Finding Yourself After Choosing to Be Childfree or Childless A look at rediscovering who you are beyond the parenthood you imagined, or the path you once thought you would take. As we recognize World Childless Week (September 14–20), we make space to acknowledge the experiences of those navigating childlessness, infertility, and the journey of creating an identity beyond parenthood. For some people, the decision to be childfree is intentional. For others, becoming childless i

For many people experiencing infertility, there comes a point when treatment options have been exhausted. The appointments, procedures, medications, waiting, hoping and uncertainty may finally come to an end. But reaching the end of treatment does not necessarily mean reaching the end of the grief. There can be a profound sense of loss when the path to parenthood you imagined is no longer possible. You may be grieving a pregnancy that never happened, losses you experienced, a

I've noticed an increase in clients seeking a therapist who understands a child-free lifestyle. The decision to remain child-free or being childless not by choice are becoming more prevalent. Additionally, an increasing number of couples are opting not to have children. Although some may understand this choice, individuals and couples might still face social and cultural pressures. Others left childless by circumstance may have disenfranchised grief and other emotions to work

If you've exhausted all options and reached the end with infertility you might feel an uncertainty about what comes next. My experience of accepting childlessness after infertility started by recognizing and addressing the disenfranchised grief that accompanies the experience of being childless following infertility. I didn't do that work alone, therapy helped me move forward and remember that grief and happiness can coexist together. As you begin on the path of acceptance,

Infertility treatments and the journey to building a family can be difficult for some. Some women may be waiting to start the journey...