Counseling & Support Groups
Dr. Gervaize
Counseling Services
Dr. Gervaize is a reproductive health psychologist focused on the emotional aspects of infertility and reproductive loss. She provides counselling to individuals and couples dealing with reproductive difficulties, treatment-related decision making, and offers strategies for coping with treatment and body-mind approaches as an adjunct to medical care.
Contact Dr. Gervaize by e-mail or call (613) 686-3378 Ext. 315 to book an appointment.
Dr. Patricia Gervaize earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Education in Counselling at the University of Vermont. She then obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ottawa in 1984 and joined the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Ottawa, in 1987. An active clinician and researcher, Dr. Gervaize has been an instructor in both the School of Psychology and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and established psychological services for the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and the High Risk Pregnancy Unit at The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Site where she practiced until 2006. She has authored numerous publications on topics related to the psychological aspects of reproductive health and presented at national and international meetings both in psychology and medicine.
Dr. Gervaize is currently in private practice and has been a consultant to the Ottawa Fertility Centre since 2006. She is a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario, the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, and the Ontario Psychological Association and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Click below for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Related References.
Support Services
Peer Support
Ottawa Peer Support Group: Join others each month to listen, learn, and hopefully laugh a little while you seek support. Meetings are held at the Ottawa Fertility Centre on the last Saturday of every month. Sessions are organized and led by a volunteer facilitator. Guest speakers are often invited to speak after the meetings.
Contact Angela at : Ottawa.infertility.liason@gmail.com
General Information
Fertility Matters is a national organization, providing educational material, support and assistance to individuals and couples who are experiencing the anguish of infertility, the reproductive health disease that affects over half a million Canadian men and women.
My Fertility Choices enables men and women to obtain support in making the fertility and childbearing decisions that best fit with their unique life situations. The website provides current, professional, and reliable information about fertility, assisted human reproduction, and various lifestyle and family building options, including childfree living.
Single Mothers
Single Mother by Choice is a local Ottawa area group for those women who may already be a ‘Choice Mom’ or for those women who are thinking of proactively becoming a single mother.
Multiple Births
Multiple Births Canada has a mission to improve the quality of life for multiple birth individuals and their families in Canada. They provide support, education, research, and advocacy both nationally and internationally to individuals, families, Chapters, and organizations that have a personal or professional interest in multiple birth issues.
LGBTQ
Finding information and support to suit your unique circumstance can be a challenge. There are some good resources available for men and women within the LGBTQ community who are looking at options for having a family. Here is a good resource to start:
My Fertility Choices – LGBT Options
Legal Counsel
It is important for patients to seek appropriate legal advice when a third party is involved, either as a donor or surrogate. While we do not endorse any lawyer or legal form in particular, the following firms have experience with assisted reproduction.
Erin Lepine, LLB – Nelligan, O’Brien, Payne (Ottawa)
Sara Cohen, LLB – Fertility Law Canada (Toronto)
Sherry Levitan, LLB – Fertility Law (Toronto)
PCOS Support
PCOSupport Group is US based organization that is operated by women with PCOS and those who support them. This organization is dedicated to serve the many women who struggle on a daily basis to deal with quality-of-life as well as life-threatening consequences of PCOS if untreated.