1st Edition

Working with Infertility and Grief A Practical Guide for Helping Professionals

244 Pages 14 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

244 Pages 14 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

244 Pages 14 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Working with Infertility and Grief: A Practical Guide for Helping Professionals explores issues of grief, including disenfranchised grief and chronic sorrow, related to infertility and reproductive loss. Out of the small handful of books related to this topic, this is the first of its kind geared toward equipping helping professionals who assist those grieving unrecognized losses. Written... Read more

Part 1: The Biopsychosocial Crisis of Infertility  1. The Diagnosis: So You Can’t Have a Baby…What’s the Big Deal?  2. Biological Impacts of Infertility: My Body Betrayed Me  3. Psychological Impacts of Infertility: A Mind That Questions and a Heart That Hurts  4. Social Impacts of Infertility: One is the Loneliest Number  Part 2: Who Suffers from Infertility?  5. Aging and Infertility: TICK, TICK, TICK… Is That My Biological Clock?  6. Non-Age-Related Infertility: I’m Still a Spring Chicken, So Where Are My Chicks?   7. Femininity and Social Implications: Who Am I If I’m Not a Mother?  8. Male Factor Infertility: Dude, Am I Shooting Blanks?  9. Personal Choices in Growing a Nontraditional Family: Will You Stop Asking Me About Children?  10. Multicultural Considerations: Is Infertility an Equal Opportunity Condition?  Part 3: Strategies and Suggestions for the Helping Professional  11. A Plan of Action for the Clinician: Finding Happily Ever After  12. Working with Individuals, Partners, and Families: The Cast of Characters  13. The Clinical Supervisor’s Role: Guiding the Hero’s Journey  14. Counselor Educator Wisdom: The Sage

Biography

Whitney L. Jarnagin, PhD, is the dean of behavioral and social sciences and professor of psychology at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee.

Denis’ A. Thomas, PhD, is an author, podcaster, adjunct professor, conference presenter, homeschool teacher, and freelance writer.

Megan C. Herscher, PhD, is the coordinator and associate professor of clinical mental health counseling at Carson-Newman University. She provides post-graduate supervision through her firm Herscher Consultation.

"Working with Infertility and Grief will be an incredibly helpful resource for individuals and couples struggling with infertility and for the professionals that offer support as they cope with the disenfranchised grief that can accompany this issue. Sensitively written and highly accessible, this book offers sage advice on both the medical and emotional issues that underlie infertility. Both clinicians and their clients dealing with infertility will not only benefit from this book but will want and need it."

Kenneth J. Doka, senior vice president for grief programs at The Hospice Foundation of America and author of Disenfranchised Grief: New Directions, Challenges, and Strategies for Practice