Help for infertile couples: a growing practice niche

Speaker discusses benefits of emerging practice area.

By Lisa Rabasca
Monitor staff

Practitioners looking for a market niche might consider treating couples who experience infertility, said Laurie Kolt, PhD, at the APA 1998 Annual Convention session, 'Practice opportunities?women?s health: treatment strategies for infertility.'

Many years ago couples experiencing infertility would adopt, said Kolt, a LaJolla, Calif., practitioner. Today, with more options for treating infertility, it has become an up-and-coming field.

Women affected by infertility can suffer levels of depression equal to women who face life-threatening illnesses, such as AIDS or cancer, said Kolt, who has developed an infertility training manual for practitioners.

'People dealing with infertility feel like their lives are threatened in so many core areas?their well-being, their dreams for the future,' she said. 'As a practitioner, you have to prepare people to plan for not a sprint, but a marathon. It could end the next month, but it might not end for years.'

Practitioners can teach these couples coping skills, stress-reduction techniques and communication skills, Kolt said, and help them to explore their fear of giving up their dream of having their own biological child.

Kolt offered several tips for developing an infertility practice?tips that can also be used as a template for developing a practice in other specialty areas.

? Become an expert. Kolt said she began her practice by doing a literature review on infertility and compiling a reference book of every research study published. She said she cross-referenced the studies for issues pertaining to women , men, couples and physicians dealing with infertility. Know the medical procedures for treating infertility and what these treatments entail, she said.

? Develop a brochure. Create a pamphlet that outlines the symptoms of infertility, its causes, its prevalence and how psychological services can help reduce the anxiety and depression people may feel, Kolt said.

? Reach out to physicians. Send endocrinologists, urologists, obstetricians and midwives your brochure and a letter explaining how you can help their practice. Followup the mailing with a telephone call and try to set up a face-to-face meeting.

? Develop a marketing and business plan. Have an initial business objective and realistic goals you can work toward. Consider the number of clients you want to see each week, the amount of income you need each month and set a goal for an average fee for your clients, Kolt said.

? Give psychology away. Offer to conduct workshops at hospitals and for patients of private physicians. Get interviewed in your local newspaper and write newsletter articles. 'The more visibility you have, the more opportunity there is for people to connect your name with this particular specialty,' Kolt said.Y

For more information about developing a specialty in infertility, contact Laurie Kolt at (619) 456-2005.