Counseling People Experiencing Infertility

Infertility has been often described as a biopsychosocial crisis for both men and women because it includes multiple physical, financial, social, and psychological stressors (Gibson & Myers, 2000, 2002). When exploring common lifestyle factors that can contribute to experiencing infertility, body weight (under and overweight), tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, physical activity (too little or too much), diet and nutrition, stress and other psychological issues, sleep patterns, exposure to environmental toxins, and other substance use should be considered (Dhage et al., 2024; Donato et al., 2025; Lee et al., 2024; Lim et al., 2024; Tesarik et al., 2025; Urata et al., 2024). However, sometimes the causes of infertility can be unexplained (Raperport et al., 2024). For counselors, individuals experiencing infertility could present with anxiety and mood disorders, adjustment issues, and relationship concerns.