Fertility Counseling
Have Fertility Concerns Taken
A Toll On Your Mental Health?
Infertility Struggles Can Impact Every Aspect Of Your Life
Maybe you have been trying to conceive for a long time or have gone through a pregnancy loss and experienced all the grief that comes with that. It’s an emotional rollercoaster—all of the hope and expectations you have from month to month, only to be continually met with disappointment, loss, and feelings of isolation and frustration. These experiences can impact your overall well-being and mental health.
You may resist talking about reproductive issues with your partner because you’re worried about how all this stress impacts your relationship. Both female and male infertility factors often carry feelings of shame and embarrassment. Maybe intimacy has lost its fun and feels more like a chore, and now you worry about losing the physical and emotional bond with your partner.
Additionally, you might avoid people who remind you of your struggles or events that trigger your emotions, like baby showers or those related to children or families—leading to isolation and loneliness. No matter what symptoms you experience, Bluestone Counseling Group can provide a therapist to address the unique challenges of the fertility treatment process, helping you find balance and resilience again.
Are you dealing with the emotional and physical toll that fertility treatment has taken on your body?
Do you feel overwhelmed by a sense of loss, loneliness, and hopelessness from disappointing outcomes since you started trying to get pregnant?
Are you worried about the long-term impact infertility will have on your life and your relationships?
Maybe you realize that your worries about fertility have prevented you from living your normal life day to day, and you are simply tired of it all. Although you know you need support and guidance, you probably worry about being judged once you ask for help. You might wonder if fertility counseling can help you come to terms with what you’ve been through and accept where you are in your reproductive journey.
Have any questions? Send us a message!
Society Can Worsen Fertility Expectations
The expectation of having children can create feelings of inadequacy if you have challenges with conceiving, perhaps leading one to think "What is wrong with me?" People going through reproductive challenges might also struggle to deal with triggering statements people make, like "Just relax and you'll get pregnant," which dismisses the emotional, physical, and medical aspects of infertility.
Workplace environments may lack policies for fertility treatments or leave, increasing the financial burden and work-related stress. Furthermore, religious or cultural norms may stigmatize those without children, while media depictions of families reinforce societal ideals, creating additional pressure.
These factors amplify feelings of shame, guilt, or exclusion for those navigating infertility, and having a therapist to talk to about their experiences could help. Women might think they must push through symptoms of infertility to appear strong, or not acknowledge that this process has taken a toll on their mental health.
Infertility Among Couples Is Common
Infertility is quite common, and globally, one in six people of reproductive age has trouble conceiving. (1) A third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, another third is attributed to the male partner, and the final third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or is unexplained. (2) Even without complications, a couple between the ages of 29-33 has only up to a 25 percent chance of getting pregnant in a given month. (3)
Everyone experiences infertility somewhat differently, and you might not be sure who you can turn to for understanding and support. We understand and applaud the courage it takes to share your experience and want you to know you are not alone. We provide psychotherapy to help you cope with infertility and leave you hopeful and resilient.
Fertility Counseling Helps You Focus On What You Can Control
At our practice, we provide a compassionate, non-judgmental environment where you can feel comfortable expressing yourself authentically. We provide infertility counseling for individuals and couples to help you navigate your reproductive health journey so you can feel empowered to take control of your body and overall wellness.
In therapy, you will learn how to manage all the stress and doubts of the fertility treatment process and develop a sense of control in your life again. As fertility therapists, we tailor our sessions to meet your unique needs, building on your strengths. We’ll help you identify the critical voice in your mind that might prevent you from being your true self.
Therapeutic Methods Tailored To Your Experiences And Needs
In therapy, we’ll explore how infertility may affect your sense of identity and role expectations for life. Together, we’ll develop goals for adapting to these changes, whether through continued treatment, counseling for alternative family-building paths, or redefining your personal goals.
Mindfulness practices can help you develop healthy communication with your partner as well as compassion for yourself. This method involves improving awareness of your thoughts, identifying messages from your body in the moment, and learning ways to soothe your nervous system. Mindfulness is known to provide relief from anxiety and stress, as well as anger and underlying sadness.
You’ll have a chance to engage in interpersonal therapy with motivational interviewing that can provide relief. This method involves role-playing difficult conversations with your therapist, such as discussing infertility with family or social circles.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) offers strategies like distress tolerance and emotion regulation to manage overwhelming feelings like grief, anger, or frustration due to fertility issues.
We incorporate trauma-informed practices as well. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help address traumatic experiences such as loss from miscarriage or circumstances like invasive reproductive treatments. By reprocessing distressing memories, you can reduce their emotional intensity.
Therapy can help you reframe your negative thoughts, regulate emotions, and explore meaningful paths forward. With the support of therapists specializing in infertility, you can build resilience and emotional well-being to help you through this stressful time. At Bluestone Counseling Group, we can help you with the challenges and mental health struggles that fertility treatment can bring; we are with you on this challenging journey.
You May Still Have Questions Or Concerns About Fertility Counseling…
I am skeptical about the effectiveness of therapy in general.
Therapy can provide significant relief as it offers a safe space to process your emotions, validate your experiences, and reduce feelings of shame or isolation. Evidence-based approaches like mindfulness, and trauma-informed care are effective in managing anxiety, grief, and relationship stress. Many clients find that their therapist helps them regain a sense of control and develop resilience despite their reproductive struggles.
Will the therapist understand what I’m going through?
At Bluestone Counseling Group, we are all moms and clinicians with significant training and experience managing the unique challenges of infertility and pregnancy loss, including their emotional, relational, and social impacts. We understand the complexities of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) like IUI and IVF, as well as decision-making/decision fatigue. If you feel unsure, you can discuss any questions regarding our experience in this area during an initial consultation.
How can counseling help me cope with infertility, and what can I expect from the process?
Fertility counseling can provide crucial emotional support and coping strategies for individuals or couples dealing with infertility. Infertility can be an emotionally overwhelming experience, often accompanied by feelings of loss, anxiety, grief, frustration, and even isolation. Counseling helps by addressing the emotional and psychological aspects of infertility, allowing you to process these feelings in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.
1. https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2023-1-in-6-people-globally-affected-by-infertility
2. https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/diagnosis-and-treatment-of-infertility-in-men-auaasrm-guideline-part-i-2020/#:~:text=Couple%20infertility%20may%20be%20due,and%20male%20reproductive%20history%20evaluation.
3. https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/fact-sheets-and-infographics/age-and-fertility-booklet/#:~:text=Each%20month%20that%20she%20tries,will%20have%20to%20try%20again.
We Will Help You Find Hope And Optimism Again
To learn more about our fertility counseling practice, reach out to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation with one of our therapists. Call 202-505-1454 or connect through our Contact page to get started.
