I am currently pursuing my certification in fertility and mental health from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, but I find that most clients find my most useful credential in this area to be my lived experience. When you are struggling with trying to conceive, many people feel like they’re losing themself a little bit. It’s so easy to let your whole identity become “person who is failing to make a baby.” This rollercoaster is hard for anyone, but can be especially challenging if your experience includes other complications – miscarriages, past abortions, genetic carrier concerns, or gender dysphoria. If you are currently involved in fertility treatments, you might be juggling the emotions of gratitude and relief with overwhelm, unpredictability, shame, disconnection from your own body, a calendar full of medical appointments, and the experience of being a human pincushion. As an IVF veteran myself, I understand how large a toll this experience can take. When working with clients dealing with infertility, we work, among other things, on expanding your sense of identity and reclaiming yourself as more than a broken baby-making machine, riding the waves of hope and disappointment, untangling shame, reconnecting with your body, coping with anxiety, managing external stressors, navigating your grief over the story you imagined you’d have, and sitting with ambiguity. For help navigating the unruly rollercoaster of infertility, reach out to me. I look forward to meeting you soon!