Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons^™

Fertility Counseling For Couples, Brennan Peterson, Kristy Koser

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This chapter addresses the role, and importance, of individual counseling and psychotherapy in providing psychological assistance and support to patients who are struggling with infertility and loss. Depression and anxiety are the two most frequent emotional sequelae of the infertility experience. The chapter therefore speaks not only to what factors contribute to making fertility counselors effective in their work, but also addresses specific treatment approaches that can yield positive outcomes in working with this unique population. These approaches include psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive–behavioral therapy (including dialectical behavior therapy and trauma-focused therapy), and supportive counseling. A brief history and description of each …

Posttraumatic Growth In Women With A Long-Standing Experience Of Involuntary Childlessness In The Czech Republic, Gabriela Ďurašková, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

This qualitative research study aimed to examine aspects of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in women with a long-standing experience of involuntary childlessness. In-depth semi-structured interviews, lasting an average of 53 min, were conducted in the Czech Republic. Twenty-four women, averaging 38.8 years old with an average of 6.2 years of infertility experience, participated. They were asked how involuntary childlessness affected/changed their partnerships, sexual life, job, future plans, attitude to children/values/faith, and leisure time. Participants shared both positive and negative aspects of the infertility experience. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five main themes of PTG were identified: strengthening of partnership, greater …

Marriage And Family Therapy Education And Training: The Development Of A Competency-Based Model, Arpita Lal, Naveen Jonathan

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

The turn of the century saw a shift from input-based to outcome-based education in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) training. An attempt was also made to establish core competencies that practitioners of MFT should attain to provide effective client care. These developments had a significant impact on version 11.0 and 12.0 of the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) Accreditation Standards. Since then, MFT educators have used these standards and guidelines to transition their programs from input-based to competency-based education. The MFT program at a West Coast University was the first COAMFTE accredited program to propose …

The Complex Relationship Between Celebrity-Driven Magazines And Depictions Of Fertility At Advanced Reproductive Ages, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

"In this issue of the Journal of Women’s Health, Willson and colleagues explore how age and fertility are portrayed in celebrity-driven magazines.¹ Specifically, they examine if popular media depictions of celebrity pregnancies present accurate information related to age and fertility, the use of assisted reproductive technology (ARTs), and pregnancy-related risks associated with advanced maternal age (AMA >35 years). Their study provides an important viewpoint related to the impact of media on reproductive perceptions, and its potential intersection with delayed childbearing, fertility awareness, and reproductive decision making."

Male Psychological Adaptation To Unsuccessful Medically Assisted Reproduction Treatments: A Systematic Review, Mariana Veloso Martins, Miguel Basto-Pereira, Juliana Pedro, Brennan Peterson, Vasco Almeida, Lone Schmidt, Maria Emília Costa

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND Similarly to women, men suffer from engaging in fertility treatments, both physically and psychologically. Although there is a vast body of evidence on the emotional adjustment of women to infertility, there are no systematic reviews focusing on men's psychological adaptation to infertility and related treatments.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The main research questions addressed in this review were ‘Does male psychological adaptation to unsuccessful medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment vary over time?’ and ‘Which psychosocial variables act as protective or risk factors for psychological maladaptation?’

SEARCH METHODS A literature search was conducted from inception to September 2015 on five databases …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Intentions Toward Fertility Awareness And Oocyte Cryopreservation Among Obstetrics And Gynecology Resident Physicians, L. Yu, Brennan Peterson, M. C. Inhorn, Julia K. Boehm, P. Patrizio

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

STUDY QUESTION What knowledge, attitudes and intentions do US obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents have toward discussing age-related fertility decline and oocyte cryopreservation with their patients?

SUMMARY ANSWER Most OB/GYN residents believe that age-related fertility decline, but not oocyte cryopreservation, should be discussed during well-woman annual exams; furthermore, nearly half of residents overestimated the age at which female fertility markedly declines.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Oocyte cryopreservation can be utilized to preserve fertility potential. Currently, no studies of US OB/GYN residents exist that question their knowledge, attitudes, and intentions toward discussing age-related fertility decline and oocyte cryopreservation with patients.

STUDY …

Fertility Counseling For Couples, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"The purpose of this chapter is to provide fertility counselors with the tools necessary to effectively assess and treat couples experiencing fertility problems so that these couples can improve their relationships, reduce psychological and infertility related distress, and regain control and direction in their lives. The chapter will outline the challenges unique to couples experiencing infertility, and will integrate several case vignettes which portray common profiles of couples who fertility counselors may encounter. Gender differences in how couples communicate and cope with infertility distress will be presented. The chapter will also examine the impact of infertility on a couple’s sexual …

Intentions And Attitudes Towards Parenthood And Fertility Awareness Among Chinese University Students In Hong Kong: A Comparison With Western Samples, C. H. Y. Chan, T. H. Y. Chan, Brennan Peterson, C. Lampic, M. Y. J. Tam

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

STUDY QUESTION What are the levels of awareness regarding female fertility and the intentions and attitudes towards parenthood among Chinese university students in Hong Kong compared with their counterparts in the West?

SUMMARY ANSWER Chinese university students in Hong Kong were similarly over-optimistic about the age-related fertility decline, although they were less inclined to have children and undergo fertility treatment compared with their Western counterparts.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Past studies of highly educated young adults in Europe and the USA have found that they are not sufficiently aware of the age-related decline in female fertility, and falsely believe that …

Severe Depressive Symptoms Predict Individual And Partner Infertility-Related Distress At One-Year Follow-Up, Brennan Peterson, Camilla Sejbaek, Matthew Pirritano, Lone Schmidt

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Presentations

Poster presentation on whether severe depressive symptoms at baseline are a predictor of individual and partner infertility-related distress after one-year of unsuccessful fertility treatments.

Understanding And Treating The Psychosocial Consequences Of Infertility, Arthur L. Greil, Lone Schmidt, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Psychological distress and infertility are linked in a complex pattern, such that distress may be a cause of infertility and reduce the probability of achieving a pregnancy at the same time that infertility may be a cause of psychological distress. Although infertile women are not more likely to be characterized by psychopathology, they are more likely to experience higher levels of distress than comparison groups. Infertile men also experience psychological distress, but women experience more infertility distress than men. Both infertility and its treatment are stressors putting a heavy psychological strain on couple relationships. Whereas there is general agreement about …

A Typology Of Coping In Couples Undergoing Fertility Treatment, Brennan Peterson, Matthew Pirritano, Lone Schmidt

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Presentations

Poster presentation about the use of cluster analysis to identify clinically meaningful groups of infertile couples, and how such profiles can be used by medical and mental health professionals.

Coping Processes Of Couples Experiencing Infertility, Brennan Peterson, Christopher R. Newton, Karen H. Rosen, Robert S. Shulman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study explored the coping processes of couples experiencing infertility. Participants included 420 couples referred for advanced reproductive treatments. Couples were divided into groups based on the frequency of their use of eight coping strategies. Findings suggest that coping processes, which are beneficial to individuals, may be problematic for one's partner. Couples where men used high amounts of distancing, while their partner used low amounts of distancing, reported higher levels of distress when compared to couples in the other groups. Conversely, couples with women who used high amounts of self-controlling coping, when paired with men who used low amounts of …

Gender Differences In How Men And Women Referred With In Vitro Fertilization (Ivf) Cope With Infertility Stress, Brennan Peterson, C. R. Newton, K. H. Rosen, G. E. Skaggs

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Men and women use a variety of coping strategies to manage stress associated with infertility. While previous research has helped us understand these coping processes, questions remain about gender differences in coping and the nature of the relationship between coping and specific types of infertility stress. Methods: This study examined the coping behaviors of 1,026 (520 women, 506 men) consecutively referred patients at a Universityaffiliated teaching hospital. Participants completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Fertility Problem Inventory, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Results: Women used proportionately greater amounts of confrontive coping, accepting responsibility, seeking social support, and escape/avoidance when compared …