Charles Stanley is a major force in the Christian evangelical church. His In Touch radio, TV and website programming reaches millions of people every day.

This month, Charles Stanley is focusing on the impact of abortion, on women and on couples.

Yolanda Gorick is the person Charles Stanley has turned to for information about the impact of abortion. She has developed her own post-abortion recovery program, Joy for Mourning.

I appreciate it when a national figure in the post-abortion movement comes right out and says what she thinks about what may be lacking in some abortion recovery programs--if it is not said in a critical, undermining spirit.

In Yolanda's article for Charles Stanley, she talks about one difference, and she points out this difference in an informative, charitable way:

The post-abortion mindset is based on the view that abortion is a symptom of deeper issues in a woman's life. Most biblically-based post-abortion study guides present a healing model that includes: acknowledging the humanity of the aborted child, understanding God's character, accepting responsibility, understanding atonement behaviors and addictions, forgiving self, others and God, and learning to deal with anniversary reminders. Yet over the years, I have observed a post-abortion mindset in women that is not addressed in current literature or typical healing models. This mindset predisposes a woman to abort or disown parts of her inner life in terms of her dreams, desires and goals when feeling the same pressures that influenced her abortion decision.

I largely agree with Yolinda that in some (many?) post-abortive women this mindset exists. I think it can come from different places...usually unresolved family-of-origin issues that lead both to the abortion and to the continuing tendency to disown parts of herself.

Good one-on-one post-abortion therapy will take a look at these areas.

Is Yolanda right that the typical healing models don't address this? Hm. I'd say so, at least on an explicit basis. I do often see women go through the "typical healing models" and experience a new sense of themselves where they are far less likely to cut off or abort those creative, wonderful parts of themselves than they were in the past. I think this happens more in programs that take more time looking at family-of-origin issues.

Note that Yolanda is seeking post-abortion testimonies specifically about the impact of abortion on couples for a book she is writing. Contact her here.