![Annie Casselman and Steve Tracey sidewalk counsel at a clinic in North Carolina. [Photo by Ann Scheidler]](https://prolifeaction.org/pix/2010/annie-with-steve-tracey3.jpg "Annie and Steve sidewalk counseling")
A new sidewalk counselor recently asked me for advice on which pamphlets are best to use while counseling at the clinics. Since this is such a vital part of the Pro-Life Action League’s mission, I wanted to share with everyone the material our counselors use and learn from you what you use.
Particularly since this list is not (and could never be) exhaustive, I hope you will jump in and share your thoughts about which pamphlets you prefer to use when counseling so we can learn from each other.
Pregnancy Resource Center Pamphlets
First of all, you definitely need a pamphlet directing a woman to the nearest Pregnancy Resource Center. The PRC nearest the clinic may be willing to supply you with these pamphlets, though this can often be too expensive for them to provide.
At our office, we print the brochures ourselves on pastel paper for distribution. If you click here [pdf] you can open this brochure. You can insert the names and phone numbers of the nearest PRCs to your local abortion clinic onto the front cover and print them for yourself.
Lawsuits Against Clinic and/or Staff
A key component of the Chicago Method, pioneered by the Pro-Life Action League, is to compile a list of lawsuits that have been filed against the clinic or abortionist, if there are any. You will have to go to your county courthouse to look this up.
We have found that many women who are entering abortion clinics have already “spiritually killed” their children and are more ready to listen to an appeal based on their own safety than on the children within them.
Fetal Development Literature
You should bring some fetal development literature as well. One pamphlet our sidewalk counselors highly praise is called Life Or Death. While this pamphlet is a bit more expensive than some of the others, it gives a good side-by-side comparison of live babies versus dead ones that shows a woman (sometimes for the first time ever) the startling reality of abortion.
Other nice fetal development pamphlets that we use are: How You Began, Milestones of Early Development, and Life Before Birth.
You may also want to buy a fetal model to show the woman what her baby looks like. We order ours from Heritage House. (Some models are quite inexpensive, and you can use the same one over and over, saving money.)
Other Useful Literature
While you don’t want to overwhelm a woman or her companion with tons of information that they certainly won’t take the time to read, we have found some of these other materials to be useful.
Particularly if you can’t find any lawsuits against a clinic, you may want some information that explains the risks of abortion, such as What You Need To Know about Abortion Procedures, You Have a Right To Know, and You’re Considering Abortion.
Especially if you stay until the girls leave, you’ll want to have Post-Abortion information available. We use these Project Rachel Brochures (printed by our office). Another good brochure is Beyond Abortion.
Many pamphlets are also available in Spanish, such as What They Never Told You About the Facts of Life (Spanish) and Your First Nine Months (Spanish).
Where there many black women going into a clinic, you may want to carry Abortion: The Black Woman’s Choice.
A good pamphlet for the men bringing their wives and girlfriends to the clinic is Forgotten Fathers.
And, some counselors like to hand out baby booties, rosaries, or other small gifts to the girls going in.
You may want to put all of your items in a clear plastic bag (to make it easy it hand out quickly as a package) or you may want to keep it separate so you can pick and choose what you give her, based on the conversation you’re having.
Links to Some Pro-Life Stores
Finally, here are some of the major sites for finding pro-life literature (for sidewalk counseling, fairs, etc).
