Fertility counselling
Choosing donor conception is about more than selecting a donor or planning fertility treatment. It often raises questions about identity, family, relationships, and the future you hope to build.
For intended parents, this can also involve questions about parenthood, the use of donor gametes, and whether treatment involves egg or sperm donation, a surrogate, or another form of assisted reproductive technology.
Donor conception implications counselling provides a dedicated space to explore these topics and consider the emotional and practical aspects of building your family through donor conception.
Although many people begin counselling because their clinic requires it, they often discover that it becomes one of the most valuable parts of preparing for treatment.
Whether your clinic has referred you or you're seeking support on your own, implications counselling gives you the opportunity to explore questions that often aren't addressed during medical appointments.
Donor conception implications counselling is a specialized form of fertility counselling for individuals and couples who are considering or planning to use donor sperm, donor eggs, or donated embryos.
Whether you are choosing a donor, considering egg donation or sperm donation, or planning to use donor gametes, counselling can help you think through the emotional, relational, and practical questions involved (In this context, a donor gamete refers to donor sperm or an egg used to help create an embryo).
While your medical team focuses on the treatment itself, implications counselling focuses on everything that comes with the decision. It gives you the opportunity to talk through questions about family, relationships, identity, disclosure, and what donor conception may mean for you and your future child.
Most fertility clinics in Ontario require implications counselling before treatment involving donor sperm, donor eggs, embryo donation, or other forms of third-party reproduction.
These counselling services can provide support and information about disclosure, future donor origins, and possible relationships and contact arrangements over time.
The purpose isn't to make sure you're making the "right" decision or to evaluate whether you're ready to become a parent. Instead, it's an opportunity to slow down and think through some of the questions that often come with building a family through donor conception.
Depending on your circumstances, counselling may also help you become aware of the legal ramifications of a known donor or surrogate arrangement, although legal advice itself should come from a qualified lawyer.
These conversations can help you feel more prepared for the decisions ahead and provide a stronger foundation as you begin treatment.
Donor conception implications counselling is available for individuals and couples at different stages of their family-building journey. This service may be right for you if you are:
Some intended parents also want to explore donor anonymity, donor selection, or what kind of relationship they hope to have with a known donor, including donors who are open to future identity-release or contact.
Every family's story is different, so no two conversations are exactly the same. We'll focus on the topics that are most relevant to your circumstances, which may include:
For many people, donor conception follows infertility, pregnancy loss, unsuccessful fertility treatment, or a diagnosis they never expected. We make space to acknowledge those experiences while also looking ahead.
Together, we'll explore what donor conception means for you, your relationship, and the family you hope to build. This may include conversations about identity, genetics, and the emotions that can arise along the way.
Many intended parents wonder how and when to talk with their child about their origins, or what to share with family and friends. We'll discuss these questions in a way that feels thoughtful and appropriate for your family.
Many parents think about disclosure long before treatment and wonder when to tell their child, how to talk with children about their donor, and how to explain their child's genetic origins in an age-appropriate way.
We may also discuss what current research on donor-conceived people can contribute to conversations about identity and disclosure. Counselling can help you consider the needs of a future donor-conceived child and how a donor-conceived person may understand their story over time.
Whether you're working with a known donor, making decisions with a partner, or balancing different perspectives, counselling provides a space to talk through these conversations before treatment begins.
Clear expectations can matter especially if the donor is a friend, relative, or someone you may continue seeing regularly, and counselling can explore the donor's role alongside the needs of everyone involved.
We provide donor conception implications counselling for individuals and couples pursuing a variety of family-building paths, including:
We also support intended parents using donor embryos, considering donor or surrogacy pathways, or navigating other forms of assisted fertility care involving egg or sperm gametes.
Most people come to implications counselling because it's part of the process before treatment. They often leave realizing it gave them something they hadn't expected: time to think.
Implications counselling helps intended parents feel more confident, make decisions that align with their values, and move forward with confidence as they prepare for treatment.
Donor conception can bring up questions that don't always fit into a medical appointment. Counselling provides space to talk through those questions, consider different perspectives, and reflect on what feels right for you and your family before treatment begins.
For some people, having this space to think helps them feel more at peace and more confident in their choices while growing their families through donor conception.
The goal is to help you feel more at peace and confident in the decisions you make, without suggesting there is one right path for every family.
Delia Petrescu is a Registered Psychotherapist specializing in reproductive mental health.
She is a member of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS) Counselling Special Interest Group and has both professional expertise and personal lived experience with fertility treatment.
Delia supports individuals and couples navigating infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, reproductive trauma, and donor conception.
Sessions are offered virtually across Ontario and usually last 60 to 90 minutes.
Some receive counselling once to meet clinic requirements, while others choose ongoing counselling and support as treatment progresses or new questions arise.
The number of sessions is always based on your needs, not a predetermined schedule.
Many fertility clinics in Ontario require implications counselling before treatment involving donor sperm, donor eggs, embryo donation, or other forms of third-party reproduction. If you're unsure whether it's required by your clinic, we're happy to help you understand what's needed before treatment begins.
Implications counselling is a conversation. It gives you the opportunity to talk through the emotional, practical, and long-term considerations of donor conception, ask questions, and prepare for the decisions ahead.
A psychological assessment is different. It's a formal evaluation that may be requested in certain situations and often includes a written report for your fertility clinic or another healthcare provider.
If you're attending as a couple, we encourage both partners to take part in the counselling process. Most sessions are attended together, although individual sessions can be arranged if there are topics either partner would like to discuss privately.
This approach helps individuals and couples hear each other's perspectives and consider how the process may affect both recipients and donors in known-donor arrangements.
If possible, it's best to attend before starting treatment, as it gives you time to think through important decisions before moving forward. However, counselling can also be helpful at any stage of your family-building journey if new questions or concerns arise.
There isn't a set number of sessions. Some people attend one session to meet their clinic's requirements, while others choose additional sessions to explore questions or receive support throughout their family-building journey.
Yes. After your implications counselling session, you'll receive a report confirming that you've completed the counselling. You can then provide it to your fertility clinic.
Yes. We work with single parents by choice who are considering or pursuing donor conception. Whether you're planning to use donor sperm or donor eggs, implications counselling provides a space to explore the decisions and questions that come with building your family.
This may include people counselling when considering donor conception, the use of donor gametes, or the practical and emotional questions that come with eggs and sperm donation.
Yes. All appointments are virtual and available across Ontario.
Absolutely. Many intended parents seek donor conception implications counselling independently because they want support and preparation before treatment begins.
If you're considering or preparing for donor conception, implications counselling offers an opportunity to talk through the questions and decisions that come with this stage of your family-building journey.
Our focus is on intended parents rather than providing support for donors, but sessions can explore the expectations of donors and recipients and the boundaries that may matter in a known-donor arrangement.
Book a session or schedule a free consultation to learn more.