+ What is infertility/IVF coaching?

Infertility/IVF coaching is a way to get support and mentorship on your infertility journey from someone whose been there before and gets it.

It can help you reduce the overwhelm, feel less alone, shift into a more positive mindset (without bypassing the hard feels), and make what is otherwise a really difficult process easier and more joy-filled.

+ How is coaching different from therapy?

They're actually quite complimentary and even have some overlap. Many of my clients use therapy to help them get to baseline with managing anxiety, coping with grief after loss, and PTSD from infertility (or have previoulsy done therapy in other seasons of their life).

But when it comes to getting support in their infertility journeys, my clients find that what they're actually craving and desiring is companionship and support from someone who gets it and can help them see or do things differently and that is often when they make their way to coaching. Some continue doing therapy alongside coaching while others choose coaching after feeling complete with therapy.

Therapy also has a tendancy to be more focused on the past and present, while coaching tends to be more focused on the present and future. Both can be super supportive spaces and at the end of the day it's about figuring out what kind of support (and which therapist/coach) is best for you.

+ What happens on a coaching call?

Coaching calls are a space to feel seen and just process/digest whatever is coming up for you. The topics of our coaching calls are often client led based on what's feeling most salient at the moment but if you ask any of my clients, I'm also very willing and don't shy away from asking questions to help you get to the root of things and uncover what's going to be most helpful for you during our time together.

My job as your coach is to listen and reflect back what I'm hearing and to help you get to your truth, while making you feel super seen and supported (because it's basically my super power).

Our coaching calls can also help you get clarity in decisions + next steps, help you feel less alone, and give you a space to process/release any big emotions that are coming up for you that you may not have another outlet for (since it's avoiding and holding in these emotions that often leaves us feeling stuck, overwhelmed and spinning out).

+ How is coaching different from talking to a friend?

Many of my clients are surprised to find how freeing it is to talk to someone who is completely removed from their social circle.

As a coach I can provide an unbiased, third party opinion and since we don't have a pre-existing relationship you don't have to worry about any of what you share impacting our relationship.

You also never have to worry about being a burden (the best perk of getting paid support) because I am literally here to hold space for you in a way that many of our friends and family can't even if they want to.

+ Is what I share with you confidential?

While I will never share any identifying information about you without your prior consent, it's important for you to know that our relationship as coach-client is not considered a legally confidential one. That being said, integrity in any relationship is really important to me and privacy and discretion is really important to so many of my clients so know that I will do everything I can to maintain your privacy and confidentiality both during and after our time together.

+ How much does The Joyful Journey program cost?

The investment for The Joyful Journey is currently $1850 (paid in full) or three monthly installments of $647.

+ I really want to work with you but I’m not sure I can afford to with all the expenses of my IVF treatments

If you’re feeling all the heart pulls, but money is the thing keeping you from diving into The Joyful Journey I want you to ask yourself/journal on this: “What am I worried will happen if I spend this money getting support?”

Sometimes money really is a problem and you just can’t make it work. But more often than not, “I can’t afford it” is the thing we say when all the other fears around deservingness and enoughness start coming up for us.

Things like “Am I really allowed to spend money on myself?” “Do I deserve to have support?” “Shouldn’t I be able to just handle this on my own?”

And if that’s what’s actually coming up for you, here’s what I can tell you after working with over two dozen clients through their infertility/IVF journeys -

You’re never going to regret investing in support. Even if your next cycle is the one that works you’re not going to be like “Man, I really wish I had saved this money and didn’t feel so great through this process.” In fact, most of my clients will tell you they wish they’d gotten support sooner and that it was ultimately THE THING that got them through what otherwise felt like an impossible journey.

So if deep down you know you want/need support here’s your permission to spend money on the only sure thing in this process (you) 🤍

+ I’m nervous about talking to my partner about The Joyful Journey, any tips or advice for having this conversation?

This is true for the IVF shots and it’s also true about this conversation. The fear is always worse than the thing itself so don’t overthink it and just have the conversation. Worst case they say, “No, I don’t support that.” And then you get to decide what comes next. Best case they say “Yes” and then you just need to choose to trust yourself enough to do the dang thing ;)

The other piece of advice I’ll give around having this conversation is this: know what your intention is going into the conversation. Are you asking for permission? Support? Their two cents on whether you should do it or not? Just be clear going into the conversation what you want to get out of it and see where it goes.

And the last thing I’ll say, which I’ve seen time and again with my clients, is that by you getting infertility/IVF support outside of your relationship, it takes the pressure off your relationship, which means your partner gets to just be your partner. Which means you'll get to spend more time enjoying each other rather than stressing out about infertility/IVF (since you'll have an outlet for that!). So really at the end of the day BOTH of you will benefit from our time working together :)

And if you want more personalized support around having this conversation with your partner schedule a free call and let's chat. Happy to support you through this and share a resource I have specifially for partners to help them better understand the benefits of coaching support.

+ What if this program doesn’t work for me?

While I can’t guarantee specific results with this program what I can tell you from my own personal experience and from working with my clients is that anytime you go into something with an open mind and a willingness to see things differently, it’s almost impossible not to get something out of it and see positive results.

It all starts with choosing to trust yourself and knowing that you can learn something from anything. This is why my clients have so much success with shifting their mindsets and learning to thrive. Because they are ready for change in their life and they are willing to do the work to get there. This means showing up to our calls (which we both know you'll do), being honest about where they are, reaching out when they’re struggling, and doing their homework assignments (which again, we both know you'll do).

This is also why I’m so confident in the transformation that is available to you and the positive impact that this program can have on both your infertility journey and your life. Because I KNOW that when you show up with an open mind and are willing to do the work, the possibilities are endless and you, friend, become unstoppable. And I love watching that magic go down :)

+ I’m not currently going through IVF can I still do this program?

Absolutely! If you are currently struggling with the emotional roller coaster of infertility in any capacity, then you can 100% benefit from this program.

In fact, several of my clients have worked with me while not actively going through treatments and it helped them keep their sanity in that season of waiting plus it helped them lay a positive foundation before starting (or restarting) treatments so they were in a much better headspace going into it. (This can make SUCH a huge difference and is one of the best things you can do for yourself!)

+ What's the cancellation policy if I get pregnant before we start working together?

There is a non-refundable retainer fee of $150 to hold your spot in The Joyful Journey but otherwise you can cancel the contract at any time. And if it feels supportive, we could easily pivot to supporting you through early pregnancy so that you could actually enjoy that season since sometimes that can be hard after struggling with infertility and/or loss. I've had several of my clients extend their initial contracts to get support through their first trimster because that's what felt best for them. At the end of the day it's totally up to you and what feels best. And if what feels good is choosing to walk away, your deposit will have just been even more evidence to the universe that you're ready to make yourself a priority, get support through this journey and have this dang baby already ;)

+ How does the program work if I live internationally?

All of the calls take place via zoom so as long as you have access to the internet and your phone or computer you can easily participate in the calls! And for support between calls we use Voxer which is a free text/voice app so again as long as you have a phone/computer and access to the internet you should be good to go :)

+ Do you take insurance?

I wish I could but unfortunately I can't. I do offer payment plans to help make the cost of working together more manageable but I also know that sometimes it's just not feasible, in which case I would encourage you to keep an eye out for other programs and opportunities to work together. Trust that the right thing will come along for you at the right time.

+ Is it ok if I cry on our calls?

It is absolutely ok to cry on our calls! So many of my clients have cried on our initial call together and will cry again during our time working together. I think it's so healthy and good to get all the feelings off our chest and for us to not have to hold the weight of this process alone. And I'm so grateful to hold space for my clients to bring their full selves - the good, the bad and the messy. All of it is welcome.

+ Why did you become an Infertility/IVF Support Coach?

Honestly, to provide people with what I wish I had had in my own infertlity journey. When we started IVF I didn't personally know anyone who had been through it. I didn't realize how much of an emotional roller coaster that growing our family could be. And I spent a whole lot of time suffering in silence because of it.

When I realized there was another more empowering and joyful way of doing infertility/IVF I knew I had to share it with folks and become the person I wish I'd had. If I could just help one other person feel less alone on their infertility journey I knew it would be worth it. Getting to walk alongside you in this journey, helping you shift your mindset and watching you thrive through this season means the world to me. I can't wait to do this thing with you and cheer you on every step of the way!

+ I'm ready to snag my Joyful Journey spot! How do I pay you?

If we've already chatted about The Joyful Journey being a good fit for you, you can send me an email at michelle@thrivethroughivf.com and I'll send you a proposal with your Client Agreement and invoice to make your first payment and secure your spot! I can't wait to walk alongside you and help you create a more joyful journey!

+ What if I have additional questions?

If it's a quick logistical question you can always email me at michelle@thrivethroughivf.com. If the question is more in depth or you want to explore if The Joyful Journey is right for you, I would encourage you to schedule a free call using this link here.