VISTAS Online is an innovative publication produced for ACA by Dr. Garry R. Walz and Dr. Jeanne C. Bleuer of Counseling Outfitters, LLC. Its purpose is to provide a means of capturing the ideas, information and experiences generated by the annual ACA Conference and selected ACA Division Conferences. Papers on a program or practice that has been validated through research or experience may also be submitted. This digital collection of peer-reviewed articles is authored by counselors, for counselors. VISTAS Online contains the full text of over 900 proprietary counseling articles published from 2004 to 2017.
2016
Multicultural Considerations in Infertility Counseling
Ebru Buluc-Halper and Paul W. Griffin
2016
Infertility affects 15% of the world’s population. It is a deeply intimate matter, often deemed as taboo to discuss publicly, with pervasive social and psychological consequences. Over the last few decades, research has enlightened our understanding of the biomedical causes and treatment options of infertility and the psychological impact of the experience. However, less attention is given to counseling implications of these psychological studies, not to mention even less consideration of an infertile person or couple’s social context, including the cultural and religious factors. In this article, we aim to impart a comprehensive overview of the multicultural implications in working with clients coping with infertility, including the roles culture and religion play in the etiological interpretations, the experience, and the possible resolutions to infertility. We conclude with tangible counseling implications for professional counselors.