AfterCHOICE Symposium

Recognizing and Treating Post-Abortion Grief

Due to Organizational changes, this event has been postponed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

NOTICE: This event has been postponed!

Course Content:

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Understand the symptoms and consequences of

traumatic loss and how it pertains to abortion.

Know the pillars of person-centered therapy:

Empathy, Congruence & Unconditional Positive Regard.

Facilitate the discovery of dysfunctional/negative

meaning ascribed to the trauma, self and life.

Discover incongruence in life: withholding being

authentic and free, and living in the present.

Explore different views or interpretations of the client's past.

Decide how to finish or deal with the past.

Memorializing may be used in this phase.

Cement new decisions made, focusing on future to ensure changes are implemented.

Who Should Attend?

Psychologists Substance Abuse Counselors

Psychiatrists Marriage and Family Therapists

Counselors Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners

Social Workers Mental Health Nurses

Educators Case Managers

Physicians Clergy

*Cancellations must be received three business days before the event and will be refunded less a $20 admin, fee per registrant.

Course Directors

Dr. Catharina Venter is a

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

(Ph.D., LCSW). She had a suc-

cessful private practice in her

home country of South Africa

where she specialized in

therapy with children, families

struggling with divorce issues,

and trauma, including Post-

Ttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. Catharina Venter moved to the United States in 1998 and worked as a therapist at the HeartWell Counseling Center in Fresno, CA, where she specialized in treating women suffering from post-abortion trauma. She later developed a private practice where she performed psychological evaluations and treatment for veterans suffering from PTSD for the Veterans Administration. Currently, she is an adjunct professor in the psychology department at National University.

Dr. Henry Venter is a

clinical psychologist who

specialized in his home country

of South Africa with victims of

violent crime suffering from

mental disorders, including

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD). He moved to the US to

work at the Desmond Institute

in 1998 as founding director. The Desmond Institute performed groundbreaking studies and research in reproductive grief and PTSD. Starting in 2007, Dr. Venter began performing psychological evalua- tions and treatment for veterans suffering from PTSD for the Veterans Administration. A professor at National University, in Fresno, CA, for over 10 years, he is currently associate professor of psychology at National University, where he works as both the Lead Faculty for psychology at the Woodland Hills and Oxnard campuses and as the MFT program director at the Woodland Hills campus. Dr. Henry Venter presents internationally on topics of trauma and grief, including at the World Congress of Psychiatry in Prague, Czech Republic, and most recently at the 16th World Congress of Psychiatry in Madrid, Spain, on trauma and PTSD, and at the Annual International Carl Rogers Conference in San Diego.