C.P.R: Choice Processing and Resolution

I stumbled across this treasure because I read an article by the author. The way she wrote about abortion and how it's not societally acceptable to grieve and process your abortion publicly really resonated with me. In this book, she gently guides you on the healing journey and gives you permission to grieve and feel pent up emotions. She truly supports you in the process. I have been working through the book, little by little and accepting my feelings, hurt towards other and myself and it's been amazing. I bought myself a journal to write down my feelings for the exercises she has and I also write down my feelings in between exercises. I'm almost at the end of the book, but I must say, this has been such a blessing in my life and the author speaks in a loving tone where she accepts and honors your choice and allows you to do the same and to also acknowledge the difficult circumstances and emotions that arose during your voluntary pregnancy termination. This is a multi-layered process.

As someone who has made the choice and has struggled with processing the grief, I find this book immensely helpful. I am relieved to find it has no outward religious association (even though the author does discuss her relationships with pastors). I’m not interested in seeking religion through this process or finding redemption - it’s incredibly challenging to get away from that in post-termination literature.While the author doesn’t discuss every situation or every reason one may feel the way they do - the worksheets are beneficial and therapeutic. I’m using this in concert with counseling and I find it helpful.

I bought this book for a friend and read it before giving it to her. I bought it because it portrays itself as politically neutral, but in reality it is subtly Pro Life. The book notes that Roe V Wade is the law of the land and that women who have already had abortions lack adequate post abortion counseling. A reasonable position. The idea of the book is to help a person process through their grief and acknowledges that you can have emotions that need to be resolved regardless of your political, moral or religious stance on abortion. Ultimately, after going through the book, I decided not to share it with my friend.I will start out with what I saw as positive. The concept of disenfranchised grief explained in the book is a great way to understand the grief that women may experience and are unable to share with others. Very helpful idea for a counselor to work with.On the other hand, the book gives very limited and specific ways in which a person may experience grief, which is not particularly helpful. It also suggests that you will probably have grief over the loss of a partner as your partner will likely leave you! Not only is that fear inducing, but denies the reality of the large percentage of married women who have abortions under a mutual understanding with their husband.Second, the book walks you through two exercises that have a Pro Life bent. One exercises asks you to identify feelings before, during and after the abortion with the only options of feelings being sad, mad and scared. The other exercise encourages you to write a letter to your baby, a common Pro Life idea.Finally, I decided to do a little googling on the author and she is a speaker at Pro Life conferences. From the other reviews, the book obviously has been helpful to many women and I see the potential for it to be helpful, but I just wanted to give a warning of its slight Pro Life twist.

Sadly, so many girls and women are suffering from extreme sadness and guilt due to abortion. The author talks about "disenfranchised grief" and why we are "keepers of the secret" and other invaluable information that will put you on the path to healing. You will find NO condemnation in this book just lots of compassion, support and understanding. There is an exercise you can do to bring your emotions to the surface so you can start dealing with your "unresolved guilt." I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone in need of emotional healing. Just know that you are not alone in your pain.

This book helped me get through one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to face. I 100% recommend this book and to actually work the steps it suggests.

An absolutely fantastic book that provides care and understanding for people who have experienced VPT. Highly recommend.

Johnson makes a compelling case and provides a proven pathway to healing and wholeness. Her research and personal testimony is thorough, authentic, and non-judgmental. Women and men will benefit from this work. You will not regret reading CPR and sharing it with a friend or family member.

I ordered this for a friend. She hasn't started CPR yet but it gave her hope for the first time. After attending a Project Rachel retreat she still wasn't at peace. Now she feels she is "not alone". Trudy will help you!

When you need this book, you will realise how valuable it is. It is insightful touching and sensative. It talks to those who have trodden this path, and helps those who are supporting someone suffering. Thankyou so much.

Read as a psychotherapist incase it might help a potential client. American style not helpful.

Very useful .x

Insightful. Helpful.