As part of my professional development I attended the BICA (British Infertility Conference Association) conference yesterday. It was particularly interesting to hear from the fertility alliance and to find out more about the resources HEFA offer.
I was moved by the many lived experiences of those who have been through fertility journeys from those who have struggled with PCOS (very recently renamed PMOS-which is much more descriptive and fitting for those who struggle with this chronic condition), to donors, to those who experience grief long after stopping IVF. The real impact this has for some is life long.
It was wonderful to hear from the Dovecoat: childless support organisation who talked about the 5 dimensions of life beyond fertility treatment when it has not worked out as initially planned.
The themes of:
This framework for the process many have to go through in the life after IVF is powerful-the subtleties and nuances of the emotions experienced. How to move forward to a life that is not as expected, an identity that was not chosen.
To me this particular talk at the conference was a reminder of how important counselling and psychotherapy can be for those on fertility journeys. Fertility counselling can offer such an important role for those who need to sit in their complex emotions and be witnessed, to not have these deep emotions minimised-for them to be fully observed and heard for what they are.