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Reproductive Counseling

Supportive Services

A Family Building Approach

I'm passionate about supporting people whose reproductive stories deviate from the traditional path. This might be due to a diagnosis of infertility or because you're growing your LGBTQ+ family or becoming a solo parent by choice. Or perhaps any or all of the above!

 

You may seek reproductive counseling for help coping with the stresses of fertility treatment, for assistance with reproductive decision-making, or for emotional support after a pregnancy loss.

 

Depending on your needs, reproductive counseling can take place in a single session, several sessions or regular sessions over a period of time. It may involve individuals, couples, or groups involved in collaborative reproductive arrangements (sperm donation, egg donation or embryo donation with a known donor).

 

If you are reaching out to schedule a consultation required by your fertility clinic, click here for more information.

Fertility Support

 

Whatever you may have been told, you can rest assured that stress is most likely NOT the cause of your infertility. However there's no question that infertility is heartbreaking and fertility treatment is stressful. Most people benefit from seeking support along the way.

 

Perhaps you’ve been trying to get pregnant for months and feel devastated every time you get your period.

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Or maybe you and your same sex partner always knew you’d need the help of a sperm or egg donor, but now it’s looking like you might have a medical infertility issue as well.

 

I provide support to people who are going through the roller-coaster ride of trying to conceive, whether you’re dealing with unexplained infertility, secondary infertility (infertility after having already given birth) or the additional challenges that come with LGBTQ+ family building or trying to conceive as a single parent.


 

Reproductive Decision-Making

 

Parenting involves constant decision-making. For many of us, the difficult decisions start before our child is born.

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You may be be struggling to decide whether to become a parent—on your own or with a partner—or perhaps you’re figuring out whether to add to your family.

 

Or maybe you know you want to parent, but need help figuring out whether to use donor gametes (sperm or egg), embryo donation, surrogacy or adoption.

 

I can also help if you’re

  • considering becoming a sperm, egg or embryo donor

  • deciding whether to undergo elective fertility preservation (ie. social egg freezing) for future parenting

  • preparing to undergo gender-affirming medical treatment and want to discuss fertility preservation options

  • considering fertility preservation prior to treatment for cancer

 
Reproductive Loss
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When we decide to become parents, we open up our hearts to hope and love. Reproductive losses are devastating. Often a loss is made more difficult because it isn't recognized by society. Our close friends and family may not know how to support us.

 

Whether you’ve experienced a failed embryo transfer, a pregnancy loss or a stillbirth, you deserve a supportive space to grieve and make meaning of your loss. I work with people to create meaning around loss and to find a path forward that honors connection.

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One of the most challenging forms of reproductive loss is when parents have to make the excruciating decision to terminate a wanted pregnancy for medical reasons (TFMR). Please know that I am a fierce advocate for reproductive freedom and here to support you.


 

Reproductive Support Across the Life Span
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Our reproductive stories don’t end when our children arrive.

 

I help families explain donor conception to children, manage donor relationships and navigate decisions about connecting to donor siblings and genetically-related others. Whether you’re a donor, a parent or a donor-conceived person, I’m happy to support you with all the complex feelings that this form of family building can evoke.
 

I strongly support all family building options including the decision to live child-free.



Family Building Consultations for Donor Conception
 

If you're working with a fertility clinic and planning to conceive with the help of an egg or sperm donor, or use donated embryos, your clinic may require you to meet with a therapist for a consultation.

 

You may be wondering why this is necessary. After all, people have babies all the time without talking to a therapist!

 

Here's how I think about Donor Recipient (intended parent) Consultations:

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The first thing to know is that donor recipient consultations are NOT parenting evaluations. No one but you should be trying to determine whether or not you get to be a parent! Whatever language your clinic uses, please know that these meetings are intended as opportunities to get information and support for raising healthy donor conceived kids.

 

In recent years, adult donor-conceived people have been telling the fertility industry that it needs to do better by them. The Donor Recipient consultation is one step in that direction. It's recommended for everyone using donor conception, but the individual meetings should be tailored to YOUR NEEDS.

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What the consultation is:

The main purpose of the consultation is to provide you with information about family building through donor conception. Topics include: implications of selecting a directed (known) or a non-directed (ie. sperm or egg bank) donor; considerations for donor selection that will impact your future family; information about genetic half siblings and strategies for talking to children about donor conception.

 

Topics addressed will vary to meet the diverse needs of LGBTQ+ families, heterosexually partnered couples and solo parents.

 

What the consultation is not:

This meeting is NOT an attempt to determine whether or not you get to be a parent. In the unlikely event that a concern arises during our conversation about your readiness to use donor conception to build your family, I will begin by discussing it with you.

 

I offer the following Family Building Consultations*:

 

  • Psychoeducational Consultation for Individuals or Couples using non-identified (unknown) Sperm or Egg Donors - One 75-minute meeting

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  • Psychoeducational Consultation for Directed Embryo Donation - Three Meetings

  1. A Recipient Consultation (90 minutes)

  2. A Consultation with the potential donors (90 minutes)

  3. A Group meeting (60 minutes or less)

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* I provide group consultations for directed donor arrangements on a case-by-case basis. If you are planning to use a directed (known) donor, let me know and we'll set up a call to discuss how I can help.

**I do not provide psychological assessments for gestational carriers (surrogacy). If you need a referral for this service, feel free to reach out to me.

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Required Consultations
Decision
Loss

© 2023 Joelle Ehre, MA, LMFT Collaborative Psychotherapy and Reproductive Counseling

Licensed in California (LMFT#53607)

Photography copyright and courtesy of Hasain Rasheed Photography

Website design by Nick Azevedo

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