Professional Counseling Now Available at GIVF

For Individuals, Couples Coping with Infertility

Phyllis Fortunato Martin is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in working with individuals and couples who are dealing with infertility.  She has her Master’s in Education, Counseling and Human Development and has extensive experience helping patients cope with infertility, loss, adoption and family building.  Her sub-specialty is donor egg and she has been facilitating a free “Donor Egg Recipient” support group here at GIVF for over five years.   This group is for current or potential donor egg recipients.  Donor sperm and donor embryo patients are also welcome to come and will find overlap in the group topics that will likely be of comfort and use.  Ms. Martin offers counseling to individuals and couples in her office at our main office located at 3015 Williams Drive on the 3rd floor or at her 10400 Eaton Place, Suite 110, Fairfax VA office.  Ms. Martin is also the mother of three children conceived using donor eggs. and speaks both from a psychotherapeutic point of view AND from very personal experience  Ms. Martin is the Mental Health Directory for the Eastern Regions of RESOLVE, a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).  To learn more about counseling services available or to schedule an appointment with Ms. Martin, please call 703-509-7412.

Donor Egg IVF Support Group Meets Monthly

Patients and their partners are encouraged to attend. Guest speakers join our group on occasion; they have included egg donors, GIVF medical staff/nurses, acupuncturists and mind/body facilitators.  The group is designed to offer support, answer questions and give patients a safe and confidential place to discuss infertility and donor egg IVF issues. The group meets at the GIVF third floor lobby on the second Tuesday of each month from 7:15 PM to 8:30 PM. For details, contact Ms. Martin at 703-509-7412 or phyllismartinlpc@cox.net.

Following are the dates for the next Donor Egg Groups for 2010: February 9, March 9, April 13 and May 11

Any special guest speakers will be announced on this site.  If you would like to be on the confidential email reminder list, please contact Phyllis Martin via phone or email so you can receive any schedule changes or information on guest speakers.

General Infertility Support Group

The IVF support group meets monthly, led by Phyllis Martin, LPC. The group is designed to help couples and individuals who feel they would benefit from the support and interaction of others who are going through similar experiences. There will be opportunity to share or simply listen as the group discusses a wide range of topics surrounding how best to cope with the emotional and physical stress involved with the diagnosis of infertility. Discussion will focus on topics such as how to face questions from friends and family about the absence of children, how to deal with the mixed emotions regarding friends who get pregnant easily, and how infertility diagnosis and treatment can affect a marriage as well as how we look at ourselves. The group meets at the GIVF third floor lobby on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7:15 PM to 8:30 PM.

The next groups for General Infertility in 2010 will meet on: Jan. 26,*Wed, Feb.24; March 23, April 20 and May 18. (Please note any schedule changes will appear prior to the group with * signifying a change in routine).