Infertility Counseling:
Why I chose helping individuals and couples going through infertility? Throughout my life, I was surrounded by people who struggled with infertility and I witnessed how this experience can have a big negative impact on their mental health. It can cause lots of painful emotions and feelings; such as stress, anxiety, shame, blame, grief, loss, and trauma. Looking back, I wish that I had the tools that I could have provided individuals and couples in order to help them overcome these tough times. Today, I can empower individuals and couples learn skills and provide them with tools that can be applied outside therapy to help with their journey.
Shame. Hurt. Guilt. :
Individuals and couples might not share their story with their families and friends for feeling vulnerable. Not being able to start a family can cause feelings of guilt, hurt, and low self-esteem. Those negative feelings may lead to having depression, anxiety, etc.
Grief and loss:
Through the infertility process, you might also experience some grief and loss every time things don’t go the way you want, which can be devastating. Investing such effort, emotions, and money into this process can be stressful. Dealing with infertility can lead to anger, frustration, sadness, shame, and hopeless. It is really a difficult stage that you need lots of support and I can provide such support.
Financial burden:
Financial part is one of the biggest stressor in the whole process. How much is it going to cost? Are we going to be able to afford it? Is it going to be a onetime expense? What if we need to do the whole process all over again? All those questions put lots of pressure and stress on you, your partner and the relationship.
Trauma:
Infertility can be traumatic. Couples whom are experiencing infertility will also experience anxiety due to certain circumstances or triggers; such as seeing other pregnant woman, kids, etc. Also, couples may experience intense emotions around certain times of the years like around holidays and other family gatherings. Experiencing sadness and grief are very common, especially if the experience involves any kind of loss. Just know that you are not alone and I am here for you.
Isolation:
Going through infertility is very stressful and can make you feel lonely, isolated, and lost. You and your partner might feel detached and isolated from family members and friends. You and your partner will shut down and stop socializing with your friends and family due to the difficulty of sharing your struggles to conceive. It can also look like that everybody around you is having a baby. You may feel that your family and friends no longer understand what you are going through; therefore they are not able to provide you emotional support and you start feeling depressed, anxious, and alone.
Relationship:
You might wonder what happened with your relationship. You used to feel close to your partner but not anymore. Infertility can affect the dynamic of the relationship negatively. Partners can turn away from each other. They might start feeling that their partner no longer understands their struggle. The couple might start arguing more often over silly things. In addition infertility might also affect the intimate relationship between the partners. That’s how the couple will grow apart over time. All these struggles that couples face during this stage normal are and expected.
Together, we will create a plan to deal with your concerns and work to gain understanding, and develop a healthier way to cope and be able to move forward.
How can I help?
Through therapy I can provide you with tools and coping mechanism that can assist you as an individual and with your relationship:
Coping with sadness
Grief and loss
Stress, depression, and anxiety
Trauma,
Shame and blame