Unplanned pregnancies and abortion counselling: Some thoughts on unconscious motivations

Abstract

My experience of abortion counselling¹ over ten years has shown me the importance of understanding the unconscious dynamics behind an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Unless these dynamics are made conscious and understood, the experience of abortion may have to be repeated again and again. Both becoming pregnant and having an abortion often involve unconscious conflicts and fantasies originating in a woman's early development and reflecting her relationship with her mother. These may be acted out via an unplanned pregnancy and decision to have an abortion. The central task of abortion counselling is to address and make links with the unconscious processes, and in particular help the pregnant woman recognize and acknowledge her ambivalent feelings. In this way the counselling makes use of the opportunity to reflect provided by the crisis situation of the pregnancy.