A pregnancy test may be what brings a woman through the doors of FirstLook, but the conversation that follows can be about much more than a result. She might be wrestling with questions about abortion, parenting, or adoption, or worrying over her relationships and support systems. Often, she simply needs time to process what she is facing and someone willing to listen.
FirstLook Client Coordinators are trained to listen for those concerns and needs, both spoken and unspoken, and to approach every client with empathy and prayer. While most of our coordinators are volunteers, our staff members are involved in the process as well. Recently, FirstLook’s Education Director, Brooke, found herself filling that role on two very different occasions.
Slowing Down
It had been a while since Brooke had served as a Client Coordinator, and when preparing to meet her client for the first time, she felt out of practice.
So, she prayed.
The woman she met believed she was pregnant. While she wasn’t considering abortion, concerns about support and her mental health left her unsure about parenting. As they began talking, Brooke sensed they needed more time.
“I slowed down. She slowed down. And we began a conversation that felt like the Lord was in control,” Brooke recalled.
Using FirstLook’s discussion guide, they talked through her relationships with her family and the baby’s father and explored her options. Although leaning toward parenting, the client felt strongly that she needed more information about adoption. By the time they finished, Brooke and her client had been talking for nearly an hour. Brooke initially worried she had put the nurses behind schedule, but they quickly assured her that it was okay, some clients simply need more time.
“She is why we are here,” Brooke said.
Stepping In Again
A few weeks later, Brooke stepped into the Client Coordinator role once more. The schedule was full, and appointments were running long, but she was there to help.
The client believed she might be pregnant and intended to have an abortion. She hadn’t told the baby’s father or her family. She had told a friend she wasn’t feeling well but couldn’t bring herself to share that she might be pregnant. She felt alone and believed there was no support for her.
“She told me that she felt embarrassed, and I could see the shame on her face,” Brooke recalled.
It was something Brooke was specifically prepared to recognize. She had recently completed additional training on understanding a client’s shame and the importance of reminding clients that they are not defined by their mistakes.
Her pregnancy test came back negative, but their conversation didn’t end there. They discussed the risks of abortion and the importance of building a support system she could turn to when life became difficult. Before she left she asked to meet with a member of the Spiritual Support team for prayer and guidance
Brooke believes she left FirstLook encouraged and knowing she wasn’t alone.
Prepared to Listen
Before meeting with clients on their own, FirstLook Client Coordinators complete six to eight weeks of training, including HIPAA and The Love Approach through Heartbeat International. They also shadow experienced Client Coordinators and receive continuing education through bi-monthly in-service training.
That preparation matters because no two client conversations are exactly alike. Training can’t tell a Client Coordinator exactly what the woman sitting across from her will say, or what she may have difficulty putting into words. It requires listening closely to both the verbal and the nonverbal, prayerfully meeting each client, and responding to what she needs in that moment.
A Client Coordinator can’t know in advance where a conversation will lead, how much time it will take, or what a woman may need help expressing.
But she doesn’t have to.
She can be prepared. She can slow down. She can listen closely to the woman sitting across from her. And she can pray, trusting that God is already in control and leading the way.
How You Can Help
Most FirstLook Client Coordinators are volunteers. Through their time, training, and willingness to listen, they help provide the one-on-one care and support women receive at FirstLook.
If you feel called to serve women and families in Ellis County, consider joining our team as a Client Coordinator. You can also support FirstLook financially. Your support means no one faces these challenges alone. It means there’s someone to talk to, someone who will listen, someone who won’t push or pressure. It’s your generosity that continues to make mentorship and resources like these possible at no cost
Click here to learn how you can become a volunteer.