Infertility can bring up complex and difficult emotions. You may experience grief, sadness, stress, anxiety, isolation, anger, envy, guilt, or shame. You may be suffering privately, not wanting to share all or part of your experience with your family and friends. At the same time, you may be fending off unwelcome advice, dealing with intrusive questions about when you are planning to have kids (or more kids), or questioning whether you are really doing all that you can or whether you are doing the “right” things. You may be grieving a miscarriage or miscarriages. You may also be struggling to make sense of the options you are facing.
Additionally, traumatic experiences from the past can come up during this time. This may be especially true for people with a history of sexual trauma or incest.
If you are struggling silently or feel misunderstood by those around you, counseling can be a source of support. I provide a safe, confidential space where you can talk about your experience. I will not try to talk you out of your feelings. Instead, I will sit with you and listen, without judgement. Depending on your goals for counseling, we may work on building coping strategies, processing and better understanding complex emotions, lessening anxiety, alleviating depression, or just witnessing the depth of your experience.