Counselling is a process through which a person can explore his or her feelings about difficult and potentially stressful situations. Given the opportunity, patients will often become less stressed and make well-informed decisions. Counselling is non judgemental and strictly confidential.

Types of counselling:

• Support counselling: recommended for all patients undergoing fertility treatment.
• Implication counselling: important when gamete donation is considered.
• Assessment counselling: to assess the patient’s readiness for treatment and awareness of implications in a few cases with ethical dilemma e.g. known gamete donation. The counsellor will submit a report to the doctor.

The Fertility and Gynaecology Academy has a link with external counsellors and contacts will be readily available.