Counseling & Support Groups | Ottawa Fertility Centre

Ottawa Fertility Centre

Offering compassionate care, understanding, and hope on your journey.

Counseling & Support

Reproductive Counselling Services

Dr. Sarah Birnie, C.Psych

Dr. Birnie can receive referrals (and self-referrals) for psychotherapy for the following areas:

1. Supporting the process of uncertain infertility treatment, including donor egg/sperm.
2. Supporting individuals once pregnant after infertility treatment.
3. Supporting postpartum stress and adjustment once baby/babies are born.

Visit Sarah's Website info@drsarahbirnie.com Phone: 343-488-3211

Stephanie Parker MSW, RSW

Wellington West Therapy and Assessment
Website (scroll down for bio)
stephparker.msw@gmail.com
Telephone: 613-614-1384

Services provided:

Support for intended parent(s) and grief counselling
Implications counselling for intended parent(s)
3rd party assessment for donors

Counselling services available in both French and English
Appointments available in person in Ottawa office or virtually

Brooke Eagle MSW, RSW

Ottawa River Psychology

Book through main Ottawa River Psychology line: 613-656-3331 or general email: info@ottawariverpsychology.com and ask for an appointment with Brooke.

Ziva Shmorgun

shmorgunz@gmail.com
Rate: $180 per hour
Author of Single and Longing to be a Mom

New Origins Counselling

Website
Karin Schwartz: 604-831-6558
Janna Stark Glassman: 604-671-5068
Rate: $165 per hour
Please call to book an appointment

Pregnancy in a Pandemic Support Group

Join this monthly virtual support group led by doctors who specialize in obstetrics, newborn care, and the mental health of new parents. They will speak about the most common concerns and struggles of being pregnant during the COVID-19 crisis.

Pregnancy in a Pandemic

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.

Fertility Matters

LGBTQ groups in Ottawa (non-fertility specific)

Support for people with polycystic ovary syndrome

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.

Mindfulness for Fertility

If you are dealing with challenging emotions because you are struggling to conceive, you are not alone. It is common to feel anxious, depressed, and isolated. It has been well documented that people with reproductive challenges experience high levels of stress and studies have shown that mindfulness can help decrease emotional distress. Mindfulness for Fertility is an 8-week evidence based, experiential program that is offered online and follows the world renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum. Visit their website for more information and registration.

Legal Advisor

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)

Patient Resources

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 its outcomes. Dr Gervaize also provides counselling for individuals and couples considering the use of donor gametes in family building and will be happy to assist you with any concerns you might have.

Dr. Gervaize is no longer seeing any new patients.

Ready to find out more?

Ottawa Fertility Centre

100-955 Green Valley Crescent
Ottawa, Ontario
K2C 3V4

613-686-3378

Clinic Hours

Medical Offices
(offsite, completed virtually)
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Fertility Clinic
Monday - Friday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Weekends and Holidays by Appointment

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