Infertility
Struggling to conceive can be an isolating experience. According to the World Health Organisation, around 1 in 6 people worldwide experience infertility at some point in their lives. Yet despite how common it is, the emotional weight often goes unspoken.
The Complexity of Grief Without Loss
What makes infertility so difficult to process is that there is nothing tangible to grieve. When someone experiences bereavement or the end of a relationship, friends and family can see what has been lost. They offer words of comfort. But with infertility, you are mourning something that never existed in a concrete form. You are grieving a hoped-for future, imagined birthday parties, a child’s first steps. How do you explain that kind of heartbreak in a few sentences?
This ambiguity can leave you feeling profoundly alone. Well-meaning relatives ask when you are going to start a family. Colleagues share their pregnancy announcements. Friends share scans and baby photos on social media. Each reminder can trigger waves of emotion that catch you off guard. Sadness mingles with jealousy, then guilt about feeling jealous, then frustration at yourself for not coping better.
How Infertility Affects Your Life
The reach of fertility struggles extends far beyond the practical matter of conception. Your sense of identity can shift. Questions arise about your body, your worth, your very purpose. Some people feel broken in ways they have never experienced before.
Relationships often bear the strain as well. You and your partner may cope differently. One might want to talk through every appointment and test result whilst the other withdraws. These patterns can create distance at precisely the moment you need each other most. Intimacy itself can become clinical, scheduled around cycles and treatments rather than desire.
Then there are the medical decisions. IVF, IUI, hormone treatments, second opinions. Each choice carries weight, expense, and uncertainty. None of them guarantee the outcome you desperately want. According to the HSE, experiencing fertility problems or undergoing treatment can be highly stressful, and seeking emotional support is an important part of looking after yourself through the process.
How to Arrange an Appointment
Getting started is simple. Browse our therapists online to find someone whose approach resonates with you, then book online directly. Alternatively, get in touch and our team will help match you with the right therapist. Contact us by email at enquiries@mindandbodyworks.com or call 01 677 1021.
How Therapy Can Help
Counselling provides a space where you do not have to explain or justify your feelings. Your therapist understands that what you are experiencing is real grief, even if others struggle to see it that way. In sessions, you can talk openly about the frustration of another negative test, the dread of family gatherings, or the complicated emotions when a friend falls pregnant easily.
Therapy also helps you and your partner communicate more effectively during a period when misunderstandings happen easily. A therapist can help you both recognise different coping styles and find ways to support each other rather than drift apart. Some couples find that working through fertility challenges together actually strengthens their bond in unexpected ways.
Beyond the immediate crisis, counselling can help you make sense of your options. Whether you are deciding to pursue further treatment, considering alternatives like adoption or donor conception, or coming to terms with a life that looks different from what you planned. These are not simple choices, and having professional support whilst navigating them can make an enormous difference.
FAQ
Not at all. Some people come to us before starting any medical treatment, others during the process, and some after treatment has ended. Therapy supports you at whatever stage you are at in your fertility journey.
Both approaches work well. Some couples prefer joint sessions to improve communication and feel united. Others find it helpful to have individual space first. Many people combine both over time.
This varies depending on your circumstances. Some people find several sessions helpful during a particularly difficult patch, whilst others benefit from longer-term support spanning the duration of treatment or beyond.
Therapy cannot guarantee conception. What it offers is emotional resilience, better coping strategies, and support for your mental wellbeing throughout a profoundly challenging experience.
For many people, yes. Online sessions offer flexibility and convenience without sacrificing the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Some clients find they actually open up more easily from the comfort of their own space.
