Infertility & Reproductive
Challenges
Counselling for infertility/fertility issues in South Surrey and BC
Supporting you as you navigate your unique fertility journey
COPE WITH UNCERTAINTY
CONNECT WITH YOURSELF
"One day, you will tell your story of how you've overcome what you are going through now and it will become part of someone's survival guide."
- Brene Brown -
Whether you have known for some time or have just received news, experiencing challenges to family-building, fertility and/or an infertility diagnosis (for all gender-identifications) can be an incredibly overwhelming experience. Efforts to conceive can become a rollercoaster of emotions such as excitement, anxiety, fear, restlessness, grief & loss, sadness, hopefulness and hopelessness, envy, anger and shame.
Uncertainty can be a very difficult roommate to live with.
DID YOU KNOW?
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It is estimated 1 in 6 Canadians experience infertility (Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS)
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While up to 40% of women experiencing infertility meet the criteria for related depression and/or anxiety, some research suggests less than 7% receive care for such (American Psychiatric Association, April 17, 2019)
You Deserve the Support You Need,
From Someone Who Understands Your Unique Needs.
Types of infertility:
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Primary Infertility - have not been pregnant before and unable to conceive after one year of regular unprotected sex (6 months if over 35yrs)
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Secondary Infertility - unable to conceive or carry baby to term after prior birth.
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Unexplained Infertility - no reason/cause for a woman or couple to get pregnant has been identified, after thorough fertility testing.
A number of causes have been associated with infertility for both men/people assigned male at birth and women/people assigned women at birth.
NAVIGATING YOUR
FERTILITY JOURNEY
Sorting through the internal and external pieces that make up your fertility journey can feel complex. You might find yourself experiencing shifts in your relationships with others, your well-being and your body. If you’re in a relationship, your partner is simultaneously facing their own related, yet unique challenges also deserving of support. You may feel the added stress of the financial aspects to accessing support to conceive.
We can start wherever you are at in this journey. Whether you are: navigating the unexplained, learning of a diagnosis, undergoing fertility treatments (assisted-reproduction in any manner), engaging in assisted family-building methods, coping with feelings of grief and loss, or trying to sort your next steps – it helps to know someone is in your corner.
How Therapy Can Help
Here are just a few of the ways therapy might help you navigate (in)fertility journeys:
01
A safe place to express emotions
Often people who are on a fertility journey can feel as though they are holding their breath, "in limbo," or experiencing life "on hold" for a period of time. Mixed in with this, a number of emotions may be kept under wraps while they continue on with life "on the outside." The therapy room is a place where clients can feel immense relief having a place to release all that they have been feeling, with the gained understanding that many of those feelings are normal and shared by others in similar situations.
03
Unpack layers of loss
The experience of grief can be confusing when we are not sure how to identify our loss. Therapy can help to make sense of losses you may be experiencing and the potential impact for "disenfranchised" grief (loss that goes unacknowledged, may be socially misunderstood). Making the not-so-obvious losses known (i.e. loss of an experience, envisioned future circumstance) gives a stability to our sense of self and our feelings.
05
Connect with loved ones
With added stress, all relationships (romantic, familial or otherwise) become vulnerable to strain. Exploring proactive communication, learning how to receive and give support with a partner and identifying/clarifying needs can become very important practices. Therapy can assist you individually, and in tandem with your partner (where applicable) to lean into - rather than turn from - from loved ones.
02
Decrease feelings of isolation
At times, life can seem to present us with many reminders of what we want, but may feel currently out of reach. Triggering words, questions and images around family/babies make social situations challenging for people in the middle of an (in)fertility experience, which can add a deep sense of feeling alone. Therapy can help you not only navigate such situations, but have the opportunity to connect in a meaningful way and reduce isolation.
04
Develop healthy coping
Most people experiencing fertility challenges want to find healthy ways to cope. With so much already feeling out of control, it makes sense to want to have a "go-to" toolbox within your control - to deal with the discomforts of medical situations, large shifts in emotion, and the infamous two-week wait. A large part of therapy is finding both internal and external resources to access as needed.
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Ongoing and future decisions
Often difficult decisions accompany fertility processes. Decisions that fit you yesterday, may not fit you today or tomorrow as you walk through your process. The therapy room is a great place to consider your options and possibilities as they continue to present.
