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EP137: The grief nobody talks about: Abortion, trauma, and the emotions you're allowed to feel- Guest Shalina

In this episode, Sharna sits down with Shalina Lodhia, criminologist counsellor and founder of a trauma-informed practice specialising in intergenerational trauma, domestic and family violence, and abortion grief.

Shalina shares her own deeply personal experience of navigating abortion, twice, under very different life circumstances, and what she's learned about the grief that so often follows in silence.

This is a conversation about the emotions no one tells you it's okay to feel. The paradox of relief and loss. The isolation of having to hide an experience that your body is living through. And the complete absence of support that so many women encounter both during and after.

In this episode, Shalina and Sharna explore:

The emotional reality of having an abortion at 23, in hiding, with no support and no information about what comes after

How the experience shifted in her thirties as awareness, spirituality, and self-knowledge changed how she processed the grief

Why the medical system so often fails women in these moments, treating them as a number rather than a human being in distress

The paradox of conflicting emotions, relief, grief, guilt, peace, and why all of them are valid at the same time

The role of intergenerational trauma and why, for some women, the decision not to continue a pregnancy is an act of conscious cycle-breaking

How Shalina now supports other women through abortion grief, including those in abusive relationships navigating impossible choices

Why post-abortion support is one of the most overlooked gaps in women's healthcare in Australia

A message for anyone listening:

Whatever your reason for having an abortion, it is valid. You are allowed to feel every emotion, including ones that seem to contradict each other. You are not alone in this.

If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it. And if you're ready to talk to someone who gets it, Shalina's details are linked below.

Connect with Shalina Lodhia: 

If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more women find these conversations when they need them most.

 

Connect with Sharna 

Find me here: @reproductivelossleadership 

If today's conversation resonated with you, I'd love to stay connected.

My mission is to help change the landscape of pregnancy loss care through education, advocacy, research, and evidence-informed, trauma-informed support. Whether you're navigating your own loss, supporting someone you love, or you're a healthcare professional wanting to improve the care you provide, there's a place for you here.

You can follow my work, explore educational resources, listen to more podcast episodes, or learn about the Pregnancy loss recovery method & Integrated Pregnancy Loss Care framework Or the Pregnancy Loss & Trauma-Informed Specialist Certification.

Together, we're creating a future where every pregnancy loss is acknowledged, every family is supported, and every practitioner feels confident to provide compassionate, person-centred care.

I'd love to hear what resonated with you from today's episode.

Share your thoughts, leave a review, or connect with me on social media—your voice helps shape this conversation and reach more families who need it.

Thank you for being part of this community. Together, we're changing the future of pregnancy loss care.

Follow the podcast page: @pregnancyloss_podcast