Since the birth of the first in vitro fertilization baby 30 years ago, assisted reproductive technology continues to advance exponentially. Despite this progress in medical technology, the psychological understanding of related emotional, ethical, and moral dilemmas needs to be further explored.
Written by specialists in the field of reproductive counseling, this volume will help clinicians to understand and effectively treat the unique needs of clients who have experienced adverse reproductive events, which include infertility, miscarriage, perinatal or newborn loss, and premature or other complicated births.
Illustrated with numerous clinical examples, this volume will help mental health professionals gain both insight and clinical skill in working with this complex and growing clinical population.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
I. Theoretical Foundations
- The Reproductive Story
- Developmental Tasks of Adulthood: Losses of Opportunity
- When the Reproductive Story Goes Awry: Trauma and Loss
II. Counseling the Reproductive Patient
- Techniques of Assessment and Treatment
- Grieving a Reproductive Loss
- Impact of Reproductive Challenges on Intimate Relationships
- At a Crossroads: Facing Third-Party Reproduction and Adoption
III. Therapist's Considerations
- Self-Disclosure, Transference, and Countertransference
- Adjuncts to Therapy and Complementary Care
IV. Additional Concerns
- Medical, Moral, and Ethical Complications
- Pregnancy and Parenthood After Infertility or Reproductive Loss
Epilogue Rewriting the Reproductive Story
Glossary
References
Index
About the Authors
Janet Jaffe, PhD, a clinical psychologist in San Diego, California, is cofounder and codirector of the Center for Reproductive Psychology. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and has presented at conferences across the country on the psychology of the reproductive process, both to professional organizations and to the general public.
Dr. Jaffe is coauthor of Unsung Lullabies, Understanding and Coping With Infertility (2005).
Currently in private practice, Dr. Jaffe specializes in the issues of loss and bereavement related to miscarriage, infertility, and other reproductive trauma.
Martha O. Diamond, PhD, received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Stanford University and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. She is cofounder and codirector of the Center for Reproductive Psychology in San Diego, California.
Dr. Diamond is coauthor of Unsung Lullabies, Understanding and Coping With Infertility (2005).
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Diamond has lectured nationally and internationally on reproductive issues, including the psychological trauma of infertility, miscarriage, and premature or complicated births. She also conducts in-service training for medical professionals on the psychological impact of adverse reproductive events and the emotional needs of their reproductive patients.
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