Infertility is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse.
Those of us who have experienced infertility know that the definition is more far-reaching and life-consuming than this. Whether you are struggling to have your first child or your second. Whether you have been trying for months or years. Whether you have failed 1 cycle of IVF or 7 cycles. The path of family-building is one of trauma, loss, hope and heartbreak.
The difficulty or inability to have a child touches something deep within us. Most people assume that they will get pregnant and have children naturally. Yet, we know that 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Women and couples on this path often find themselves feeling depressed, anxious, lost, overwhelmed and disconnected.
By the time my patients walk through my office door, I know that many of them are already carrying a heavy load of pain, uncertainty and heartache as they struggle to build their families.
Individual and marriage therapy offers a refuge in which women, men and couples move through the unique challenges associated with infertility. In the therapy room, I will help you…
- Cope with grief, loss and trauma that often go unseen and unspoken
- Work through feelings such as shame, guilt, anger, a personal sense of being “damaged” or “defective”
- Find more balance amidst the demands of marriage, family, community, medical appointments, career and YOU!
- Choose “next steps” on the family-building trajectory
- Re-connect with your partner so that you feel “in it together”
- Hold onto your identity through self-care, joy, and connection
In therapy, you will heal from the trauma of infertility and move forward with meaningful and hopeful living. This means re-connecting with YOU–your passions, your body and the things that bring your joy. This also means finding that sense of “team” and “spark” in your marriage or partnership again. Wherever you are in this process, I look forward to supporting you every step of the way.