VIRTUAL THERAPY IN MASSACHUSETTS & CONNECTICUT
Reproductive Mental Health
Perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, infertility, miscarriage and infant loss, and third party reproduction assessments and consultations.
Infertility, miscarriage & infant loss
Like many couples, my husband and I went into our pregnancy journey hopeful yet cautious. We didn’t know how long it would take. But after almost a year of trying, the worry and sadness I experienced every month when the pregnancy test was negative grew into full blown panic and fear.
Am I ever going to get pregnant? Can I even GET pregnant? Will I be a mom? It was a whirlwind of emotions, stress, and heartbreak. From doctor’s appointments, tests (allllll the tests), procedures, to the dreaded eventual diagnosis of “unexplained infertility”.
The one thing I needed to calm my anxiety was an answer.
But no one could give me the answer I needed so desperately. Why isn’t it working? How long will it take to work?
As you're reading this, if you too are trying to start a family and wonder if and when it will ever happen, I see you.
I have been in your shoes – the isolation, the pain of miscarriage, the frustration and heartbreak of every failed transfer, the physical, emotional, and financial toll that IVF takes on you, the inability to plan anything because you don’t know when your next cycle is, the feeling that no one gets it, the pain of watching it happen so “easily” for others.
It was a dark time and I sought out therapy myself. What I struggled to find was a therapist who knew the terminology, understood the procedures, was familiar with the process, which eventually led me to make the pivot in my own therapy practice to specialize in helping women navigate the complexities of getting pregnant. It can truly make a difference working with a therapist who has a shared experience with you.
While therapy cannot give you the baby you desperately long for, it can help with managing this emotionally draining time.
It is a space to cry or vent about your friend who effortlessly got pregnant in one month and to discuss how to advocate to your RE for a new protocol. It is a place to grieve the loss of your beautiful baby and to find hope again. You will learn new skills to manage persistent anxiety and sadness while feeling a litle less isolated and fully supported on your pregancy journey.
Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders
Pregnancy is exciting but also a time of high anxiety. You are holding your breath until the first ultrasound, waiting to hear a heartbeat, counting down until you receive the NIPT results - and that is just the first trimester! Then there’s the overwhelming barrage of decisions: Co-sleeping? Nursing or formula? To circumcise or not? Epidural? Do I need a doula? Daycare or nanny?
Having a place to walk through all that is happening in your changing body and brain can make the difference in not just white-knuckling it through pregnancy but actually enjoying it.
When we hear the word “postpartum,” people usually think of depression, which is extremely common in the months following birth.
However, many women experience postpartum anxiety, OCD, and even psychosis.
The fourth trimester is sometimes the hardest period for parents: you are sleep-deprived, trying to learn how to keep a teeny tiny human alive, adjusting to your new identity as a parent, possibly trying to breastfeed, all while still trying to keep the house clean, cook, and take care of the dog!
Motherhood is exhausting and overwhelming but you don’t have to go it alone.
Third Party Reproduction Assessments & Consultations
There are multiple ways to create a family and sometimes the journey to parenthood includes using Third Party Reproduction. ECA Counseling and Services is excited to share that we offer comprehensive clinical consultations for intended parents and gamete recipients along with cohort meetings as you prepare to start your family building journey. I feel humbled to be part of the process and am excited to help you expand your family!