Abortion as a Catalyst
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Abstract
Abstract In both what has and has not been published in the psychoanalytic literature about abortion, those who elect abortion have been devalued. The omission of abortion perpetuates its sense of unimportance in our field. Where it features, it is relegated to a category of conflict colored by pathology and trauma. To the contrary, abortion can be experienced as a generative event. Interviews with ten women who underwent abortion reveal important themes that are underrepresented in existing theory. These women offered windows into their lives both before and after their abortions in a way that framed their abortions as pivotal turning points. I propose the possibility of viewing abortion as a catalyst for psychological growth, and discuss related clinical considerations.