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Infertility Support Groups and Counseling

Where to Find Help with Infertility

There are only a few more emotionally difficult moments in someone’s life than when you realize you are struggling with infertility. Having a biological child may have been a life’s dream of yours or your partner’s.

Although there are alternative family-building methods you can pursue, there can still come waves of emotions with your struggles, such as:

  • Anger

  • Confusion

  • Uncertainty

  • Grief

  • Among others

Many hopeful parents struggle with this same issue. You are not alone. You are never alone.

Let this guide be a beacon of support as you begin your search for help with infertility. You can get more free information about infertility support groups and infertility counseling now when you call 1-800-ADOPTION and speak with a trusted adoption specialist today.

Where Can You Get Infertility Assistance?

Whether you’re looking for infertility support groups, a professional counselor or just an article offering some helpful words of infertility advice, there are many resources available to you.

Infertility assistance can come in the form of:

Below, you will discover two of the main sources of help for infertility: infertility counseling and infertility support groups.

What is Infertility Counseling?

An infertility counselor will help you to work through the many emotions that accompany an infertility diagnosis.

Whether you are just now realizing you are facing infertility or you are ready to explore other family-building options, your infertility counselor, usually a trained assisted reproductive technology professional, will help you to both accept your situation and to move forward with your lives and family plans in a healthy way.

Before proceeding too far along into the family-building process, it can be a good idea to seek out counseling for infertility. Depending on where you and your family are at in your journey, an infertility counselor may recommend any of the following forms of infertility counseling:

  • Support counseling: If you and your partner have recently learned of your infertility status, it’s likely that you’re still dealing with all of the emotions that accompany it. An infertility counselor will help you to confront these emotions and grieve your infertility before you move on to any other family-building processes. Depending on the options you are considering, you’ll need to confront and accept your inability to experience pregnancy, to have a child that is genetically related to you, and more. It’s crucial that you come to a place of acceptance before you pursue parenthood by other means. Support counseling can also continue with the intended parents as they complete the next steps of whatever family-building process they might choose.

  • Psychotherapy: If you or your partner are experiencing major depressive symptoms or any other form of psychological illness, it’s possible that this may be directly impacting your infertility. Psychotherapy is a form of counseling that may be directed more toward long-term problems than infertility. But, it should absolutely be considered if anyone in your family is struggling with their mental health.

  • Patient-centered care: In this type of infertility counseling, your family will be able to learn about the family-building options available to you based on your individual circumstances. Your infertility counselor will help you to research all of your options, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each, and ultimately help you to make the decision that’s best for you.

Important note: You should fully grieve and accept your infertility status. Only then can you adequately prepare for the next phases of any family-building option you want to pursue.

Where can I Find an Infertility Counselor?

If you’re working with a fertility clinic or any sort of infertility professional, they may either have in-house infertility therapists on staff or have recommendations for someone local in your community.

But, if these options are not available, we encourage you to reach out to our sister agency American Surrogacy, which works closely with infertility counselors all across the country — from Florida to Pennsylvania and everywhere in between.

After you’ve had time to grieve and accept infertility and you think you may want to adopt a child, you can speak with one of our counselors today.

What are Infertility Support Groups?

While infertility support groups should not take the place of a professional infertility counselor, the infertility community is larger than you may expect.

You may find comfort when you connect with others who know what you’re going through. By seeking out an infertility support group — whether you find one in your area or when perusing the many infertility support groups online — you’ll be introduced to a group of people who have been in your shoes.

When exploring support groups for infertility, you can expect to find that:

  • Infertility groups provide support for those who need it, from people who have been in the same situation.

  • A support group for infertility can make you feel like you aren’t alone.

  • An infertility support forum doesn’t necessarily have to focus only on your problems. It can also be a friendly adoption or surrogacy community.

To find support groups in your area, you can use the tool on Resolve.org or speak to your infertility counselor. There are even online communities, but keep a few things in mind before you join an online support group:

  • Not all information posted online is truthful or accurate. The information posted in online forums shouldn’t replace proper medical advice or professional counseling.

  • Some social media groups will be more positive and supportive than others. If a particular group begins to harm more than it helps, it’s okay to step away and find a new community to join.

  • Don’t compare yourself and your journey to others. It can be challenging when you see others having success with methods that haven’t worked for you, but every person’s infertility journey is different.

  • On the other hand, be sensitive when posting exciting announcements about any successful pregnancies, adoptions, embryo transfers, etc. Remember that others are still waiting or grieving.

***

Please don’t hesitate to seek out infertility counseling before continuing on your family-building journey.

If you need more information or referrals to infertility counselors, you can contact American Adoptions now when you call 1-800-ADOPTION today.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

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