Sydney: Using All-options Counseling at Boys & Girls Aid

Sydney was 22 years old when she found out she was pregnant. She had just graduated from the University of Portland and having a baby wasn’t part of the plan.

Unsure about what to do with the baby, Sydney contacted Boys & Girls Aid to learn more about her pregnancy options. She met with her Pregnancy Counselor, who gave her information on the choices available to her.

With her Pregnancy Counselor, Sydney was able to get detailed information for each of her three pregnancy options. She provided resources for different organizations who provided termination services. For parenting, her Pregnancy Counselor gave Sydney information on the different support groups for young parents in her town. If she choose to place her child with an adoptive family, she could use Boys & Girls Aid’s infant adoption plan.

“I will forever be thankful to Boys & Girls Aid and Karen for helping me,” Sydney said. “I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

— Sydney

“I appreciate my Pregnancy Counselor sitting down with me and providing all of the information I need,” Sydney said. “She never had an agenda or bias. She just wanted to help me come to an answer for what was best for me.”

When Sydney had questions about how to talk to family members and friends about what she was going through, her Pregnancy Counselor also helped there. Having been an all-options counselor to many women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, Sydney’s Pregnancy Counselor understood the concerns being experienced and the best way to be supportive through the process.

When Sydney finally made her decision, she felt informed and confident with her decision. “I will forever be thankful to Boys & Girls Aid and my Pregnancy Counselor for helping me,” Sydney said. “I don’t know what I would have done without them.”