This group may be right for you if you are feeling alone in your experience & find that you don’t have anyone else to talk to who understands what you’re going through. Maybe no one even knows what you’ve been through because it doesn’t feel safe to share. Maybe you already have the support & comfort of loving family & friends, a competent therapist, or online communities, but . . . something’s missing.

You want to hear someone else say “me, too.” You want to be able to talk about your baby/ies without being dismissed or silenced. You want to be able to grieve openly without being told to “get over it” or “move on.” And perhaps most of all, you want someone who has been where you are or is moving through it now to show you how to survive.

If that’s sounding good, this group is right for you.

This group is for birthing people anywhere in the United States who have experienced termination for medical reasons (TFMR), or ending a wanted pregnancy, for their own health &/or the health of their baby/ies. All TFMR losses are welcome in this group:

• Recent or years ago

• Fatal, non-fatal, grey, or spectrum diagnoses for your baby/ies &/or yourself (including physical & mental health)

• Medication, surgical, or labor & delivery

• At any gestation or in any trimester

If you are uncertain whether or not this is the right group for you, go ahead & schedule a free intro call with me. I’ll be glad to help you figure out if this is the right fit for you & point you in the direction of more relevant resources, if needed.

This group is not open to non-birthing TFMR parents, but some groups that are can be found on my Resources page.

This group is offered several times per year & meets once a week for 90 minutes for six weeks.

Most groups are scheduled for Wednesdays at 3:30-5pm PT | 4:30-6pm MT | 5:30-7pm CT | 6:30-8pm ET, though times may vary.

The cost of the support group is on a sliding scale based on the personal financial circumstances of each participant. There are four tiers, the criteria for which you can find detailed below in my Sliding Scale Guide.

For the highlights, pricing for each tier is as follows:

• Tier 1: $25/session ($150 total), limited to 1 spot per group series for participants needing the most financial support

• Tier 2: $50/session ($300 total), limited to 2 spots per group series for participants who cannot comfortably afford the actual cost of Tier 3

• Tier 3: $75/session ($450 total), unlimited spots for actual cost of the group (most participants will fall into this tier)

• Tier 4: $100/session ($600 total), unlimited spots for pay-it-forward tier to help supplement placements within tiers 1 & 2

Regardless of which tier you select, you will have the option to pay-in-full at the first session or to pay weekly, depending on what works best for you.

These groups have 4-8 participants, allowing time for everyone to share & opportunity to support & learn from a variety of experiences & perspectives.

These groups are “closed,” meaning that it is the same group of people meeting each week. This allows participants to really get to know & build trust with one another. Unlike drop-in groups, participants can build off of each session together, hopefully ending with a strong community of support.

Group participants are also able to opt into sharing contact information with other group members to allow for ongoing contact during & after the support group series. Some past group participants have started group chats or email chains & some have even set up ongoing video calls in order to stay connected & continue supporting one another.

For most folks, I recommend at least a few weeks in between your loss & the start of the group. This can give you some time to process, focus on yourself, & move through some of the initial shock of your experience.

However, this is not a mandate, & the truth is that every person is different, so while some folks may feel “ready” for the support group a week after their TFMR, others may not feel “ready” until a 6 months, a year, or more have passed.

Rest assured, though, that this is part of what I screen for in our intro call! We will work together to determine what may work best for you & you can trust that I will tell you if it seems like you may not be ready yet to participate.

In the first session, you can expect a few things:

• I will do a lot more talking in this session than any other due to time spent introducing the group, the format, & setting expectations.

• We will review & approve group agreements for how we would like to behave & interact with one another in group.

• Everyone will share their story of what brings them to the group. I will always share first to break the ice & set the tone. You may share as much or as little as you wish & I will keep an eye on the time to ensure everyone is able to speak.

• The first group session can often bring with it a mix of complex feelings. You may feel eager to start & terrified of stepping into a space that is all about your loss with a bunch of strangers. This is totally normal & I’ll be there to support you & help you connect & build trust with the other group participants.

Beyond the first session, which is focused on participants sharing their TFMR stories, each group session will follow a similar structure:

• I’ll begin each session with some kind of opening ritual. This may be a poem, a mindful moment, a journaling prompt, or any number of things. The purpose is to help us transition from our everyday lives into the group & its topic so that we can be fully present for ourselves & one another.

• Review our group agreements.

• Each session will have an assigned topic based on the preferences of the group participants (see below for examples of common topics). I’ll introduce the topic & share relevant information, context, & resources.

• The bulk of each session, typically about an hour, will be devoted to talk time. This is when I will often step back & let the group participants drive the conversation. I’m always there to provide support, make connections, & redirect things, as necessary, but as folks in the group get to know & trust one another, I may not be needed as much.

• Each session ends with a closing ritual. This can be sharing takeaways from group that week, self care planning, or other activities that invite reflection &/or help us transition out of the group & back to our regular lives.

• After each session I will follow up with an email that includes any resources shared in group, next week’s topic, & anything else that’s relevant that you may need or want to know.

I strive for my groups to feel casual, authentic, flexible, & supportive, so it’s not uncommon for us to stray from the day’s topic. I welcome that. We’d never cover all the nuance of the grief after TFMR, so the topics are there largely as a starting point to get us thinking & sharing. Below are some of the most common topics (that may or may not be formally selected as the topic each week):

• Anger, Jealousy, & "Ugly Feelings"

• Evolving Body Image

• Grief & Loss

• Navigating Birthdays/ Milestones/ Holidays

• Self-Care

• Guilt & Shame

• Loss of Pregnancy Innocence

• Ways to Honor and Continue Bonds with Your Baby/ies

• Legal Barriers to Care & Impact on Experience & Healing

• Impact on Close Relationships

I ask that, as much as is feasible, participants commit to attending all six support group sessions. That said, life happens & sometimes plans change. If you have to miss a session, whether expected or unexpected, please notify me as soon as possible.

Please note that regardless of weekly attendance you are responsible for the full cost of the group. No fees will be waived nor refunds issued for missed sessions.

If you’ve reserved a space in the group & you are no longer able to participate, please inform me in writing ASAP. If you cancel at least one week prior to the first group session, you will not be charged any fees. If you cancel less than one week prior to the first group session, you will be charged 50% of the total group cost ($180). This is to both support participants’ commitment to the group & to support me in finding another participant for your spot in the group on short notice. If the group has started, you will still be responsible for the full amount of $360.

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: No, because there are some key differences between support groups & therapy. While these both have value, each service meets different needs in different ways. Your participation in the support group does not make me your therapist!

Even longer answer: No, because support groups, while they may feel “therapeutic” or healing, are not treating mental health conditions the way therapy does. They are for building community around a shared experience. My role is different, too. In the support group, I am there as a peer, as I am a TFMR mom myself, & our interactions in group will involve more give-&-take. While I bring my professional skills to the group, my role there is to foster connections, share resources, & guide the group process. In individual therapy, the focus is entirely on you. As your therapist, I am focused on your process, your healing, & your goals. There is no need or expectation for you to hold space for anyone or anything else. Therapy is also where we would focus on addressing & resolving symptoms of mental health conditions, improving your daily functioning, & digging deep into understanding your grief, your history, & your picture of your future.

Because these services offer different things & because there are limited resources available specifically for TFMR parents, I do sometimes work with clients in both individual therapy & my support group. For these folks, we talk at length about if combining these services is a good fit for you & your goals, how things will be & feel different, & how I will continue to protect your confidentiality & privacy.

Click here or scroll down! To secure your spot in my next group you’ll meet with me for a free 30-minute intro call, fill out a screening form, & complete your intake paperwork.

That’s it & I’m so excited to include you!