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Why Counseling and Mind-Body Medicine for Infertility? Dealing with infertility can bring about distress and
even crisis. For many couples, this will be one of the most difficult
challenges they will ever face together. How each individual copes with
the emotional ups and downs of infertility depends upon personality,
relationships, and life-experience. Research shows that
individuals and couples who participate in counseling and stress
reduction programs feel better about their relationships and have fewer
symptoms of emotional and physical stress. Since psychological
support significantly raises birth rates, they also increase their
chances of becoming parents. Well & Beyond’s Infertility Program can:
Program Components include:
Couples-Centered Consultation & Needs Assessment We consider it important to have both partners involved in the Consultation and Needs Assessment phase of our program, since both partners are affected by the distress of infertility. During this initial consultation, we carefully consider the couple’s unique circumstances to determine the type of services, resources and information that will best benefit the partners individually or as a couple. This assessment includes both partners’ goals and strategies for resolving the infertility crisis, their reproductive family histories, relationship concerns, psychological challenges, symptoms of stress and coping skills. A male/female co-therapist team usually conducts these sessions. The consultation concludes with recommendations for further services, if appropriate. We help the couple formulate a plan to resolve and move beyond the crisis. This plan weaves together the couple’s medical treatment options with the goals, length and forms of infertility counseling (individual, couple or group) and other strategies. The partner’s medical specialist will be consulted if necessary. A follow-up visit will be arranged after three to six months to evaluate the progress made and discuss any necessary changes. Well & Beyond has found this format to be an
effective way to help the couple start resolving and moving beyond the
crisis. Couples report that they gain hope, ‘see light at the end of a
black tunnel’ and find new perspectives on their situation as a result
of the consultation. Couples Infertility Counseling Couples Infertility Counseling can reduce relational stress and increase mutual support, communication, satisfaction and understanding within the partnership. We will examine what impact the infertility diagnosis had on the couple. The therapy work focuses on helping partners develop empathy for each other and gain understanding of how each partner has been affected by the diagnosis. Gender differences in coping with infertility and family of origin beliefs on reproduction and being a parent will be incorporated. The couple will receive the support they need as they sort through their options and make important reproductive decisions. In those cases where infertility has interfered with the couple’s sexual relationship, the partners will receive help to resolve these difficulties. The couple will learn how to refocus their attention
from the all-consuming infertility issue to those aspects of their
relationship that can bring them mutual joy and contentment Individual Infertility Counseling This form of therapy is recommended when one partner
needs specialized help to resolve emotional and psychological issues
connected with infertility. This might be the case in symptoms of
moderate to severe depression. It can also be helpful when the distress
of infertility is compounded by other difficulties, such as a history of
past trauma or abuse or an eating disorder. Individual infertility
counseling offers the opportunity to explore in greater depth concerns
related to reproductive health. It’s also a chance to develop an
individualized infertility stress reduction program, if needed. Well & Beyond’s infertility groups are modeled on the program developed by Dr. A. Domar at the Mind/Body Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston. Dr. Domar’s program has been extensively researched and has received much attention in the media as an effective way to reduce physical and emotional stress and to significantly increase viable pregnancy rates. We offer different types of groups. Some are
primarily designed for women, with their partners included in only some
of the sessions. In other groups both partners are welcome at all
sessions. :
Participants learn to elicit the relaxation response, a state of deep rest, beneficial for the reduction of emotional and physical symptoms of stress.
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