Facing Infertility Together: The Theory and Practice of Using Emotion Focused Therapy with Infertile Couples
Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Shelly Smith-Acuña
Second Advisor
Deborah Fishman
Third Advisor
Lynett Henderson Metzger
Keywords
Couples, EFT, Clinical vignette, Infertility
Abstract
We know from the literature that about one out of every eight couples (12%) experiences issues with infertility, and infertility can have negative effects on individuals and couples. Consequently, there is a growing need to identify and understand effective treatments for working with this population. Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is one such treatment option. The purpose of this paper is to review the current infertility literature, outline EFT, and illustrate the clinical application of EFT with a couple facing infertility using a case vignette. It is proposed that EFT address the specific needs of this population and through shifting interaction patterns and deepening emotional bonds between partners, strengthens a couple’s ability to face the challenges of infertility as a united partnership.
Publication Statement
Copyright held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Extent
38 pgs
Recommended Citation
LaHoda, Rachel, "Facing Infertility Together: The Theory and Practice of Using Emotion Focused Therapy with Infertile Couples" (2019). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 349.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/349