We are by your side at every step of the treatment
We offer free psychological support to our patients before and during your treatment to help you get through the emotional challenges of IVF. We are by your side to understand what you are going through, to determine your needs, and to help you get through the difficult days.
The experiences we live in all areas of our lives prepare us for the future. This process, which will probably be a first for you, might confuse you at first. We recommend that you talk to our psychologist in order to eliminate this confusion, to evaluate your process correctly, and to have a better understanding of your feelings and behaviours.
What is the use of psychological support in IVF?
Psychological support helps you to ease your treatment process and reduce the effects of stress, which adversely affects pregnancy. Intense stress can sometimes have a negative impact on reproductive functions, rendering them unable to function properly. Psychological support aims to reduce or eliminate this risk. Apart from these, psychological support will help you overcome the lingering effects of any unsuccessful previous attempts.
What happens during therapy sessions?
During the first session, couples with infertility problems are interviewed and the effects of their problems on their individual or social lives are evaluated. At the end of the session, patients who want to proceed further are requested to fill in some questionnaires. Thus, the first session allows the determination of the patients’ expectations and the problems they need to solve.
How are the sessions planned?
In the patients have started their treatment process, they can also book appointments with the psychologist any time they visit the clinic for doctor’s appointments.
Patients who have not yet started treatment or whose treatment has been postponed can still schedule sessions with the psychologist upon request.
Which therapies are available at our centre?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This therapy helps people identify their distressing thoughts and examine how realistic these thoughts are through certain techniques. The patient feels better as he/she learns to change the way he/she thinks and adapt his/her thoughts to reality. The aim here is to improve the patient’s problem-solving skills. This way, the patients overcome the stress caused by the thoughts and eliminate the stress factors that prevent pregnancy.
Vaginismus: In our country, vaginismus, which prevents women from having sexual intercourse, is observed in one out of every 10 women. It is mostly of psychological origin. This problem affects married life quite negatively and prevents couples from conceiving. Most women with vaginismus can overcome this problem after approximately 10 to 12 sessions. In some cases, even 2-3 sessions can resolve this problem. A therapist with a special training in sexual therapy can usually help you reach fast results.
Psychoeducation: These are trainings aiming to prepare couples to start their very first IVF treatment. During these training sessions, the psychological effects of infertility and its treatment are discussed. At the same time, it aims to provide a perspective on how to evaluate the psychological aspects of the treatment.
Mind-Body Exercises: These exercises are divided into “Muscle Relaxation” and “Breathing” exercises. The aim of these exercises is to ease the physical effects of the stress observed in most patients undergoing infertility treatments. These two methods are especially used in infertility clinics in developed countries. Studies showing the positive effects of these methods in terms of pregnancy have been conducted.
How do I know that I need psychological support?
We recommend that you seek psychological help when you experience the following:
1) When you have disturbing, intense uncertainties about the treatment process,
2) When you have intense concerns about the outcome of the treatment,
3) When you feel uncontrollably tense and nervous before a gynaecological examination,
4) When you have intense concerns about the post-transfer waiting period,
5) When you have intensive heart palpitations, sweating, numbness, tingling sensations before any treatment-related process,
6) When you suffer from vaginismus,
7) When you suffer from social withdrawal, intense feelings of insufficiency,
8) When you are hypersensitive to pregnancy announcements.
Apart from these, if at least 5 of the following symptoms is experienced almost every day for 2 weeks (at least 1 of the first 2 items must be experienced), we recommend that you book an appointment with our psychologist.
– Depressive mood
– Loss of interest in previously pleasurable things
– Sleeping disorders
– Changes in appetite/weight
– Fatigue, lack of energy
– Feelings of worthlessness, indecision, guilt
– Difficulty in keeping focused, forgetfulness
– Thoughts of death and suicide
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