This is psychological assistance for women undergoing fertility treatments

Infertility treatments for women are much more than a biological process; it also contains a wide variety of psychological phenomena that are both a cause and a consequence of the measures taken to try to have a son or a daughter.

And it is that the mental health of the woman, as well as her emotional balance in general, are very relevant aspects to take into account at the gates of maternity. Therefore, today there are psychology professionals trained to offer psychological assistance to women involved in fertility treatments.

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What does psychological assistance for women in fertility treatments consist of?

This area of ​​intervention is encompassed within perinatal psychology, which aims to help in the process that It goes from the preparation of conception to the birth of the baby and the care and coexistence of this during the first weeks.

1. Stress management training

Excess stress is among the most common forms of discomfort among women undergoing infertility treatment.

. For this reason, one of the pillars of psychotherapy applied to this type of patient consists of helping them manage stress in their day-to-day life, using various Combined strategies: relaxation techniques, attentional focus management exercises, psychoeducation, support in developing an adequate sleep schedule, etc

• You may be interested in: "Types of stress and its triggers"

2. Training in emotional management in the face of fear of infertility

The fear of a future in which one is not a mother can trigger a worsening of mental health, among other things, because the factor of the presence or absence of children in our plans for the future is usually a nuclear element in this, something that shapes all the other projects to which we aspire.

In this sense, being in a situation where we may not have a baby is a blow and generates pessimistic thoughts about what to expect. it will happen for the rest of our lives, so many women try not to think about it, that is, they adopt an avoidance strategy in the face of that reality. And that is why it is key to learn to manage the fear of that possible future without children.

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3. Support for eventual couple crises

Since couple relationships are based on a commitment to live together and, as we have anticipated, the maternity is a central element when defining plans for the future, fertility problems frequently give rise to crises of couple. And in light of this, psychological assistance through couple sessions is very useful for establish open communication and resolve potential conflicts that have arisen.

• You may be interested in: "The 5 types of couples therapy"

4. Support for hormonal changes linked to fertility treatment

The medical procedures of fertility treatments can have a significant emotional impact, since many hormones interact in unexpected ways with neurons in the central nervous system. For this reason, psychological therapy can help adopt prevention strategies and emotional regulation in the face of these alterations.

5. Managing possible feelings of guilt

Infertility is a multi-causal problem, and part of these causes can be rooted in the past lifestyle of the woman undergoing treatment; for example, smoking, the decision to postpone maternity without being aware of the risk of not being able to have children when the time comes, etc. This can feed a feeling of guilt that, in addition to damaging the person's mental health, leads them to self-sabotage going through treatment and not believing in their ability to do what is asked of them.

• Related article: "What is guilt and how can we manage this feeling?"

6. Psychotherapeutic help in reinforcing self-esteem

Another fundamental aspect of psychological assistance for women undergoing fertility treatment consists of intervene in the face of the erosion of self-esteem that many stools produce due to problems to conceive.

We must not forget that centuries of reinforcing gender roles through the dissemination of sexist ideas predispose women to perceive themselves through the lens of motherhood, as if its only value was the ability to have children and raise the new generations of the family. Therefore, in therapy women are helped to identify the problematic aspects of these demeaning beliefs and to love themselves regardless of their fertility.

Are you looking for professional psychological assistance services?

If you are interested in having psychotherapeutic support, please contact us.

In Adhara Psychology We have many years of experience caring for women of all ages and intervening in a wide variety of patient profiles through the framework of Humanistic Psychology. We offer face-to-face and online sessions by video call.