General Counselling Support

Intended Parents

Family building can be a complex and emotional experience – whether you are dealing with infertility or perinatal loss, or coming directly to fertility treatments because you require help from a donor or surrogate due to sexual orientation/identity, relationship status or an underlying medical condition. General counselling is tailored to people’s specific needs and situation, and can be beneficial at the start of and/or throughout the family building process, even when infertility is not a factor.

This type of counselling is client-led, based on your concerns/questions and can be 60 or 90 minutes as well as individual or couple. Our recommendation for a first general counselling appointment is 90-minutes, since there is so much to cover in getting to know your history and discussing the counselling goals/plan before you get to the “work” of the session. In such a case, subsequent appointments would be 50-minutes in duration.

This type of counselling is optional, as opposed to a clinic requirement, and confidential (within the bounds of the law).

We offer ongoing support as well as one-time sessions to help with issues such as:

  • Emotions common with primary or secondary infertility or perinatal loss/termination for medical reasons (TFMR), including: grief, bereavement, trauma, guilt, shame, anger, jealousy, anxiety, etc
  • Impact of infertility/loss/TFMR on self-image, identity, relationships, career, etc
  • Managing wait times, processing bad news
  • Loss of genetic or gestational link
  • Maintaining support networks and establishing boundaries
  • Developing strategies to manage family/social events, workplace interactions and holidays
  • Stress-reduction, anxiety management and mindfulness techniques
  • Developing strategies to manage family/social events, workplace interactions and holidays
  • Stress-reduction, anxiety management and mindfulness techniques
  • Disclosure support regarding infertility, loss/TFMR, use of donor and/or surrogate
  • Pregnancy and post-partum support after infertility or loss/TFMR
Couple counselling can cover these topics, as well as include a focus on intimacy, sexuality, communication, blame/guilt, communication, support, expectations, and finances. Counselling is tailored to people’s specific needs/situation and can be beneficial at anytime as a singular session or ongoing support, even if infertility if not a factor.
* Please note: In situations of extreme relationship distress/breakdown, a referral may be made to a therapist with a specialized focus on couples counselling.

For those accessing assisted fertility options for reasons other than infertility, topics covered may include those mentioned above, as well as:

 

  • Issues and resources specific to 2SLGBTQ+ individuals/couples/families, such as: family of origin and family of choice complexities, short and long-term family planning, biological/genetic links (or loss of links) to children, reciprocal IVF, donor and/or surrogate selection, homophobia/transphobia, communities of support, etc.
  • Issues and resources specific to single parenting, such as: finding peace with a life unexpected, working through past regrets and guilt, short and long-term planning based on various life possibilities, donor selection, disclosure, communities of support, etc.
Counselling is tailored to people’s specific needs/situation and can be beneficial at the start of and/or throughout the fertility journey, as a singular session or ongoing support.

Donors and Surrogates

Deciding to become an Egg, Sperm or Embryo donor, or a Traditional Surrogate or Gestational Carrier is a big decision, with the potential for positive and negative short and long-term implications. In addition to the required assessments, which take place after a decision has been made to move forward, support is also available to Donors and Surrogates at any point in their journey.

At Informed Fertility, we are available to work with Donors and Surrogates to:
 

  • Facilitate a better understanding of what is involved in being a Donor or Surrogate prior to making any commitments, so as to make an informed choice about whether or not to move forward;
  • Explore uncertainties or concerns about helping a friend or family member have a baby
  • Develop a plan with Intended Parent(s), prior to beginning home inseminations or clinic treatments;
  • Navigate challenges and/or conflicts that develop during the journey either within a Donor/Surrogate’s personal life, or with the Intended Parent(s);
  • Work through any complicated emotions and/or situations that arise after the Donor/Surrogate journey is complete.
  • This type of counselling is client-led, based on your concerns/questions and can be 60 or 90 minutes as well as individual or couple. Our recommendation for a first general counselling appointment is 90-minutes, since there is so much to cover in getting to know your history and discussing the counselling goals/plan before you get to the “work” of the session. In such a case, subsequent appointments would be 50-minutes in duration.
Note: Fees for Donor and Surrogate counselling support may be covered under allowable expenses, depending on individual contracts between Donors/Surrogates and Intended Parent(s). Contact us to discuss your personal situation, or if a contract is already in place, review the section on expenses relating counselling and consult with your lawyer. Please note that fees can be paid directly to Informed Fertility and receipts submitted to one’s own employee benefits or for income tax deductions or alternatively, invoices can be sent to the Intended Parent(s) or when applicable, Egg Donation or Surrogacy agency.
BOOK NOW

Memberships and Associations