Q. Why use counselling?
Our team of fertility specialists, nurses and scientists all provide counsel to patients. However, professional counselling offers individuals and couples a forum for discussion. This may help you in making decisions about treatments and help explore all options available. It also provides the opportunity to look at your responses and reactions to the treatment process. This includes learning how to cope and develop emotionally from your experience – both as an individual and as a couple.
For some patients, counselling is mandatory. This is the case, for example, for those donating or receiving donated gametes (egg or sperm) or embryos during fertility treatment.
For most patients, however, counselling is a service, which we highly recommend you use. It can greatly help you to understand the range of emotions you and your partner may typically experience.
Q. How can counselling help?
It is important not to wait until you are overwhelmed before seeking counselling support. Some other areas of discussion explored throughout counselling:
- Emotional experience of infertility
- Pregnancy loss after infertility
- Couple relationship and IVF
- Third party reproduction
- Coping with treatment
- Alternative paths and choices to parenthood
- Pregnancy and parenting after infertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment
- Self help for managing emotions
Specifically, counselling can help you and your partner by:
- providing independent, confidential support and someone to talk to about how you or your partner may be feeling;
- preparing you for your fertility treatments and discuss your options when making decisions about changing or stopping treatments;
- working on your relationship with your partner to support your treatment;
- supporting you through the emotions involved in trying to achieve a pregnancy;
- coping with other people's pregnancies and births by providing protective (self preservation) strategies for couples when faced with emotional settings;
- discussing reactions of families, friends and work colleagues;
- exploring some strategies to help you feel more in control;
- coping with unsuccessful treatment cycles and/or miscarriage;
- discussing the anxieties of pregnancy and preparation for parenthood;
- dealing with the specific issues related to donor treatment cycles.
Counselling Service Overview
Counsellors are available for:
Counselling is included without additional cost as part of IVF and ICSI treatment for patients on cycle (with one post treatment consultation).
Click here to read more about the counselling team. Or to enquire about an appointment with the counsellor in your local clinic, call 1800 111 IVF (483).