Thursday 28 February 2008

Finding a counsellor

Many people who experience infertility and treatment start out by thinking they won't need any counselling. Some don't ever change their minds about that, preferring to talk to friends and family, but a counsellor can offer an impartial ear and may also be able to help you work through some strategies to deal with the hard times.

I'm researching a new book about IVF at the moment, and one of things medical staff believe can really help patients is getting the right kind of counselling early on, rather than letting things build up until you get to a stage where you feel you just can't cope any more.

It is definitely worth seeking out a counsellor who understands infertility. When I had IVF, I did go to one counselling session, but it wasn't at all helpful and put me off completely. I think it was mainly because I hadn't gone to see a specialist counsellor who would understand the issues involved.

Infertility counsellors have been trained in this, and many of them have worked in the field in another capacity before going into counselling. Qualified infertility counsellors will be affiliated to the British Infertility Counselling Association, and you can get more information from their website at www.bica.net .

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