, this is our mothers, daughters, teachers, co-workers, students, and friends who could be among thos
Womb Wisdomä is a holistic, inclusive, cross-cultural method that is free of religious dogma and blame, The work addresses the somatic and psycho-spiritual concerns people yearn to understand as a result of difficult life transitions or when lamenting the loss of a potential. This guidance is open to all women no matter nationality, age, politics, religion, orientation, or reproductive history.
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Blow the Lid of a Taboo Topic
Beginning Wednesday February 1, 2012, I will be facilitating a weekly four session healing group for women by phone (see registration link for info). You will be able to participate in this women’s circle from the comfort and privacy of your home. The group is for women who have experienced one or more abortions, medical or surgical, who terminated within 5-8 weeks and also for women who terminated later. All women are invited, you will encounter respect and safety.
This support is not based on any religious dogma what so ever, however I can tell you that clients come from various religious backgrounds seek out this support – and that they have expressed relief and gratitude for the peace, insight and that they were able to speak freely during our sessions, trusting they would be safe to do so.
We hear myths about abortion. Too many people speak harshly about irresponsible teen girls (as if they are the only females having abortions) while others believe abortion is used as a form of birth control, this is far from the truth. Anyone who has experienced an abortion understands that it is not a procedure any woman of any age is flippant about.
I have never once met a woman from Canada, the US, England, Fiji, Italy, or anywhere else for that matter who relied upon abortion as a form of birth control. Yes, of course teens get pregnant, but it is certainly not only teen girls who find themselves pregnant and unable to commit to pregnancy or motherhood.
I been at this work for a long time and have had sessions with women of all ages, young girls, women in their 20s too, but a majority of clients are in their 30s and 40s when they contact me. Some did have abortions years prior, others more recently, and many women have experienced giving birth, having children, and having had miscarriages and abortions too… a combination of womb events.
Women from many backgrounds have abortions for all sorts of reasons. I have worked with doctors, nurses, abortion providers, artists, dancers, strippers, bankers, therapists, women in the military, stay at home moms, school teachers, religious school teachers, teens as young as 13, and women well into their 70s, who survived horrific near death trauma from abortion when it was illegal and barbaric.
In addition, counties with a Catholic majority have strict anti-abortion laws, I have worked with women who managed to find a doctor willing to help them terminate a pregnancy, but then these women were in a heightened state of fear and distress over the illegal aspect of their abortion, including concern for their doctor’s physical safety.
In contrast, I have worked with women who yearned to continue with their pregnancies but they were forced to have an abortion because of their doctor’s recommendation for health reasons, or they were pressured by parents, lovers, or by those who held power over them… There are also women who discover they are pregnant just as they are about to begin chemotherapy and radiation, their wounds run deep.
There are a variety of womb stories, yet many share similar themes, even the words used to describe certain aspects of the experience can overlap. And while some stories may be somewhat more unique, most all of them are poignant and compelling.
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I invite you to be part of this healing circle if you have had one, two, three, or more abortions please join us.
If you have had a medical or surgical procedure, or both, join us.
If it was only yesterday or many years ago you are welcome to be part of the group.
You will encounter respect, safety, and insight when you participate in this soothing and supportive healing group.
You will discover you are not isolated, you do indeed have a community of women who share in your experience, who understand you.
Nothing is off limits about your abortion experiences, you have an invitation and the freedom to speak about it all – including any of the expectations or disappointments you may have had involving your surgical or medical abortion.
The timing of your abortion is not off limits, some women terminate within a few weeks of finding out they are pregnant, while for others a late-term abortion became their solution.
You can speak freely about everything, it does not matter how you describe it, if you use the words tiny speck, a blob, a soul, a baby -- or the word I use, a potential.
This format provides an opportunity to experience group support and the healing power of sharing story. The circle is an opportunity for community, and for all participants to give and receive care and compassion. The sessions provide an experience of safety and non-judgment. You will find this support group the ideal environment to blow the lid off a taboo topic!
We will discuss any and all concerns, questions, and feelings you carry with you. You will have permission to discuss it all: the ultrasound, your feelings about the nurses and doctor involved, the amount of blood and bleeding, any of your initial emotions and lasting feelings.
You will have an opportunity to express your confusion, distress, feelings of shame, or any sensations you experienced in the hours and days right after your abortion, including any tender feelings and concerns that emerged for you in the weeks, months, or even years after.
Plus, some women describe physical and relational numbness and distance after abortion, issues with trust and intimacy can develop.
You will benefit from the insights gained from the specific meditations you will experience, self-reflection questions, and various healing tools presented.
We will explore the creative, mythic and archetypal aspects of womb wisdom.
We will explore loss, and life transitions.
The course details, and the link to sign-up can be found at the top of this email and online at my website: TerraWise.net.
No matter your geographic location, you can attend this women's healing support circle.
I am offering private follow-up sessions to participants at a reduced fee.
I have witnessed time and again that when secrets and taboos are shared within a nourishing and supportive atmosphere the results are medicine for the heart and soul!
Let this be an opportunity for you to grow, to move through layers of internal questioning, confusion and distress. This is an invitation to journey away from self-doubt, sadness, and shame. You will emerge with a sense of renewal, inner calm, and peace.
I look forward to providing a safe haven and healing journey for you to be soothed by.
Thank you,
Terra
Midwife for the Soul
web: terrawise.net
skype: terrawise
www.facebook.com/terrawise
https://twitter.com/#!/terrawise
http://www.linkedin.com/in/terraluna13
Midwife for the Soul ~ Womb Wisdom TM
Support for the Whole Person Since 1983
''Terra Wise brings to her work a remarkable capacity for intuitive insight and empathic sensitivity. Her non-judgmental compassion plays an important role in her ability to support women of all ages in their journeys of healing. She has a rich knowledge of the mythic and archetypal dimensions of women's experience, a knowledge grounded in long study but also, more importantly, in direct personal experience. Our world today is deeply in need of teachers and healers who bring a more spiritually informed view to the whole human being, body and soul. Many women in our time are being required by their own inner development as well as by the pressures of our collective life and the evolution of our society to cross very challenging thresholds of transformation. I believe Terra Wise's work is of unique relevance in supporting women as they undergo this critical task on behalf of all of us''.
~ Stanislav Grof, M.D.
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Note:
Beginning February 29, a 3 session phone series is offered for after miscarriage care.
Tuition $108.
Register here:
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* Prometrium off-label info here *
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Womb Wisdom TM
A non-judgmental innovative and compassionate form of support and integration available to those who have had experiences of miscarriage, abortion, infertility, early menopause, and intimacy issues.
Miscarriage
Each woman or couple is as unique
as their experience of loss.
I have heard stories from women/couples concerning their miscarriage experiences, the support offered by the hospital or doctor was described as too brief or simply not very sensitive. More than one woman has told me of impatient nurses, told they should get over it, stop crying, have another baby, or adopt.
Women have often spoken about their feelings of guilt too, a feeling that something they did/or did not do was the cause of their loss. I have heard about the anger with doctors, partners, and families from women who do not have an outlet for their sorrow. I have worked with couples who have had multiple losses -- exhausted, lamenting, feeling numb, they feel vulnerable as tensions build in their relationship, and even within the community.
It is not within my power to guarantee how or if this support will ease your pain, but, I do know that doing nothing as the sorrow engulfs you is not a solution. If you need an ally during this crisis, even if your miscarriage was not so recent, we can work effectively to help soothe your pain.
Sessions by phone or skype are safe and comfortable for you, and from my experience they really do help.
I know words cannot erase your pain, but neither can ignoring it. Your pregnancy loss deserves to be respectfully acknowledged and honored, as does any death in a family. Your grieving can be facilitated with this sensitive healing support.
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"Dear Terra, thank you for your calming energy, guidance, and support following the miscarriage of my twins. I am relieved by how helpful our phone session was! I feel lighter and more optimistic after the darkness. Thank you!I hope to meet you in person too." -Jean, NY
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After Abortion
Non-polarized ~ No Judgment
Your right to choose need not negate
your desire to speak about your choice.
It is my belief that everyone deserves non-biased, non-polarized support after abortion if and when desired. If you have had an abortion, no matter how many, how long ago, or the reason for it, and if you want to talk about it with a well-informed and experienced guide, le t me help you. You can be assured you will be supported without blame or shame.
Questions I asked myself
that helped inform my unique work
What happens to a woman after she has had a surgical or medical abortion and leaves the clinic?
What happens in the days, months, years, and decades after her abortion?
Where can she find comfort, counseling and emotional sharing from a non-dogmatic caring ally?
Who helps her explore the powerful feelings she may have, often many different feelings at the same time: the emotional, spiritual, physical, sexual, and relational concerns that can follow her abortion?
Who does she confide in, cry with, create healing ritual with, and tell her story to without fear of condemnation?
How does she honor and integrate such a powerful life-threshold?
How can she be respectfully guided through this time of transition?
What of the other womb events that may be a part of her history as a woman?
What are the symbolic, mythic, and transpersonal implications of an experience that is shared by countless women the world over from ancient times through today?
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''Dear Terra, I worked with you in northern California, soon after I had my first abortion, you were a great help and guide to me in a time of tremendous need. I would like to do a ritual now, a year after the abortion and would like to work together again for this.'' - Sincerely, Z., Bay Area
Non-Biased Healing Support
Not everyone feels distress after a pregnancy loss, but if you do, you will find a respectful, confidential healing environment in which to seek comfort. Non-political, not based in religious dogma, this is a safe space.
Womb Wisdom TM is a healing and educational resource that blends cross-cultural, transpersonal, somatic and energetic and other methods of support that help to illuminate your experience and invite healing to occur. This support soothes body/mind, and soul as it responds to questions and concerns you may have.
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I have rarely met a woman who has not had an abortion, miscarriage, or both. During the past decade numerous women who sat in my healing room, or who called from many different cities and countries would tell me they felt safe, and for the first time they revealed heir womb stories. Women began to speak of a cultural taboo that had been swept under the rug. Women from all walks of life (men, and couples too) shared their secrets, their womb stories, many for the first time in years.
My aim with this work is to talk about abortion, to listen with care and compassion, and to provide support to those that request it. My work is not dogmatic, political or religious. In life, sometimes decisions must be made that are not easy ones.
It is more and more permissible in many societies to speak about trauma, crisis, and difficult life transitions: ending of relationships, divorce, addiction (alcohol/drugs) eating disorders, rehab clinics, anger management -- and yet, for the women who have had abortions, they are urged to remain completely silent. How can there be an integration of a profound event when it is taboo to even mention the experience?
My work with women and their womb stories is a response to this hushing, and the harmful shame and blame that is a part of the experience.
Options
Women seek guidance before any choice is made in order to consider their options.
Who contacts me?
I have worked with women soon after their terminations, however, the majority of people I work with contact me months, years, even decades after their abortions.
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Fertility
In conjunction with your medical support, integrative guidance, body-mind care and stress redcution can provide help too for women/couples who would like to conceive. Combining medical and alternative holistic methods has proven to increase fertility results for many.
Womb Wisdom TM is an enhancement to your goals with methods that lower stress, address the body and emotions with transpersonal and somatic therapy, and provides insights that energize fertility treatments.
A belief in women's reproductive freedom does not have to negate her desire to speak about and integrate a complex life event such as an abortion.
The same is true for women's health care providers who work with great care and commitment to support a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion. Health care professionals also welcome the opportunity for non-polarized support for their patients and for themselves. A safe place to speak freely, without hostility is well received by all who value peace and wellness.
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I will facilitate a healing/educational workshops for your community to assist with womb related concerns. To organize a group please contact me terrawise@gmail.com
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"There are certain moments in life when you can have insights that can go past the pair of opposites. It's as though you can see in that moment a deeper truth, as if the opposites open and you can see into the unknown.''
~ Joseph Campbell |
