Saff Mitten

Therapy for IVF, infertility, miscarriage and childlessness not by choice.

I am a counsellor and psychotherapist who supports women in navigating all aspects of IVF, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, and childlessness not by choice.

I know that these experiences are some of the most profoundly challenging things you may ever experience, and I know how lonely and isolating they can be.

I personally lived through a long infertility and IVF journey which included donor egg IVF, a number of miscarriages, and ultimately saw me end up not becoming a mother. These experiences, and my sense of connection to the infertility community, are what made me decide to refocus my work as a therapist to support other women who are on this journey. It has become my purpose and it gives me great satisfaction to support women through these significant experiences.

My Approach - How I Can Help

My approach is warm, compassionate, down to earth, and I bring a depth of understanding which means you don't need to spend your time explaining all the ins and outs of what you are going through - you can focus on sharing what you are thinking and feeling and I can help support you through it.

If we work together, I can't take away the uncertainty of infertility or IVF, or the pain and loss of miscarriage. Nor can I promise a particular outcome. What I can do is help you:

• Feel better able to cope with the emotional ups and downs of infertility and IVF, rather than carrying everything on your own.
• Better understand your thoughts and feelings. I can help you make sense of your reactions and recognise that many of them are a normal response to an incredibly difficult experience.
• Have somewhere you can talk openly about the things you don't feel able to say anywhere else, without fear of judgement or feeling you have to protect other people's feelings.
• Have a consistent source of support at a time when so much else feels uncertain and outside your control.
• Feel more confident about treatment decisions by having the time and space to think through appointments, options and difficult choices without judgement or pressure.
• Feel more mentally and emotionally prepared for another IVF cycle, an embryo transfer, the two-week wait, a pregnancy test, an important scan, or whatever lies ahead.
• If you become pregnant, continue to have support as you navigate pregnancy after infertility, recognising that reaching this point doesn't necessarily make the emotional impact of infertility disappear, and giving you space to explore whatever thoughts and feelings arise along the way.
• Navigate the changing stages of your journey when the goalposts unexpectedly move, whether that means considering donor eggs, donor sperm or donor embryos, surrogacy, or taking a break from treatment.
• If the time comes to stop treatment, have support as you navigate that transition, making sense of the emotions it brings, grieving what has been lost, and exploring what the next chapter of your life could look like, at your own pace.
• Recognise and process the grief and loss that often accompany infertility, IVF and miscarriage, including both the ongoing, often invisible grief of this journey and specific painful experiences such as failed cycles, miscarriage and repeated disappointment.
• Better understand the impact infertility and IVF are having on your confidence, identity, relationships and everyday life, and explore ways of responding to those challenges in a way that feels right for you.
• Reconnect with other aspects of your life outside IVF, finding small ways to ensure treatment isn't the only thing your life revolves around.
• And, if you feel ready, begin to reconnect with yourself on a deeper level, developing a greater sense of confidence, self-belief and agency, while recognising that this journey may have changed you in ways that deserve understanding and compassion.

My hope is that, by working with me, you will feel more supported, less alone, and better able to navigate one of the most difficult chapters of your life.

If this resonates with you, and you feel I may be the right therapist to support you, please get in touch.

Get In Touch

I offer online counselling and psychotherapy via Zoom or Teams, and I see clients across the UK.

I know therapy can feel daunting and you may be feeling overwhelmed, but taking the first step is often the hardest part.

I offer a free no pressure, 15- minute phone consultation if you'd like to speak to me before booking a first session. 

And you can visit my website if you want to learn more about me, my experience and how I can support you with these issues. 

IVF

Fertility issues.

I work Monday - Friday in the daytime and early evening.