Counselling

Genea’s Mind Your Own Body program, offered by our counsellors, helps women learn strategies to better manage the anxiety, depression and stress that can result from infertility and its treatment. The program is only open to Genea patients who have not yet had a child and have been through at least one IVF cycle and are planning further treatment. During the program you will:

• learn relaxation techniques and ways of challenging the negative thinking that can accompany infertility;
• have a chance to talk about your infertility in a supportive environment; and
• develop relationships with other women who know how you feel.

The content of the course is based on the work of Alice Domar, director of the The Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in Boston.

There is no charge for this program. The group is now available online in a 3 week program.

Register your interest

Many patients tell us that when they first began treatment at Genea they didn’t believe they needed or wanted to speak with our counsellors. Some of them say they thought they’d be perceived negatively if they sought help, or that had to be very depressed before talking to a counsellor.

In fact, the reality is that you don’t need to be in an emotional crisis before you seek help and sometimes just being able to talk about your anxieties and feelings can help to normalise them. Many couples choose not to tell family and friends about their treatment which means you can feel quite isolated and alone.

You may discover that you were unprepared for the emotional upheaval infertility brings, and that dealing with disappointment and uncertainty leaves you feeling moody and fragile. While infertility is a medical condition, it can affect every part of your life, challenging the way you feel about yourself, your relationships with others and your self-esteem. You may feel anxious, irritable, angry, sad, isolated and guilty. You can feel a sense of loss of control over your life and your future. Your motivation and sense of purpose in life can be severely challenged, work can seem irrelevant, and slowly you may find yourself feeling consumed by the infertility treatment.
Our counsellors can help you sort through these feelings and identify coping strategies  - either in individual or couples counselling sessions. They are also able to talk you through the specifics of your infertility treatment choices and the relevant social and emotional considerations.

We know that men and women cope very differently with their infertility.

For many couples, making the decision to start fertility treatment is not an easy one. It is not unusual for women to feel let down and angry with their bodies and/or for the partner who has been diagnosed with the infertility problem to feel ashamed and guilty.

Men seek understanding of their partner’s distress and ways of helping them. One of the more difficult challenges for men in dealing with infertility is the feeling of helplessness, the inability to fix the problem or make their partner feel better. Some women feel that whatever their partner does, it is not enough because he is not going through the physical side of treatment. Sometimes, talking about your expectations of each other can lead to more understanding and tolerance of your partner’s position.

Talking to someone who is skilled in these areas and knowledgeable about infertility treatment is a positive coping strategy.

Your Genea Counsellor will ask you about your background, your history of infertility, the effects of infertility on you and how you have managed the stresses of infertility to date. The kinds of issues, which often come up for couples include:

• dealing with the emotional rollercoaster ride;
• coping with other peoples’ pregnancies and children;
• how/if to tell family/friends/colleagues;
• managing stress;
• relationship difficulties with partner, family and/or friends; and
• moving towards consideration of other options e.g. egg donation, adoption.

Infertility is often difficult to manage, and is exacerbated when it is prolonged, when there isn’t family or social support at hand, when there are other major stresses in your life, or when you have had other losses. The counsellor’s role is to provide a framework for you to explore your thoughts and feelings, to enhance your coping strategies, and to anticipate and assist in managing IVF treatment stresses.