Trying to build a family can bring hope and heartbreak, sometimes in the same month. Appointments, tests, waiting and loss can take over your life, often while the people around you have no idea. Infertility counselling in Kitchener-Waterloo gives you a place to bring all of it: the stress, the grief, the hope and the hard decisions. This post explains what reproductive mental health support looks like, how it can help after pregnancy loss and how to start in downtown Kitchener or online.
This post is general information, not medical, legal or fertility advice. Only a qualified professional can assess what you're going through.
Infertility counselling in Kitchener-Waterloo, and what reproductive mental health means
Reproductive mental health is about the emotional side of everything to do with having children, or not having them. That includes trying to conceive, fertility treatment, pregnancy loss and the choices that come after.
Infertility touches people of every background, gender and family shape. It can be just as hard in your first year of trying as in your fifth. You might be trying with a partner, trying on your own or part of a 2SLGBTQIA+ family. Your experience counts, whatever path you're on.
Counselling won't replace medical care. It works alongside it, giving you support for your feelings, your relationships and your decisions. A 2015 review pulled together many studies of people in fertility treatment. It found that psychological support helped ease distress, such as anxiety, low mood and infertility stress.
The mental load of fertility treatment
Fertility treatment can feel like a second job. There are early-morning appointments to fit around work. There's the two-week wait, and the phone call you both hope for and dread. There are decisions about money, timing and next steps.
Many people describe feeling:
On edge, waiting for results
Jealous or sad at baby showers and pregnancy announcements, then guilty for feeling that way
Cut off from friends who don't understand
Like their body has let them down
Worn out by hope, then disappointment, cycle after cycle
These feelings are common. Fertility counselling in Waterloo Region can help you cope with the waiting and quiet the self-blame. It can also help you stay connected to the parts of your life that matter beyond treatment.
Grief that others may not see
Pregnancy loss and failed cycles often happen quietly. Co-workers may not know. Friends may not know what to say. Some people hear comments like "at least it was early" or "you can try again," which can hurt more than help.
Every kind of loss counts. That includes miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, a transfer that didn't work and the loss of a pregnancy you only knew about for a few days. You don't need to compare your grief with anyone else's.
Research shows this grief is real. A 2016 study followed people after an early pregnancy loss. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression were common. For many, they were still there three months later.
Pregnancy loss counselling in Kitchener gives you space to grieve in your own way, at your own pace. There's no timeline you need to follow. If you're a family member or friend trying to help, our post on how to support someone after a miscarriage offers practical ideas.
When partners cope differently
Partners often grieve and cope in different ways. One may want to talk about it every day. The other may go quiet, throw themselves into work or focus on the next plan. Both are normal ways of coping, but the difference can leave each partner feeling alone.
Counselling can help you understand each other's way of coping, share decisions more fairly and stay close through a hard season. Couples sessions are in person together or online together, and partners may join the same online session from separate locations. Both partners need to be in Ontario during the session. Learn more about our couples counselling.
Getting through hard days and dates
Some days hit harder than others. A due date that passes. Mother's Day or Father's Day. A family gathering full of questions like "So when are you two having kids?" A friend's pregnancy news.
It can help to plan ahead:
Decide what you'll share. A simple line like "We're not talking about that today" is enough.
Give yourself an exit. Drive yourself, or agree on a signal with your partner for when you need to leave.
Mark the day your way. Light a candle, take a walk or spend quiet time together.
Mute when you need to. It's okay to step back from social media for a while.
Counselling can help you prepare for these moments and recover after them.
Donor options, adoption or a child-free life
At some point, you may find yourself thinking about a different path. That could mean donor eggs, sperm or embryos, surrogacy, adoption or deciding to stop trying and build a life without children.
These are big, personal choices. A counsellor won't tell you what to do or give medical or legal advice. Instead, you get a calm space to explore your feelings, hopes and fears, and to grieve the path you imagined. You can change direction at your own pace, and you don't need to have it all figured out.
A reproductive mental health therapist in Kitchener
Robyn Mahood, RSW, lists reproductive mental health on her profile, including infertility. She sees adults and couples (20 and up) in person at our downtown Kitchener office and online across Ontario. Learn more about Robyn Mahood.
In sessions, you might work on:
Coping with the ups and downs of treatment
Grieving a pregnancy loss or failed cycle
Talking with a partner, family or friends about what you need
Handling triggers, like due dates or pregnancy news
Making decisions about next steps in a way that fits your values
Your first session is a chance to share as much or as little as you want. You might talk about where you are in your journey, what's been hardest and what kind of support would help. You don't need to explain medical terms or tell the whole story at once. You can come alone, with a partner or try both over time.
If Robyn's schedule doesn't fit, our admin team can talk with you about other options during the free consultation.
Downtown Kitchener or online
Robyn sees clients in person at 72 Victoria St S, 3rd Floor, N2G 4Y9. The office sits inside CollabHive in downtown Kitchener. To book or ask a question, call (519) 340-1756. If you drive, there's free parking behind the building. If you'd rather leave the car at home, the office is a short walk from the ION Central Station stop at King and Victoria, and local buses also stop nearby. The space is quiet and private, which many people value after a long day of medical visits.
Prefer to stay home? Online sessions run on a secure video link we email to you, with nothing to download. Many people like this on days after a procedure or a hard result, when getting out the door feels like too much.
Cost, billing and your first step
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).
We can direct bill many insurers. Coverage depends on your plan, so check with your insurer before you start.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. Let them know you're looking for infertility or pregnancy loss counselling, and they'll help you find a good fit.
If you're in crisis: if you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
Efficacy of psychosocial interventions for psychological and pregnancy outcomes in infertile women and men: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Frederiksen and colleagues, BMJ Open, 2015
Post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression following miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy: a prospective cohort study, Farren and colleagues, BMJ Open, 2016