Group Work in Infertility Treatment

The trauma of infertility critically impacts every facet of an individual's and a couple's psychosocial functioning. Infertility threatens basic sexual identity and self-esteem. Feelings of loss, shame, anger, and isolation burden the ego, and disrupt "normal" marital, familial, and social relationships. Specialized medical treatment to correct infertility is often invasive, uncomfortable, humiliating, and of long duration, but can be effective in many cases. When opportunities for infertility treatment exist, most individuals accept treatment to avoid childlessness, but some find it too difficult and discontinue treatment. Group work service was introduced into medical infertility practice in an effort to help women patients better manage the "infertility crises," to sustain involvement in treatment, and to prevent the possible damaging psychological and interpersonal consequences of infertility. Group formation, group process, and group themes drawn from group session recordings of two infertility groups, are presented with special reference to the outlook and activities of the group worker.