See my [IVF Implications Counselling] page to learn more about the service I offer to those going through donor conception or surrogacy. Together we can gently explore the emotional, relational and ethical implications of your journey to parenthood. I have undertaken specialist BICA training to offer this service.
This is known as the IVF Attrition Funnel, and it is one of the most psychologically punishing phases of the entire journey.
Counselling isn’t about fixing the outcome of your treatment; it’s about ensuring that your identity and relationships survive the journey intact. Reach out to me today and we can start this important work together.
Transactional Analysis (TA) is the modality I am trained in and it is particularly useful for individuals on a fertility journey. A common model used in TA is Parent, Adult and Child ego states dividing the self into three parts with different thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Using Transactional Analysis, we can look at the ‘Critical Parent’ voice that often blames the body for ‘failing’ and work toward an ‘Adult’ state of compassion and agency.
TA also uses the theory of “script”, that we all have a narrative that is our foundation built in early childhood. When going through traumatic events our script can be activated even more than usual, causing us to feel old emotions such as early abandonment wounds-feelings of being left behind. This script activation can make a fertility journey even more challenging as it plays into old patterns and behaviours that are no longer serving us and are not helpful in the here and now adding to an already painful experience.
You can enter therapy at any stage during your reproductive journey. Many clients find it helpful to start before down regulation or an embryo transfer to build emotional scaffolding and nervous system regulation tools ahead of time.
However, I often support clients who reach out mid-cycle when the emotional exhaustion, side effects or waiting periods become overwhelming.
General therapy often focuses on surface level stress management. As a BICA member with an interest in this area attending regular training on the subject of fertility, I understand the complex medical vocabulary, protocols, and biochemical impacts of fertility treatments. We don’t waste your session time explaining the meaning behind HEFA regulation, AMH levels, or a two week wait. We step straight into processing the profound psychological and relational toll it takes on your life.
Absolutely. Fertility challenges rarely impact both partners in the exact same way or at the same time, which can create a silent, isolating wedge in a relationship. Using Transactional Analysis we can explore how communication blocks or coping mechanisms have shifted, helping you both reconnect and navigate this intense medical trauma as a team.
Yes, please see my IVF Implications Counselling page to find out more. I can offer these sessions at short notice, writing the report as part of the session. A 50 minute session costs £110 and I endeavour to get the report to you within 48 hours. These sessions can be offered to those in the UK or those travelling abroad from the UK for their donor conception treatment.
Based in Edinburgh? I also offer face-to-face sessions at my West End practice. Explore my [In-Person Edinburgh Fertility Counselling] page to book a physical session at 22 Drumsheugh Gardens.