Reproductive Counseling
Your reproductive health is a deeply personal and (at times) challenging experience. At Anchor Therapy, our reproductive therapists understand the journey an adult may take through fertility concerns, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum life transitions. Our mental health counselors also understand the challenges that come along with reproduction, including infertility concerns, miscarriages, and abortion. As much as these occurrences involve physical health, your emotional and mental well-being is affected as well.
Our fertility counselors at Anchor Therapy specialize their reproductive mental health therapy services to support you at exactly where you are in your reproductive journey, providing compassionate care to suit your unique needs.
Concerns that may be address in reproductive psychotherapy encompass:
Identity and self-esteem struggles post-baby
Grief and loss
Anxiety (Take our Anxiety Quiz by reading the following blog “Do I Have Anxiety? Take the Quiz and Learn 5 Instant Calming Tips”)
Depression (Take our Depression Quiz)
Family expectations
Reproductive choices
Moral and ethical concerns
Pregnancy and postpartum health
Stigma and judgment
Future financial planning
You will find that our therapists for women’s issues take a holistic approach to mental health care. We recognize that therapy for reproductive concerns is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Our licensed therapists take the time and effort required to learn your personal story, values, and goals.
For example, our counselors may encourage you to reflect on your experiences with reproduction, and think critically about your own experience. Depending on your specific situation, some questions they may suggest you ask yourself include the following…
What beliefs or societal expectations about parenthood are influencing my feelings about infertility?
How can I honor the experience of a miscarriage and associated grief in a way that feels meaningful to me?
How does having an abortion affect my views on my own body, autonomy, and reproductive rights?
How do I feel about my pregnancy, and what emotions am I experiencing as my body changes?
When you are in the midst of reproductive concerns, it may feel like you are the only person in the world going through this situation but, rest assured, that you are never alone in this journey. At Anchor Therapy, our seasoned reproductive mental health counselors will walk alongside you in your journey of empowerment and healing. The main goal of our perinatal therapists is to provide you with the support and tools you need to navigate this chapter of your life with confidence.
Whether you are dealing with infertility, pregnancy loss, postpartum depression, the stress of balancing work and parenthood, and so on, you will always find a safe and supportive environment at Anchor Therapy to feel your feelings, adopt healthy coping skills, and successfully navigate your future.
Managing Your Emotions: Infertility Counseling Near Me
Infertility can impact you in many ways, from the physical process of conception to your mental and emotional welfare. By seeking the support of an infertility therapist, you can rest assured that you and/or your partner will receive the support required to navigate this difficult journey. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 6 people struggle with infertility.
This form of specialized mental health counseling can address many concerns and complex emotions, such as grief, anxiety, and depression. The compassionate setting of counseling can be used to explore and manage your feelings.
The primary focus of fertility therapy is to give you emotional support.
In infertility therapy, you may encounter a wide range of complex and/or uncomfortable emotions, including:
Grief and loss from miscarriage(s) or unsuccessful fertility treatments
Uncertainty and fear about the future
Anxiety from societal or personal pressures
Feelings of hopelessness
Isolation and loneliness
Unfulfilled desires
Self-blame
Impact on your relationship
Self-worth concerns
Decision-making conflicts
An infertility counselor will offer a sense of validation and understanding for what you are going through. Processing these intense emotions are not easy, but a psychotherapist for infertility is there to assist you. An infertility journey naturally comes with ups and downs and, through infertility counseling, you will feel prepared to navigate it.
Something that does not often get discussed alongside infertility is the strain that it may place on your relationship with your romantic partner. In that way, couples counseling for infertility concerns can give you a platform to enhance communication, address conflicts, and better your sense of mutual understanding for one another. Through mental health counseling, you and your partner will learn how to work together to strengthen your relationship and maintain emotional closeness despite external circumstances.
Healing after Loss: Therapy for Miscarriages
Experiencing one or several miscarriages is an extremely painful and even traumatic experience. After a miscarriage, you may be wondering how to move forward, grappling with intense emotions.
After a miscarriage, you may feel:
Deep sadness and grief
Guilt and self-blame
Anger and frustration
Anxiety and fear
Isolation and loneliness
Confusion and uncertainty
Therapy for miscarriages provides the essential support you need after such a profound loss. Miscarriage counseling near me gives you the compassionate setting you need to explore your feelings and understand your reactions.
Grief is a very natural response to a miscarriage. Whether you seek individual counseling or couples counseling for miscarriage, you can learn how to start your healing journey. In counseling, you are encouraged to express and process your emotions. To manage your grief, a therapist for miscarriages will offer mental health tools and healthy coping skills. With that being said, your grief therapist understands that there is no standard timeline to overcome the grief you are facing. You get to move through your pain at your own pace.
Many individuals who experience a miscarriage will struggle with feelings of shame and/or guilt.
You may blame yourself for the loss, thinking the following…
“I should have been more careful.”
“I am being punished for something.”
“I failed at something so fundamental.”
“I do not deserve to try again.”
“My body failed me.”
“I am not capable of being a parent.”
“Why can other people have healthy pregnancies and I cannot?”
Therapy after a miscarriage can be a great space to challenge any irrational thoughts you may be having that are adding to your sense of self-blame. By compassionately exploring these thoughts with your miscarriage therapist, you will see that a miscarriage is typically beyond anyone’s control and you are not at fault. This can alleviate unnecessary guilt you are facing.
For many people who have had a miscarriage, you may feel anxious about future pregnancies. You can explore the emotions you are facing tied to the possibility of another loss in miscarriage therapy. A miscarriage specialist at Anchor Therapy will provide you with the reassurance you need and help you develop strategies to manage your anxiety. This will help you approach future pregnancies with a greater sense of emotional preparedness.
Navigating the Aftermath with Post-Abortion Counseling
Whether you made the decision years ago or recently, complex feelings may arise post-abortion. Abortion grief counseling will give you a safe, non-judgmental space to explore and process your emotions, like relief, sadness, guilt, and so on.
It is common to experience an array of emotions after getting an abortion. A part of you may feel relieved, especially if you know you were not emotionally, financially, physically or mentally equipped to have a child. On the other hand, you may feel profoundly sad after experiencing this loss. No matter how you feel, an abortion therapist will help you understand your mixed feelings, providing validation and support as you work through your emotions.
Even if an abortion was the right choice for you, feelings of loss and grief can still emerge. In that case, post-abortion therapy can give you a setting to mourn a future that could have been so you can express and process your grief. You will learn how to honor your emotions, and find ways to cope with the sadness you are experiencing after making such a major life decision.
A goal for many clients in post-abortion therapy is to find a sense of closure and move forward with confidence. Having an abortion likely impacted your life in a major way, and may have even impacted what you want for your future.
Attending abortion therapy offers the following benefits:
Personalized support
A safe space for emotional expression
Challenging negative thoughts
Constructing self-compassion
Honoring your experience
Coping with the loss and associated grief
Alleviating emotional burden
Developing healthy coping strategies
Post-abortion counseling allows you to focus on your personal growth and self-care so you can embrace your future with a sense of hope and high level of self-assurance.
Your Pregnancy, Your Support: Pregnancy Counseling Services in Hoboken, New Jersey
Perinatal psychotherapy is a unique form of mental health counseling that focuses on supporting you through the psychological and emotional obstacles associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and all things postpartum.
This form of therapy recognizes the major life transition that is pregnancy and childbirth. During the perinatal phase, there are many changes happening at a rapid pace, therefore you may be experiencing many newly-arising, complex emotions. Whether you are trying to cope with anxiety, depression, career concerns, or simply trying to adjust to your new role as a parent, perinatal counseling at Anchor Therapy is the place for you to thrive.
Anxiety and depression are common to experience during the perinatal period, impacting many adults who are trying to cope with the stress of pregnancy and/or new parenthood. In perinatal psychotherapy, you will focus on identifying and managing your mental health struggles so understand the underlying causes and cope up with effective coping techniques.
The following include components of pregnancy therapy:
Validation of feelings
Safe space for expression
Education and resources
Birth planning
Anxiety reduction
Stress management tools
Conflict resolution skills
Addressing attachment concerns
Transition preparation
Building a support network
The transition to parenthood itself can be joyful and overwhelming at the same time. You may create a birth plan, but still feel a sense of uncertainty. You may start preparing your baby’s room, but then feel anxious if you are getting all of the supplies you need.
Perinatal therapy gives you a chance to explore the realities of parenthood. Of course, becoming a mother or father is a beautiful thing, but this transition comes with its fair share of hardships, from sleepless nights to diminished free time. The emotional support you receive from a perinatal therapist is important for building a positive transition to parenthood.
One of the key areas of perinatal psychotherapy include a focus on attachment, also known as the healthy bond between you and your baby. An attachment-based therapist will help you strengthen this connection, as well as address any concerns or fears that you have about bonding. Maybe you struggle with feelings of detachment due to childhood trauma. Perhaps you have worries about your ability to parent altogether. Perinatal therapy allows you to learn the techniques you need to build a nurturing, loving relationship with your baby from the start.
The benefits of maternal mental health counseling extend beyond the perinatal period of your life. Maternity counseling provides long-term benefits for both you and your family. When you address your mental health concerns earlier rather than later, you will feel better prepared to meet the emotional demands of parenting as your family grows.
Reaching out for support from a professional reproductive psychotherapist at Anchor Therapy is a powerful step towards building positive change in your life. When you connect with us, you are making a stride towards bettering your emotional and mental well-being. You do not have to navigate this journey on your own- our mental health experts are here to help you each and every step of the way.
When you connect with a women’s issue therapist, you are not simply seeking help or professional guidance- you are embracing a chance for emotional and mental recovery and empowerment. Reproductive counseling services at Anchor Therapy will consist of learning how to feel your feelings, finding clarity amongst chaos and various life transitions, and working towards your goals in a healthy manner.
How Can I Start reproductive counseling at Anchor Therapy?
WORKING WITH anchor therapy IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help. We will match you with an experienced reproductive counselor who suits your needs.
Your decision to reach out is a testament to your inner strength!
