Fertility Coaching and Counselling: Emotional Support for Your IVF Journey

When you're navigating IVF, it’s easy to focus on medication, clinic appointments, and test results — but the emotional weight of it all? That can be the hardest part. Fertility coaching and counselling provide dedicated space to process everything from decision overwhelm to heartbreak and resilience.

In this post, we’ll break down what fertility support services look like in the UK, who they’re for, and how they can help at every stage of your journey.

What’s the Difference Between Fertility Coaching and Counselling?

While the two often overlap, there are key distinctions:

Fertility Coaching is often:

• Forward-looking and goal-oriented

• Focused on decision-making, mindset, and motivation

• Offered by trained coaches who may have personal IVF experience

Fertility Counselling is typically:

• Therapeutic and emotionally exploratory

• Accredited and regulated (BACP or UKCP)

• Designed to support mental health, trauma, grief, and relationship challenges

You don’t have to choose one or the other — many people benefit from both.

Why Emotional Support Matters During IVF

The IVF process can trigger intense emotions — from hope and excitement to fear, disappointment, and grief. According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), around 60% of IVF patients experience symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Support isn’t a luxury — it’s a lifeline.

Fertility-focused coaching or counselling can help you:

• Manage the stress of waiting, results, and uncertainty

• Work through feelings of guilt, shame, or failure

• Rebuild your identity and confidence

• Improve communication with your partner

• Prepare emotionally for outcomes — success or loss

• Find clarity in decision-making (next steps, donor conception, when to stop)

Types of Support Available

1. Fertility Counselling (with licensed therapists)

• Available at most UK clinics (NHS and private)

• May include Implications Counselling if using donor sperm/eggs

• Some clinics offer it free as part of treatment

• Others charge £60–£120 per session privately

2. Independent Fertility Therapists

• Often listed with BICA (British Infertility Counselling Association)

• Specialised in IVF trauma, pregnancy loss, relationship strain

• Sessions can be face-to-face or online

3. Fertility Coaching

• Less clinical, more action-oriented

• May help with emotional planning, IVF preparation, navigating options

• Some coaches specialise in:

  • Mind-body fertility coaching

  • Single-parent-by-choice journeys

  • After IVF loss or decision to stop

4. Group Support & Peer Networks

• Fertility peer groups (e.g. Fertility Network UK)

• Online support groups (Reddit, Facebook, Instagram communities)

• Some clinics offer group workshops

5. Specialised Services

• Men’s fertility coaching or counselling

• Couples therapy for IVF-related conflict

• Trauma-informed therapy for those with past losses or medical trauma

• Spiritual or holistic support for emotional grounding

How to Find the Right Support for You

Start by asking yourself:

• Do I want emotional healing or practical support?

• Do I feel safe with a coach or prefer a regulated therapist?

• Would individual, couple, or group work be most helpful?

Resources to explore:

• Fertility Network UK

• BICA Therapist Directory

• HFEA support services

• Instagram accounts run by fertility coaches or therapists

• Ask your clinic what counselling is included in your package

Is It Worth the Cost?

It can be hard to justify another expense on top of treatment — but coaching or therapy may be what gets you through this intact. Many people say it’s one of the most valuable things they did during their IVF process.

Look for:

• Free counselling from your clinic (especially with NHS treatment)

• Fertility charities offering subsidised or low-cost sessions

• Coaches who offer sliding scale rates or group sessions

Before, During, or After IVF — It’s Never Too Early (or Too Late)

Whether you're still deciding whether to start IVF or recovering from a failed cycle, emotional support is not a last resort — it’s a companion to the process. Fertility coaching and counselling can help you stay connected to yourself, make informed choices, and feel supported in whatever path your journey takes.