The distress of infertility not only challenges deeply held beliefs about oneself and the world, but also affects the delicate and complex ecosystems of intimate partner relationships (romantic, friendship or otherwise). Difficulties around support, satisfaction and communication are common, impacting an extension of networks, including familial and social.

There is evidence that men and women experience infertility differently, managing this crisis in unique ways. The role of women is often more strongly intertwined with the role of motherhood, interrupting what can be seen as a critical life event. Women’s social lives may also change as female friends become mothers and alter their focuses in life. This can impact the quality of friendships, with many infertile women losing contact with or isolating themselves from friends who have become mothers.

Infertility counselling offers the opportunity to explore, in greater depth, concerns related to the experience and treatment of infertility. Diagnostic and medical procedures in and of themselves represent an unforeseen source of stress for the majority of individuals, particularly as techniques become more invasive and time- and money-spent grows. Processing feelings of anxiety, guilt and grief as well as reframing beliefs around the meaning of infertility is critical to creating healthier narratives about oneself, others and the future.