Reproductive Counseling is a relatively new, highly specialized area of practice that focuses on your efforts to conceive and the emotional path towards parenthood. No matter how you become a parent, the process often stirs up a wide range of feelings. People going through the family building process – whether naturally or medically assisted; alone or with a partner – often talk about the anxiety, uncertainty, isolation and disappointment. Trying to manage the range of difficult emotions and feelings, that are unique to the fertility process, can be overwhelming.
When you seek out help for mental health issues related to fertility, it is very important that the clinician has the necessary training, experience and education in the medical, psychological, and interpersonal aspects of reproductive health, infertility, pregnancy, and reproductive loss.
Our practice has a special interest in issues related to women’s health, infertility and third party reproduction. We provide pre-treatment counseling and psychotherapy for individuals and couples who are using assisted reproductive technologies such as IUI, IVF and alternative family building options such as egg, sperm or embryo donation, and gestational carriers.
Here is a link to the the Qualification Guidelines for Infertility Counselors established by the Mental Health Practice Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Many fertility clinics recommend that individuals/couples have counseling before they move forward with fertility treatment. These sessions provide individuals an opportunity to discuss the psychosocial aspects of reproductive medicine and third party reproduction.
Therapists in our practice can provide counseling for recipients of anonymous donor sperm, egg, and/or embryos. Further, we provide screening of known gamete donors, gestational carriers, and intended parents In keeping with the standards of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
To learn more about the counseling sessions we offer, send a request to speak with one of our clinicians.
It is considered very difficult to make decisions about how to proceed with treatment using donor egg, donor sperm, or donor embryo. The guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommend counseling by a mental health professional (MHP) who has received specialized education in reproductive counseling and third-party reproduction. Studies have shown that when creating a family through third-party reproduction, counseling plays a very important role in preparing and helping individuals adapt.
Recipients are provided with an opportunity to carefully and thoughtfully identify and process their feelings and thoughts in order to more comfortably and confidently build their family. A wide variety of topics are included in the counseling session: Feelings about the loss of a genetic connection to the child; decisions regarding disclosure to the child; what information if any to share with family and friends; donor selection and difficult pregnancy decisions. Counseling sessions may include topics specific to single parents, same-sex couples, and couples or individuals who are expanding their family through donor gametes.
Counseling sessions for known gamete donor (egg, sperm or embryo) or when a gestational carrier (GC) is a family member, friend, or acquaintance, is similar to the evaluation for Gestation Carriers. There are three parts: a meeting with the intended parents, a psychological evaluation of the donor/GC and partner, which includes a clinical interview and personality inventory; and finally a group session with all parties. Resources are available on the practice’s website to learn more about the process.
Our staff of licensed mental health professionals have an expertise in conducting egg donor psychological evaluations and provides this service for egg donor agencies, egg banks, reproductive attorneys, and fertility practices. The psychological evaluation includes the administration of psychological testing (the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 3rd Edition) and/or the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)) and an in-person, structured interview with the egg donor and their spouse or partner. We collect the donor’s psychosocial history, and assess her psychological functioning and ability to provide informed consent. A report is submitted to the egg donor agency, egg bank, reproductive attorney, and/or fertility practice.
