Infertility affects every aspect of your life, every day.

While stress does not cause infertility, infertility most definitely causes stress.

Mind Body Dynamics was created by Karyn Floyd to assist women going through infertility.

Karyn is a Fertility Mind Body Specialist, Counsellor and former President of Fertility New Zealand.

She has a Masters degree, Post Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy, and completed her training in Mind Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School, USA.

Frequently Asked Questions


Does Stress cause infertility?

Women who struggle to conceive often experience a loss of self-esteem, depression, anger, and anxiety.  All this reinforces the cycle of stress and infertility, but it is highly unlikely that stress by itself causes infertility. What we do know is women with infertility issues who aren’t stressed are more likely to conceive than those who are. Research has shown that counselling can reduce your depressive symptoms and stress and thereby increase your chances of conceiving.

 

Is your counselling based on Mind Body medicine? Is this an alternative Treatment?


Mind body medicine is not an alternative or unconventional therapy as it is evidence based and proven scientifically.  Many Fertility Clinics in the USA have Mind Body programmes for their clients to reduce their distress and maximize their chances of conceiving. It is the basis of these programmes that is integrated into your counselling: reducing stress, increasing coping strategies, reducing the impact of infertility on your life.



Should I tell my Doctor I am seeing an Infertility Counsellor?


By all means you can let your doctor know, however there is nothing in the counselling that will interfere with your fertility treatment – quite the reverse – it will reduce your anxiety and distress and enhance your chances of conceiving.



What will I be required to do?


Everybody is different so the number of sessions you require is up to you.  What is needed is a commitment to learning self care skills that will reduce stress and improve your mood.  Think of it as a ‘personal trainer for the mind’. We would look at changing your negative thinking, increasing your coping skills, enabling you to feel more positive and increase your chances of conceiving. 


What happens after my counselling?


When you have completed your sessions you will have coping strategies you can use daily, you will be feeling more positive and you will have reduced the impact of infertility on your life – making your infertility journey easier. If for any reason you are struggling to maintain the effectiveness of those skills you can arrange further follow-up sessions.



Can my partner come too?

Absolutely, infertility is stressful for both of you so counselling can benefit you both.