The Pregnancy Options Dialogue

Facilitators

Grayson Dempsey

Grayson Dempsey has spent over 10 years working in the reproductive rights and health movement. She is the founder of Backline, an international nonprofit organization that promotes connection, conversation and support around pregnancy, parenting, abortion and adoption. She is now a consultant specializing in pregnancy options training for healthcare professionals and advocates. Ms. Dempsey has worked for affiliates of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America as well as for independent abortion clinics and healthcare organizations. She has served as a contributor to works such as “Mom, Dad, I’m Pregnant: Promoting Healthy Teen/Parent Communication”; “The Reproductive Justice Briefing Book: A Primer on Reproductive Justice and Social Change”; and “Pastoral Counseling for Reproductive Loss: A Seminar for Pro-Choice Clergy of All Faiths.” She is the author of the “Abortion Diaries Discussion Guide” and co-author of “Providing Abortion Care: A Professional Toolkit for Nurse-Midwives, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.” In recent years, Ms. Dempsey has served as a consultant to organizations such as the Abortion Care Network, Ipas, the Abortion Access Project, Oregon Health & Science University and Pro Kan Do. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Open Adoption & Family Services and the advisory boards of both Backline and Nursing Students for Choice.

Katie Niemeyer

Katie Niemeyer is a counselor at Open Adoption & Family Services (OA&FS). She is committed to providing counseling, mediation, education and support to empower individuals, couples, and families as they make important life decisions. At OA&FS, part of her work includes helping pregnant women and couples explore all their pregnancy options and connecting them with resources they need to support their decisions. While earning a master’s degree in social work at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Ms. Niemeyer offered counseling for women and couples in the OHSU Center for Women’s Health. She also worked as a medical social worker in the center’s high risk prenatal clinic. Ms. Niemeyer is honored to be a facilitator for the Pregnancy Options Dialogue.