LGBTQ Family Building
As LGBTQ individuals and couples seek to expand their families and embark upon the journey of parenthood, they face a myriad of important and complex decisions. With varied paths to parenthood, individuals and couples may be exploring pregnancy options, partnering with a gestational carrier (surrogate), pursuing adoption, or becoming a foster parent. Therapy can assist LGBTQ individuals and couples along their journeys to parenthood through support and education as complexities are navigated such as:
- Family building in the context of COVID-19
- Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) options including IUI and IVF
- Infertility challenges
- Third-party reproduction including use of donor sperm, eggs, or embryos, as well as partnering with a gestational carrier
- Decisions regarding known, anonymous, or willing-to-be known donors
- Heterocentrist medical system and provider challenges
- Decisions regarding preferences for prenatal care and delivery
- Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders
- Navigating challenges specific to the foster care system
- Adoption
- Breast/Chestfeeding decisions and challenges
- Decisions regarding disclosure to family, friends, and children regarding the journey to parenthood
- Single parenting
- Co-parenting: Getting on the same page!
- Issues specific to blended families
- Building needed support systems
- Fertility preservation
- Coping with stressors throughout the journey to parenthood
- Legal protections including second-parent adoption
Erin recognizes that every family’s journey to parenthood is unique and that LGBTQ individuals and couples face specific challenges along the way. Erin has personal experience navigating the complexities of LGBTQ family building and she has dedicated her professional career to LGBTQ Affirmative practice with LGBTQ individuals, couples, and families through all stages of their lives. Erin has completed the Mental Health Professional Certificate Course through the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and is a member of ASRM and the ASRM Mental Health Professional Group. She has also completed Postpartum Support International’s Perinatal Mental Health Certification Program coursework and is a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C).