FAQs

  • Post-abortion trauma is presently understood to be a type of PTSD:  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  • Post-abortion trauma symptoms and severity will vary with the individual but can include:  guilt, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol and drug abuse, low self-esteem, insomnia, inability to forgive oneself, spiritual divorce, anger, nightmares, flashbacks and emotional triggers.  The cardinal features are denial and suppression, meaning most women and men do not consciously connect the problems they are experiencing with their abortions.

  • Often, post-abortion symptoms don’t fade over time but can persist for long periods. Putting off the healing process can make these feelings intensify and become hard to handle. It can become easy to feel isolated and alone. Seeking help to process and integrate emotions in a confidential, non-judgmental space is a positive step toward healing and restoration.

  • Abortion grief / trauma tends to (but not always) have a delayed onset (months /years) that is often precipitated by a triggering event.

More on Post Abortion Stress Syndrome

  • Couples, mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings of aborted children, as well as those who have been involved in the abortion industry have come to Rachel’s Vineyard in search of peace, inner healing and ultimately forgiveness of themselves.

  • We will work with you so that finances do not prevent you from receiving the healing that God wills for you.

  • Rachel’s Vineyard began as a retreat solely to help women heal from their abortion experience.  Over the years, we have realized that abortion has a rippling effect on others who were connected to the child.  Fathers also grieve the loss of their children in their own way.  We welcome them with open arms.

  • Yes, couples who attend a retreat report an increase in communication, intimacy and trust in their relationship areas negatively impacted by abortion.  We understand that each couple is unique.  There are situations where attending as a couple is not possible or desirable, and sometimes each person can be at a different stage of their healing journey.  However, don’t be afraid to ask your spouse / partner to accompany you on the retreat, especially if you are both parents of the child/children lost to abortion or any traumatic pregnancy loss.  Even if your partner was not involved in the abortion(s), there is still a great benefit to attending the retreat together

  • Contact our site leader to learn more about our Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat and if it would be helpful for you.  Call Evelyn at (215) 317-5752 for a confidential conversation.

  • Yes, this retreat works wonderfully for those who have had the sadness and trauma of a miscarriage.  Couples who attend have found a way to grieve the loss of their child in a more unified way.  No one wants to be told that, “That’s alright.  You can have another.”  The family member or friend’s intent is to say something helpful, but this comes across as the complete opposite.  Our team is waiting to help you grieve the untimely loss of all of your little children.

  • Rachel’s Vineyard Doylestown is held at a Catholic retreat center however everyone is welcomed and invited to come.  Our retreat is open to all faiths.  Those with no particular faith expression also do well on the retreat.  No one is ever asked to do or participate in anything they are not comfortable with.

  • Men may experience the following:  excessive anger, anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings, low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, feelings of powerlessness, worrying, sadness, fear of failure, depression, confusion, guilt, shame, numbness, sense of worthlessness, objectifying women and suicidal thoughts.  When men tell the women that “you decide”, or simply do not stand up to protect and provide for his child the relationship invariably breaks up a short time after the abortion.  An unintended consequence.

  • Share our website with your friend who may need support after an abortion or any traumatic pregnancy loss and encourage them to contact us for a confidential conversation about the retreat.

  • The Ave Maria Retreat House, on the peaceful, 100-acre property of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania, offers personal rooms including your linens and towels with a private bathroom and shower/tub.  You will want to provide your own toiletries, blow dryer, etc. for your personal use that weekend.

  • We ask that you arrive at 4:00pm on Friday and we finish up at 5:00pm on Sunday.

  • We are happy to accommodate dietary needs.  When you call to register for the retreat just let us know at that time.

  • The site leader and coordinator, Evelyn, would be happy to speak with you to answer any questions you may have.  Please call her at (215) 317-5752.  Additionally, former participants are available to chat and provide information about their retreat experience.

  • Many retreat participants acknowledge experiencing some anxiety and uncertainty upon their arrival to the Ave Maria Retreat House but share that over the course of the weekend they become much more relaxed and comfortable with the team and other participants as they come to know and help one another.

About the Retreat