Reproductive Trauma: Psychotherapy With Infertility and Pregnancy Loss Clients 1st Edition

This review is part of a long overdue THANK YOU letter I sent to the authors.The book was given to me by a therapist friend after a grueling journey to have my two children, now ages 8 and 3. Though I was ultimately successful in my quest to become a mother and am beyond overjoyed with my children, I am scarred by my experience. I found some therapeutic help here and there, but not until I read this book did I truly feel understood and validated, including the assertion that this is a unique and complex (not to mention under-served!) population worthy of specialized care. Though I continue to struggle with elements of PTSD, your book has been a salve in my healing process. Thank you for your important and incredibly needed work.Though I don’t directly practice in the field, I have a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and was comfortable with the clinical components of Reproductive Trauma. I recommend it to therapists and healthcare providers any chance I get, as well as Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility to professionals and lay people alike.Since writing this letter/review, I have become involved in the Infertility and Reproductive Trauma community, hoping to increase awareness and offer support to others experiencing this life crisis. Reproductive Trauma stays with you for life, but I am so grateful for the healing I've found and can't overstate the importance of this book and similar work.

Finally a book that recognizes trauma in the experience of infertility and pregnancy loss!

This is a book that every mental health clinician should have on his or her shelf. Drs. Janet Jaffe and Martha Diamond have written a book that artfully combines extensive research findings on the psychological aspects of infertility and infertility treatment with patient case material in such a seamless manner that one cannot help but be impressed by their equal strengths as academics and experienced clinicians. Their approach is developmental as well as bio-psycho-social so that family building and reproduction are understood as life milestones as well as health and relationship challenges. The book is so well-organized and balanced that one is not aware of the extensiveness and depth of their research for the book until the 23 page list of references. No clinician who works with couples can afford to be without this book as a course in reproductive issues and reference. My strongest complaint is that while they review internet support and participation in support groups as resources, they do not comment on stress management techniques as useful tools for coping with the challenges and intrusions of fertility treatment.As a perinatal psychologist in private clinical practice, I hope that the authors will continue to write and update this book as research moves forward and reproductive technology continues to evolve. This well researched and well written work make me proud to be a psychologist.