Introduction to counselling: unplanned pregnancy, reproductive coercion, contraceptive options & post-abortion
This training is open to all health and allied health care practitioners who may provide counselling or support to people with unplanned pregnancy.
Attend one or more sessions or immerse yourself in a full day of training at reduced rates. Refreshments & light lunch provided for full day participants.
Morning Session 1: Introduction to Unplanned Pregnancy best practice counselling (3hours)
0830 arrival for 0845 - 1200
A specialized pregnancy options training module for health and allied healthcare practitioners who may work with pregnant people in the context of unplanned pregnancy. This short program provides evidence-based information on non-directive all options counselling - parenting, alternative care arrangements, adoption and abortion and key counselling communication techniques.
Learning outcomes:
- Scene setting: Socio-legal context of unplanned pregnancy in Queensland
- Exploring Values
- Unplanned Pregnancy Counselling: Core Practice Principles
- Introduction to Unplanned Pregnancy Counselling: Parenting Adoption Abortion
- Intersection of unplanned pregnancy, intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion
- Parenting, Adoption and Alternative care arrangements
- Abortion: medical and surgical
- State based abortion provision
- Counselling Communication, Post-abortion counselling referral indicators
- Discussion, reflection and self-care
Afternoon Session 2: Introduction to reproductive coercion & contraception options (2 hours)
1215 arrival for 1230 - 1430
Workshop explores domestic violence and reproductive coercion in the context of unplanned pregnancy decision-making. It will enhance understanding, assessment and referral pathways for health and allied health care and support practitioners who may provide unplanned pregnancy and post-abortion counselling or support clients who have ongoing case management or engagement with services.
Learning outcomes:
- Scene setting: Socio-legal context of unplanned pregnancy in Queensland
- The intersection of domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy and abortion
- Reproductive coercion as a perpetrator practice
- Diversity, young people and reproductive coercion
- Strategies for increasing reproductive autonomy for women and people with uteruses
- Screening and responding to unplanned pregnancy risk
- Supporting the pregnancy decision making in the context of domestic violence
- Assisting women and people with uteruses to access contraception less vulnerable to detection and sabotage
- Patterns of violence during pregnancy and the practice implications
- Discussion, reflection and self-care
Afternoon Session 3: Introduction to post-abortion counselling - Resolution not recovery (2 hours)
1430 arrival for 1445 - 1700
Workshop that considers short-term counseling in the post-abortion context. It will enhance understanding of factors in resolution after an abortion, assessment and referral pathways for health and allied health care and support practitioners who may provide unplanned pregnancy or post-abortion counseling or in a case management context.
Learning outcomes:
- Scene setting: Socio-legal context of unplanned pregnancy in Queensland
- Post-abortion counselling in the context of unplanned or unwanted pregnancy
- The pregnancy and abortion story
- Anticipatory Stress, Stress and Trauma
- Intersection of unplanned pregnancy, intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion – responding to disclosure
- A trauma informed approach to abortion care
- Counselling: Core Practice Principles and frameworks
- Responding to common themes and issues: case study and discussion
- Post-abortion counselling referral
- Discussion, reflection and self-care
Sponsored places are available for Qld regional rural and remote health care professionals. Priority given to regional/rural/remote professionals who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or work with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and communities or organisations. Contact ed
childrenbychoice.org.au for more info about sponsorship.
This event is offered in accordance with Children by Choice's pro-choice framework. Children by Choice reserve the right to refuse registrations and remove individuals from the event.
Steph Chen is the Training and Education Officer and a Senior Counsellor at Children by Choice, Australia’s only independent all options unplanned pregnancy counselling and community education statewide service.
She started social work practice in the Salvation Army Crisis Services in 2000; and has supported more than 200 patients in chronic health across the lifespan as the Cystic Fibrosis Social Work clinician at Monash Health. She advocates for sexual and reproductive health literacy and reproductive autonomy – previously a Counsellor/Advocate at Pregnancy Advisory Service, The Royal Women’s Hospital in Victoria and now at Children by Choice in Queensland. She worked in both services preceding, during and after abortion decriminalization.
Dr Bec Jenkinson is the Education and Community Engagement Coordinator at Children by Choice. In this role she delivers professional development across the state and delivers Children by Choice’s Relationships and Sexuality Education program to young people. Bec has a wealth of experience in advocacy, education and activism related to women’s health, particularly in maternity care. Her interests are keenly focused on women’s autonomy, informed decision making and reproductive justice.
