infertility
Infertility Counseling
Getting pregnant hasn’t been easy for you.
Like many people, you want to be a parent. You assumed conceiving and having a baby would be a natural, problem-free process. But this hasn’t been your experience. Receiving an infertility diagnosis or realizing that getting pregnant will be difficult for you can be extremely stressful. You may feel that your sense of identity and life dreams have been taken away from you.
It’s natural to have high levels of stress or anxiety as you face complicated medical procedures, difficult decisions, and the uncertainty of infertility treatments. Feelings of grief and depression from repeated fertility trials and cycles of hope and disappointment are normal. You may wonder if you are to blame, or you may feel angry, powerless, or overwhelmed.
You feel alone.
Regardless of the specific emotions that arise for you, it can be difficult to share your experience with others. You need extra support right now. However, it may feel like friends and family do not understand, or are insensitive to what you are going through. Similarly, your relationship with your partner may be strained. The emotional, physical, and financial burdens of infertility often take a toll on relationships and marriages. Consequently, you may feel isolated and alone during a time when support and emotional care are especially important.
"We all have an unsuspected reserve
inside that emerges when life puts us to the test.”
-Isabel Allende
Counseling can help you cope with the stress of infertility.
For many people, seeking the support of a fertility counselor can help. Whether you choose to come to counseling alone or with your partner, I provide a safe and supportive space for you to work through your emotions and take charge of your fertility journey. Through our work together, you will be able to share your experience, address difficult issues, explore your feelings, and make important decisions. You will also learn specific strategies, tools, and mind-body techniques to help you manage the stress and anxiety you are experiencing. As a result, you will feel more resilient and have a better quality of life.
During this emotional period of your life, you need a mental health professional who understands the emotional, psychological and relational aspects of infertility and family building. Not only do I have specialized training in reproductive psychology, but I also have my own personal experience with infertility which informs and guides my work as a therapist.
Common Issues Discussed During Infertility Counseling
Your family building path is unique so your counseling experience will be unique as well. Above all, I work to support you and meet you where you are in your family building journey. Here are some of the common issues we may address during counseling sessions:
Coping with the stress of infertility
The impact of infertility on relationships
Improving communication and interpersonal skills with one’s partner
Exploring infertility treatment options
Support through IUI/IVF
Secondary infertility
Egg freezing/fertility preservation
Exploring alternate family-building options (adoption, third party reproduction)
Child-free decision-making
Pregnancy after infertility
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders after infertility
Alternative Family Building
Not every parent’s journey to motherhood or fatherhood looks the same. I support people on all types of journeys to parenthood and an important part of my practice involves providing counseling for those who wish to build a family using third party reproduction or adoption. I work with heterosexual couples, same sex couples, and single individuals wanting to start a family. Deciding to use a donor, to adopt, or to use a surrogate or gestational carrier can be an emotional process, and having the support of a therapist who specializes in this area can be very helpful.
I offer psychological consultation and support for Intended Parents that includes:
Exploring different family building options
Understanding the issues involved in non-genetic or gestational family building and parenting
Grieving the loss of a genetic child, pregnancy or childbirth
Help selecting a donor, surrogate or gestational carrier
Help navigating the adoption process
Guidance writing a letter to birth parents
Working through expectations with extended family
Addressing disclosure to friends, family, and co-workers
Finding ways to talk with children about their conception
Screening and Psychological Evaluations
of Donors & Surrogates
As a therapist specializing in reproductive mental health, I screen and administer psychological evaluations of known and unknown donors, surrogates, and gestational carriers. Additionally, I facilitate collaborative reproductive arrangements by hosting meetings in my office between donors or surrogates and intended parents. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that all parties are in agreement on important issues like multiple pregnancies, genetic testing, and pregnancy termination. I also provide medical reports, as necessary, to medical teams or agencys.
Today, there are many ways to create a family. I am committed to helping you develop a family building plan that works for you!
Get the help you deserve when coping with infertility.
You don’t have to feel alone and isolated on your journey to build your family. Nor do you need to let the stress of infertility stop you from living your life and feeling well. If you’re struggling with your mental health after receiving an infertility diagnosis, counseling can help. I would love to support you on your path to motherhood.