After abortion, people need safe, compassionate care—not pressure to choose a certain path. Discover why offering both secular and religious abortion healing options builds trust, improves outcomes, and opens the door to real emotional healing.
We’ve heard it more than once:
“I’m angry you offer secular resources.”
“It’s wrong not to mention God.”
“I don’t want to support / receive training from / use resources from an organization like that.”
We understand where this comes from—a place of deep faith and love for God—and we honor that. But here’s what we’ve learned from walking with thousands of people:
Most people who experience abortion aren’t looking for a religious program.
- 3 out of 5 women who experience abortion are 18–29 years old — the least religious age group in America.
If we insist on only one type of program, many will walk away with no help at all.
As Nyles put it during our recent webinar on caring for clients who prefer a secular path to healing:
“If saying ‘no’ to offering secular options means a client leaves with no healing, is that really consistent with Christ’s love?”
Like Jesus with the woman at the well, we don’t begin with demands. He first saw her, named her pain, and offered dignity. That’s the model: compassion first, and healing begins.
The question isn’t whether God belongs in healing. The question is whether we will love people enough to meet them where they are so they can begin healing at all.
What Clients Tell Us
Clients whose belief systems are secular share that they are looking for compassionate, healing care that resonates with them:
- “I don’t believe in God. When I saw there were secular options to work through my anger, depression, and grief, it felt safe. For the first time, I felt like someone cared about me, not just converting me.”
Others tell us they carry wounds related to religion or need a space without politics to begin healing:
- “I was hurt by my church experience. If God or religion is part of this program, it’ll be triggering and won’t help me.”
- “The first place I called pushed religion and politics and wanted me to change my views. Thank you for giving me help that’s about what we lost. Grief is grief.”
And some say they believe in God, but need time and space before they can bring faith into their healing:
- “I do believe in God, but what I need most is someone to help me face the anger and shame without judgment. I’d prefer a secular program, at least to start.”
Again and again, what clients long for is safety, compassion, and freedom from judgment. That’s what opens the door to healing.
What Providers See When They Offer Both
- “Having secular and faith-based tools means I don’t lose people at the door. I can walk with them to help work through their grief and emotional struggles. Sometimes they’re open to God later—but we don’t have an agenda. We just serve with love.”
- “While working at a PRC, I personally saw over 100 hurting women walk away because they wanted a non-religious abortion healing program. We told them to come back when they did want a religious approach—but they never did. I couldn’t keep working there. Denying them help felt inconsistent with my Christian values. That experience is why I believe in making space for people wherever they are—because that’s how real healing begins.”
- “Clients appreciate being able to choose what fits where they are. It builds trust, and we see healing happen.”
- “I’m a person of faith and I run a clinical practice. The secular approach helps me reach people who otherwise wouldn’t engage.”
Providers agree: when we honor client choice, people remain open to support instead of walking away unheard and unhelped.
And research backs this up: a 2018 Journal of Clinical Psychology analysis of 16,000 people found that accommodating client preferences improves mental health outcomes.
The Bottom Line
For some people, God and their faith will be an integral, important part of their healing journey. But for others, insisting or pressuring them to include faith and God will be an obstacle to healing.
If someone is trapped in a burning building, no one would say, “You must profess faith before I pull you out.” You’d save them first, because their life is what matters. The same is true here: people deserve rescue from grief and despair. Our role is to meet them with love in that moment.
It’s not about leaving God out.
It’s about not leaving people out.
Just as Jesus met the woman at the well where she was, God also meets those we serve in their pain. We don’t have to speak His name for Him to move—He is already present, already working. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is step back, listen, and create space for His healing to unfold in His time.
Everyone deserves support and compassion—and that means meeting them where they are with respect, love, and space to heal.
That’s why we offer both faith-based and secular tools for healing—because people need different starting points, and compassion makes room for both.
Thanks for being part of this mission with us.
© Support After Abortion