Support for Your Fertility Journey
A safe, understanding space to process what you're going through and find support that meets you where you are.
Infertility counselling is trauma-informed talk therapy for anyone navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, or the emotional toll of trying to conceive. Sessions take place virtually, so you can get support from anywhere in Ontario without leaving home.
I'm Lisa Mitchell, MSW, RSW, and infertility counselling is one of the areas I care about most. If fertility struggles are affecting your mood, your relationship, or your sense of self, you don't have to carry it alone.
You're Not Alone in This
Infertility rarely stays contained to fertility clinics and ovulation calendars. It can show up as intrusive thoughts, grief that returns without warning, tension in a relationship, or a quiet sense of failure that's hard to explain to people who haven't lived it.
Friends and family often mean well, but comments like "just relax" or "it'll happen when it's meant to" can leave you feeling more isolated, not less. Many people going through infertility also feel disconnected from milestones that once felt exciting, like baby showers, pregnancy announcements, or even routine doctor visits.
If this sounds familiar, infertility counselling gives you a space where none of that has to be explained or justified.
What Is Infertility Counselling?
Infertility counselling is a form of therapy focused specifically on the emotional experience of trying to conceive, whether you're in the early stages of trying, mid-treatment with IUI or IVF, facing secondary infertility, or grieving a pregnancy loss.
Unlike general talk therapy, this work is shaped around the particular grief cycle of fertility struggles: hope and disappointment repeating month after month, decisions about treatment and cost, and the strain infertility can place on a relationship or a sense of identity.
Sessions are private, virtual, and paced around what you need. Some people want a place to process feelings as they come up; others want more structured support alongside a treatment plan. Either way, this is therapy built around your specific experience of infertility, not a generic conversation about stress.
Who This Kind of Support Is For
You may benefit from infertility counselling if you're experiencing:
- Grief, anxiety, or anger related to trying to conceive
- The emotional ups and downs of IUI, IVF, or other fertility treatments
- Secondary infertility after a previous pregnancy
- Pregnancy loss or a difficult diagnosis
- Strain in your relationship around fertility decisions
- A sense of isolation from friends or family who haven't experienced infertility
- Difficulty concentrating at work or in daily life because of fertility stress
This work is for anyone affected by infertility, including partners who are supporting someone through it.
How I Support You Through Infertility Counselling
I'm a Registered Social Worker with training in Integrative Trauma and Attachment Treatment (ITAT), cognitive behavioural therapy, and trauma-informed care. My approach to this work is compassionate and practical. We go at your pace, and I won't ask you to "stay positive" or minimize what you're feeling.
Depending on what's most useful for you, our work together may include processing grief and disappointment, building coping strategies for appointments and waiting periods, working through relationship strain, or simply having a consistent space to say the hard things out loud.
This sits alongside my broader work in women's health and trauma counselling, so if infertility overlaps with other health or relationship concerns, we can address those too.
What to Expect in Your First Session
We start with a free 20-minute consultation, where you can ask questions and get a feel for whether this is the right fit. There's no pressure and no commitment.
Your first full session focuses on intake: understanding your history, what's brought you to counselling now, and what you're hoping to get out of it. From there, sessions are tailored to you. Some people prefer an open, conversational approach, while others want a more structured plan with clear goals along the way.
All sessions take place virtually, so you can attend from anywhere in Ontario, on a schedule that works around treatment appointments.
What You Can Gain from Infertility Counselling
With consistent support, many people find:
- Relief from carrying fertility grief alone
- Practical ways to cope with appointments, waiting periods, and setbacks
- Stronger communication with a partner about fertility decisions
- More confidence making decisions about treatment
- A renewed sense of identity beyond the fertility journey
Counselling won't change your fertility outcome, but it can change how supported you feel while you're living through it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Infertility Counselling
Many extended health plans include coverage for registered social worker services. Check your policy for psychotherapy or social work benefits. Direct billing is available with select insurers; ask during your free consultation.
Yes. Virtual sessions let you access consistent, private support without adding travel time to an already demanding schedule, which matters when you're juggling appointments and treatment cycles.
There's no fixed number. Some people come for a few sessions around a specific decision or setback; others want ongoing support through an entire treatment journey. We'll check in regularly on what's working for you.
Infertility affects partners differently, and support is available either individually or as part of your process together. This can be discussed during your free consultation.
That's a common reason people reach out. Infertility counselling can help with the decision-making process itself, not just the experience of treatment.
Ready to Talk About Your Fertility Journey?
You don't have to navigate fertility struggles on your own. Book a free 20-minute consultation to see whether infertility counselling is the right fit, or reach out with any questions. Virtual sessions are available across Ontario, with evening and weekend availability.
