THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF INFERTILITY

And

FAMILY PLANNING CHOICES

 COUNSELING for INDIVIDUALS or COUPLES  

Gail Zarbin L.C.S.W.  708-445-8367

The diagnosis of infertility, the treatments, and the decisions on family planning choices raise stress levels and challenge the ability for an individual and couples to manage their feelings of uncertainly, disappointment, grief and loss, feeling out of control, and to communicate effectively. The infertility journey seems to affect all parts of a person’s life and to trigger powerful feelings, fears and decisions.

The infertility journey has NOT been your choice and often feels out of your control. Your ATTITUDE and how you COPE with the journey IS in YOUR CONTROL.

My counseling services are designed to offer emotional guidance and support to:

Help you better cope with the stress, figure out a treatment plan that will work for you, and the emotional ups and downs of the infertility journey.

Help you cope with anxiety related to a failed cycle or pregnancy loss.

Learn tools to improve taking care of you before, during, and between cycles.

Respond to your concerns about having multiples, parenthood, siblings, and blended families,families and friends.

Cope better from feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, scared, or hopeless and Heal from feelings of grief, anger, guilt and depression.

Challenge your negative and irrational thoughts: I’ll never have a child. Why me?  What did I do wrong to deserve this?  Am I am less of a woman if I cannot have a baby?

Facilitate and support you at the crossroads about treatment decisions: donor gametes (anonymous or known donor), surrogacy, adoption, embryo donation

Help you to stay connected and communicate so you feel heard and understood prior to make decisions. ALL relationships will be stressed by the unexpected challenges, feelings, and choices. Differences in reaction according to gender are very common and can cause tension.

Men and women do not go through infertility and treatment in the same way. Women and men usually have different emotional reactions and emotional timetables. These differences can increase conflicts and decrease communication when you and your partner are not in the same emotional place at the same time. It is crucial to learn how to communicate so that each of you feels heard and understood prior to making decisions.