Infertility: Psychological Issues and Counseling Strategies [Hardcover]

Sandra R. Leiblum (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471126845 | ISBN-13: 978-0471126843 | Publication Date: December 9, 1996 | Edition: 1

Infertility

As the rate of infertility continues to climb worldwide, so does the need for psychological counseling among infertile individuals and couples attempting to cope with the pressures that infertility can bring to a relationship. At the same time, a bold new generation of fertility restoration, in-vitro fertilization, and surrogate parenting technologies have opened a Pandora's box of knotty ethical, moral, and psychological issues. Without the helping hand of a mental health professional, conflicts over these highly charged issues can tear apart relationships and cause considerable emotional and psychological suffering. bl12

Infertility is an indispensable resource for family therapists and all mental health practitioners.

"The field of infertility counseling has never been more exciting. The opportunity to work with physicians and patients is stimulating and meaningful. The opportunities for clinical research could not be greater....Hopefully, this book will provide clinicians with the latest theoretical, research, and practice considerations to guide them in these endeavors."—Sandra R. Leiblum

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book explores the psychological impact of infertility and offers concrete advice on treating individuals and couples with fertility problems. It explores how infertility affects relationships and supplies practical clinical advice on how psychotherapists can help clients deal with this problem. Addresses gender differences in reactions to infertility, the effect of infertility on sexual desire, infertility and the single women, and gay and lesbian parenting.

From the Inside Flap

Infertility As the rate of infertility continues to climb worldwide, so does the need for psychological counseling among infertile individuals and couples attempting to cope with the pressures that infertility can bring to a relationship. At the same time, a bold new generation of fertility restoration, in-vitro fertilization, and surrogate parenting technologies have opened a Pandora’s box of knotty ethical, moral, and psychological issues. Without the helping hand of a mental health professional, conflicts over these highly charged issues can tear apart relationships and cause considerable emotional and psychological suffering. Infertility: Psychological Issues and Counseling Strategies is a valuable reference for mental health professionals who treat individuals and couples grappling with the psychological and emotional strains of infertility and its treatment. Drawing upon their professional experiences as well as the current literature in the field, leading practitioners consider the differences in how women and men react to a diagnosis of infertility and describe strategies for helping individuals deal with the anxieties, feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem that can follow such a diagnosis. These experts examine the effects of infertility on love, sex, and other facets of a relationship and detail methods for helping couples resolve conflicts about infertility. They explore the latest findings on pregnancy-related stress and its possible somatic effects, and they describe effective stress management techniques. They offer practical guidelines for helping patients to cope with failed fertility treatments and manage the grief of a miscarriage. And they examine a wide range of clinical issues surrounding alternative routes to parenting, including adoption. Infertility also features lively coverage of a number of ethical, legal, medical, and psychological conundrums posed by new reproductive options. For example, in the chapter devoted to issues of privacy and disclosure, one author attempts to provide answers to the critical question, "Should a child be told that he or she is the product of a donated ovum or donated sperm and, if not. what are the consequences of having the secret leak out?" Other sections of this book devote considerable attention to timely issues rarely dealt with in the professional literature, such as those surrounding reproduction among single women and same sex couples. Infertility is an indispensable resource for family therapists and all mental health practitioners.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471126845
• ISBN-13: 978-0471126843
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,522,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)