Online therapy across Ontario
Fertility and Infertility Counselling
Has trying for a baby started to take over your life? Counselling gives you room to talk about the stress, grief and uncertainty, so you can feel more like yourself, whatever comes next.
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Signs of fertility stress
Is every month a cycle of hope and heartbreak?
Fertility struggles can reach into every part of life: your relationship, your work, your friendships and how you feel about your body. Each month can bring a new round of hoping, waiting and disappointment, and it can be hard to explain to the people around you.
Treatment adds its own pressure, with appointments, injections, results and big decisions about money and next steps. Many people carry it on their own because they don’t want to burden anyone, or because friends don’t know what to say.
You don’t need to be in treatment to get support.
Why it happens
Infertility is common, and so is the stress that comes with it
As many as 1 in 6 couples in Canada experience infertility.[1] (source, opens in a new tab) Even so, it can feel like you’re the only one, and a few things make it especially hard to carry.
Grief no one else sees
Each negative test, failed cycle or loss is a real loss, even when others don’t treat it that way.
Life on hold
Plans for work, travel and money can stall while you wait for the next appointment or result.
Strain on your relationship
Partners often cope in different ways, and sex, money and decisions can all start to feel tense.
How therapy helps
Get through treatment feeling steadier and less alone
Counselling gives you somewhere to say how hard this is, with someone who understands what fertility treatment involves. We start with whatever is weighing on you most, whether that’s the waiting, a decision or a loss.
Calm the waiting
Get through the two-week wait and results days with tools that calm your body and your thoughts.
Weigh hard decisions
Think through next steps, like another cycle, donor options or taking a break, with less pressure.
Grieve each loss
Make room for the grief of failed cycles and losses, so it doesn’t keep building up unspoken.
Protect your relationship
Talk about what this is doing to your relationship, and find ways to support each other again.
Find yourself again
Reconnect with friends, interests and the parts of your life that have nothing to do with trying to conceive.
Our approach
Specialized care for fertility and family building
Sessions are warm and down to earth, and you won’t need to explain what a retrieval or a beta means. We draw on CBT and ACT, which help with anxiety and with living alongside uncertainty, along with DBT skills for the hardest days.
Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C)
Postpartum Support International
EMDRIA Certified Therapist
EMDR International Association
Specialized in perinatal mental health
I hold the Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) from Postpartum Support International. Fertility, pregnancy and the early months are the centre of our practice.
Help with what’s underneath
If a loss, a hard procedure or older pain is feeding how you feel now, EMDR can help those memories settle. I’m an EMDRIA Certified Therapist.
Easy to fit around treatment
Sessions are by secure video, so there’s no extra drive on top of all your clinic visits. Saturday appointments are available too.
Nicole Graff-Rowe
MSW, RSW · PMH-C · EMDRIA Certified Therapist
- Online sessions, anywhere in Ontario
- Based in Waterloo Region
- No referral needed
About your therapist
Hi, I’m Nicole, a certified perinatal therapist
I started Nurtured Family Counselling so people have somewhere to say the hard things out loud without being judged. Some of the hardest things are the ones other people don’t see.
I want to understand your history, your struggles and your story, and help you move forward in a way that’s rooted in your own values and goals.
Whether you’re a few months into trying or several rounds into IVF, you can bring all of it here, including the parts you haven’t told anyone else.
FAQ
Questions people ask before booking
It’s normal to have questions before reaching out. If yours isn’t here, you can send us a message.
What is fertility counselling?
Fertility counselling is therapy for the emotional side of trying to conceive. That can include stress and anxiety, grief after failed cycles or a loss, decisions about treatment and strain on your relationship.
Do I need to be going through IVF?
No. Counselling can help at any stage, whether you’ve been trying for a few months, are waiting for a referral, are in treatment or are deciding what comes next.
Can I have counselling here as well as at my fertility clinic?
Yes. Sessions here can sit alongside any counselling your clinic offers, and they cover whatever is affecting you, at home and at work as well as at the clinic.
Is it normal to feel jealous of friends who are pregnant?
Yes. Envy, sadness and wanting to skip baby showers are very common when you’re trying to conceive. Counselling can help you handle those moments and protect your energy.
Can counselling help after a miscarriage during treatment?
Yes. A loss during fertility treatment can bring grief, along with fear about trying again. You can read more about pregnancy and infant loss counselling.
Is fertility counselling covered by insurance?
Many workplace health plans cover therapy with a Registered Social Worker, and you don’t need a referral to book. Fees, receipts and how to check your coverage are on the Fees and insurance page.
Get started
You deserve support while you’re trying.
Trying to conceive can feel lonely, even with people around you. We can talk about where things are right now and what might help.
Book a Free Consultation (opens in a new tab)