When you embark on assisted reproductive treatment (ART) you may experience many different emotions; from joy and excitement to grief and disappointment. This can be an emotionally and physically challenging time, so at Hunter IVF we offer confidential fertility counselling and support.
Our experienced counsellor and support staff are available before, during and after your fertility treatment, whenever you feel you need further support. Our services include:
- Pre-treatment counselling
- Supportive counselling
- Donor and surrogacy counselling
- Support groups
Our counsellors are here to help
As a patient, you can access our supportive counselling at any time during your treatment. We are experienced in helping individuals and couples deal with difficult circumstances and emotions, and encourage you to take positive steps through counselling so you can feel more in control of your treatment, emotions, physical health and relationships.
Hunter IVF's supportive ART counselling can help you:
- prepare for fertility treatments, and explore the options and implications when making decisions about starting, changing or stopping treatments
- deal with the emotional impact of treatment
- work on relationship issues that may arise as a result of treatment or may be affecting your treatment
- cope with unsuccessful treatment cycles or pregnancy losses
- develop coping strategies for dealing with other people's pregnancies, births and children
- deal with the reactions of families, friends and work colleagues
- explore ways to help you feel more in control
- manage the anxieties of pregnancy and preparation for parenthood
- deal with the specific issues related to donor treatment cycles and surrogacy.
Donor counselling
If you are considering using donor gametes – be it eggs, sperm or embryos, you may at first feel overwhelmed by the number of issues they need to consider when thinking about creating their family through genetic material provided by a donor. Counselling helps you consider your emotional responses to this decision, the implications of having a donor conceived child, your attitudes towards disclosure to the child, family, friends, and extended networks, and the legislation regarding donor conception.
Our specialist counselling team can help you with decision making, and is available for the mandatory counselling sessions you will need to undertake.
We can provide information and support with regards to considerations such as:
- Implications of having a donor-conceived child
- Disclosure to the child, family, friends and extended networks
- Legislation regarding donor conception
- Considering the possible needs of the donor-conceived child
- Managing relationships/future contact with donors
Genetic counselling
Some people need ART or donor treatment because they, or members of their family, have a specific genetic condition. Our counsellors can discuss the options available in these circumstances, and the implications of each form of treatment.
