Infertility is a complex medical condition with many causes and implications. A recent study revealed that an infertility diagnosis can be as stressful as a cancer diagnosis. (*Cue the validation exhale*) In/fertility treatment is an overwhelming and daunting world that is expensive, foreign, and doesn’t guarantee success in the end. Being poked, probed, treated like a broken body, disconnected from your emotions. Those who’ve been given an infertility diagnosis, told by their doctors that IVF is their best option, often find themselves hiding their circumstances from family and friends. Putting on a smile, crying alone in your car, and only sharing with intimate partners. Often times, unloading on your partner is a lot of pressure for one person to bear. I encourage you to preserve that intimate relationship and spread the stress. Particularly with someone who isn’t emotionally and intimately invested in the ultimate outcome. This is a space to be honest, raw, and unafraid of upsetting your inner circle.

As an In/Fertility & Reproductive Loss Counselor, this means that I have combined my specialized training in Fertility Counseling along with my mental health training to better understand how infertility affects a person’s emotional and psychological well-being. I already speak the infertility language.

I assist clients in finding ways to cope with the various aspects of in/fertility:

• Unexplained infertility
• Specific infertility diagnoses
• Secondary infertility
• Reproductive grief and loss
• Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment
• Coping with the side-effects of medication on one’s mood
• Support through Third party reproduction (egg/sperm/embryo donation, surrogacy)
• Support with decision making regarding frozen gametes and embryos
• Adoption counseling
• Decisions to living child-free
• Pregnancy and Parenting after A.R.T.
• Counseling for single family building / parenting
• Counseling for LGBTQ family building / parenting
• Counseling for pregnancy and parenting after A.R.T. (including talking with your child/ren about your building journey.)
• Consultation to help link clients to the most appropriate resources necessary to move forward.

You can expect a confidential, safe space to process thoughts, feelings, and challenges related to your in/fertility story with someone who can speak the “In/fertility language.” You don’t have to waste time and energy educating me on the various terminology, technologies and processes of the infertility rollercoaster. You can be your unapologetic fertility struggling self.

During our initial meetings, we will review your current circumstances, in/fertility journey, mental health history, and other important life history.

Assessment

During our assessment, we gather information, and create a treatment plan to best fit your needs. Additionally, this plan can be reassessed and altered to better reflect changes and progression during your time in therapy. I will listen and gather information about your “trying to conceive story,” related psychological functioning, history, and needs to get to know you as a whole person.

Implications and Decision-making Counseling

Decision-making is a process. This allows individuals and couples to explore the personal implications of significant reproductive decisions they are contemplating. This includes a discussion and understanding of how one’s culture, religion, and other values and beliefs view reproductive issues. Clients may seek this type of counseling for support around gamete/embryo storage/disposition, third party reproduction (donor egg, sperm, embryo, or surrogacy), adoption, or high risk and multiple pregnancy.

Support Counseling and Education

I offer psychological support, information, and tools to manage reproductive events and consequences. Examples include emotional support during and following fertility treatments, mentally prepare for treatment, manage uncertainty and waiting periods.

Therapeutic Counseling

Infertility is hard. Often leaving clients feeling depressed, anxious, isolated and loss of control. I am here to support you, help you find ways to cope and hopefully, find a way out of this stage in your life with your relationships intact. I can’t guarantee there’s a child at the end of this road, but we will work towards emotional wellbeing and balance.

Crisis Counseling

Crisis counseling is available during the counseling relationship when a crisis or trauma occurs. Clients may benefit from crisis counseling following specific losses such as receiving an infertility diagnosis, after a miscarriage, other reproductive losses, failed IVF cycle, unsuccessful transfers or following any other event that destabilizes the client.