I have my partner/family and friends to support me, isn’t that enough?

Your partner, family and friends can of course be a wonderful source of comfort and for some people that’s enough. However, some people find it helpful to get extra support from a counsellor who has direct experience of their situation, particularly if that situation is unusual or rare. Finding someone who has trained and worked with similar issues as yours can be very helpful.

Meeting and talking to others who can relate to exactly what you’re going through is a type of support your loved ones might not be able to offer.

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Do I really need help?

Fertility treatments certainly take a toll on people the longer you stay in treatment. Infertility has a ripple effect on your while life- physical, emotional, social, intimacy, financial, decision making, nutrition- and this can really be challenging for some people. Especially since a lot of people around you do not understand the journey and give advice that can be hard to hear and not useful! I am sure you are tired of hearing how you need to 'Just Relax' or how as soon as their friend stopped worrying they became pregnant.

The way your spouse is also coping with this might be different than you and the journey can become quite isolating. A lot of women start developing low self confidence, depression like symptoms, low mood, stress , worried thoughts, anger and guilt. And It really does help to get support to cope with all of the above and learn tools to traverse this terrain from a trusted , knowledgable and experienced source.

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What does a Fertility Counsellor and coach do? And how are they different than just regular coaches?

As a Fertility Coach, we first try to understand the current situation and assess areas of strength and areas you might be struggling in. We then start working on areas you might need help with, like:

• How to cope emotionally

• Dealing with uncertainty

• How to cope with stress

• How to cope with negative thoughts and feelings

• Coping with grief or loss

• A decision you might need to make

• Relaxation techniques

• How to cope socially

• Reducing isolation

• Planning your IVF journey

• Strengthening your marriage

• Coping with conflict in marriage

• Learn how to support each other

You can certainly get the help you need from a Coach who works with any topic, and going to a fertility counsellor and coach is like going to someone who has the training, experience and expertise in areas and topics around fertility. So its kind of like going to General practitioner versus a Specialist!

 

How does a session work?

Each session lasts between 50- 60 minutes. And many times the session ends with me asking you to take further the learning from the session with either some questions or some actions to be done between sessions. I highly recommend keeping a diary as it helps you keep track of any learning or your progress. 

We work on goals that you bring into the sessions, and at times if I notice an area that might be useful to look into, I will bring that upto you.

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Should I bring my husband/ spouse?

I have worked both ways with clients- we can begin with the couple and look at areas that need strengthening or begin with the individual and then go to the couple. I do advise involving the spouse at some point as it helps to have understanding, support and form a 'team' with your spouse through this journey- and you are able to talk about what each other needs in safe space.

 

I don't live near you, how can we work together?

I work with a lot of clients who are in other cities and countries. The sessions can be in person or on Skype. In my opinion, I have not noticed any difference in how well the session takes place and the connection formed between us.

 

How do I reach you? What's next?

Please email me at priyankambhatia@gmail.com. Alternatively, please write via the contact section of the website, and please leave your email address so i can reach you. I would love to schedule a 15 minute chat with you to understand what you are looking for from our work together and whether we are a good fit.