Counselling and Support
Strategies to Help Develop Resilience During Fertility Treatment
By: Reina Zatylny MSW, RSW
When I ask my fertility clients to describe the most difficult thing they’ve had to overcome in their lives, many tell me that infertility is the most challenging. My clients are bright, thoughtful, and work hard for what they want. They’re used to taking control of their lives to attain their goals, and, up to…
Read MoreThe Importance of Resilience During Fertility Treatment
During the course of fertility treatment, many patients experience burn out and emotional exhaustion. However, according to Dr. Alice Domar, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Domar Centre for Mind/Body Health, if patients stay in treatment longer, they have a much better chance of getting pregnant. Numerous studies that characterize chances to conceive underscore this fact:…
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Infertility and Your Relationship During a Pandemic
By Dara Roth Edney, MSW., RSW.
Whether you are part of a couple struggling to have a baby, or on your own using a donor without success, it can be devastating and isolating. Infertility and reproductive loss takes a toll, with people feeling the impact of these experiences personally and in their most intimate relationships. Single people and those who are…
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Finding Flow: Dealing with the Challenges of COVID-19 and Fertility Treatment
By: Erica Berman, PhD
You were dealing with the challenges of working and trying to prepare for your next fertility treatment. Then COVID-19 hit and not only were your fertility treatments put on hold, but like many Canadians, you were laid off from your job. How can you cope? Some of the aspects of infertility that make it so…
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Coping With The Two-Week Wait: An Emotional Perspective
By: Reina Zatylny MSW, RSW
THE TWO-WEEK WAIT – that is, the time from intercourse or insemination or embryo transfer until your blood pregnancy test – is one of the most difficult times of all during treatment. Because we’re here to help throughout your journey, we sat down with three of TRIO’s experts and asked them for medical advice, coping…
Read More“A shared problem is a problem halved”: Share your fertility challenges by participating in TRIO’s online support groups
One in six Canadians faces infertility. Yet, we hear over and over that people feel that they face this journey alone. TRIO wants you to know you are not alone. There are so many others out there just like you. As you are going through your fertility journey, it’s so important to take care of…
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Simple Breathing Exercises to Cope with Infertility Anxiety
By: Amira Posner, MSW, RSW
In Buddhist philosophy, the main reason why humans suffer is because of our attachments and cravings. If we desire things we do not possess, then we suffer. But, if we are able to let those desires go the suffering will end. Many people dealing with infertility wish letting go was easy. The struggle of infertility is…
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Changing Your Infertility Experience with Gratitude
By: Amira Posner, RSW
Every night before I go to sleep, I write down three things I experienced throughout the day that I am grateful for. The exercise can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, and the benefits are exponential. This practice of gratitude is especially significant when someone is in the midst of a struggle such as infertility, a…
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Is Fertility Counselling Useful?
By: Dr. Paul Chang MD, FRCSC, REI
It has been estimated that one in six women today have fertility troubles. With more women trying to have children in their mid-to-late thirties, age related decline in fertility is becoming the number one cause of infertility. What I’m trying to say is you are not alone. My patients often ask me if stress has…
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Maintaining Relationship Unity While Going Through Fertility Treatments
By: Reina Zatylny, MSW, RSW Individual & Couple Therapist
Couples can face many challenges while trying to have a child. One especially difficult challenge that some couples face is keeping their relationship intact as fertility issues often impose emotional and psychological stress on relationships, sometimes leading to discord and separation. Couples who are able to maintain a high degree of unity in the face…
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