WORKSHOPS

Do you have any of these feelings which often accompany the infertility experience: stress, depression, anxiety, frustration, fear, anger, isolation? If so, there is a program in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to help you.

This program is based on the one begun in 1987 by Dr. Alice Domar, a nationally known psychologist at Harvard's Mind/Body Medical Institute in Boston. Now at Boston IVF, Dr. Domar has worked with thousands of women experiencing infertility. Her work has shown that a reduction in stress and tension is very beneficial to program participants. How does the Mind/Body program help? It can . . .

Jennifer's Story Lara's Story Brandy's Story

. . . give you a safe place to deal with the emotions associated with infertility.

. . . decrease your feelings of isolation by connecting with others who are also experiencing fertility problems.

. . . help you manage stress by learning specific strategies, and practicing these with feedback and support from a trained therapist and from other women in the group.

. . . reinforce healthy lifestyle changes to enhance your fertility.

. . . help you explore, with your partner, ways of improving your relationship in spite of the strain of infertility.

The Mind/Body Program meets for several weeks in a small group setting. Husbands/partners are included at various steps of the process. The women participating in the initial Dallas workshops are from diverse backgrounds, have had differing physical and clinical issues, and have been patients of several local physicians/fertility centers.

Here's what recent participants had to say about the program:

"This program should be required for anyone going through infertility treatment. The medical procedures, drugs, etc. are only half of the process; this is the other half."

"It gave me the tools to deal with anxious thoughts and stress and also to know I was not alone. The support was wonderful."

"The bonding I felt with the other women in the group lifted the weight I was feeling; I no longer feel alone."

"I learned some different ways of communicating with my husband that have definitely helped our relationship."

The DFW Fertility Nurses Society sponsored the professional training in Dallas/Fort Worth for this program. Several sessions are held each year.

For more information and a program schedule call Dr. Susan Leonard at 214.369.4151.