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Fertility Counseling With Judith Greenwald, MSW, LCSWJudith Greenwald, MSW, LCSW, is the fertility counselor and psychotherapist for the Continuum Reproductive Center. She talks with individuals and couples, helping them deal with the life crisis of infertility, and the emotional roller coaster that they may be going through. She sees patients in her office at 252 West 85th Street, Suite 1A, New York, New York, 10024, between Broadway and West End Avenue, near the 86th Street stop on the #1 Train. To schedule an appointment, call 212-874-4512. Judith Greenwald, MSW, LCSW, is a board-certified diplomate in clinical social work, a professional member of the American Fertility Association, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the National Association of Social Work, and the American Association for Psychoanalytic Clinical Social Work. After graduating with a Master’s of Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work, Ms. Greenwald worked for 14 years at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center where she was a social worker, supervisor and assistant director of social work. Her areas of specialization have included women’s health, male fertility, OB/GYN, teen pregnancy, and adult and child psychiatry. She also developed a program for parents or other caregivers who have difficulty with bonding and attachment to their children from birth to four years old. Prior to being a social worker, Ms. Greenwald was a medical journalist for Medical World News, a weekly news magazine for doctors that covered all areas of medicine. She attended the annual meetings of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she wrote articles specializing in women’s health, including birth control, pregnancy, gynecologic oncology, endometriosis, postpartum depression and menopause. She has also written women’s interest articles published in Harper’s Bazaar and Today’s Health. For the last 30 years, Ms. Greenwald has been in full-time private practice as a fertility counselor and psychotherapist working with individuals and couples, helping them cope with the emotional roller coaster encountered by many people during infertility treatments. Fifteen years ago, she received her Certificate in Psychoanalysis from the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. What Does a Fertility Counselor Do?“As a fertility counselor,” says Ms. Greenwald, “I talk with individuals and couples, helping them deal with the life crisis of infertility, and the emotional roller coaster that they may be going through. We talk about how to cope with their feelings of anger, blame, loss, guilt, and shame—the emotional devastation--that results from failed attempts at becoming pregnant, having miscarriages, the diagnosis of unexplained infertility, early menopause, and being told that your eggs are “too old”. When couples are feeling overwhelmed and the process is becoming increasingly more confusing and frustrating, and the need for more information is urgently needed, we discuss very specific questions to ask the doctors during their meetings. We discuss their sadness, loss, and readiness to move forward when told that IUI and IVF won’t work and their only option is donor egg. We talk about ways for couples to be a team so they can be each other’s emotional support. We discuss the complexities of selecting their egg donor, and give guidance in making decisions about telling the children, family, friends and others. “As a fertility counselor, I want to help empower individuals and couples to feel strong about themselves and their personal choices as they move through each treatment cycle.” |
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