Formats: MP3 Download $12   |   Compact Disc $15

Presenter: Helen Adrienne, LCSW, BCD

Therapists hear this all the time; infertility patients lead with this—without exception. No area of life is untouched by this scourge. Never do people’s coping mechanisms match the magnitude of this situation. Infertility is often described as a roller coaster ride. The anticipation of a conception is followed by a steep descent of disappointment that can persist without resolution for years. Stress mounts exponentially. Not only can this make life unbearable, but given the mind/body/spirit unity, it can really complicate treatment. Couples are at risk because of the ongoing heartache. Love-making is replaced by hi-technology baby-making that feels like science fiction. Sex usually becomes irrelevant. Mental and physical responses intensify one another and the patient is left feeling like Job. Despite all of this, the therapist can carefully orient the patient toward the “bless in the mess.” A vast array of mind/body/spirit approaches allow patients to find the literal and figurative fertility in infertility.

This experiential workshop will offer a multitude of field-tested techniques. Some are behavioral and can serve to provide relief because patients feel there are things that they can “do.” Other techniques, in the category of “letting-go” coping, reverse the physiology of stress. These approaches have a statistically significant correlation with rates of pregnancy. In addition, when patients discipline themselves to learn these techniques, they stand to gain sophisticated coping skills that serve them well for the rest of their lives.

During and at the conclusion of this session, the attendee will be able to:
-> Identify typical physical, emotional and spiritual responses to the stress of infertility;
-> Describe the six manifestations of stress;
-> Describe four characteristics of the crisis; and
-> List three intervention options for this and other populations.