Counseling Donor Family Members: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals

Product Description Donor families are unique, yet are also becoming substantially more common with the exponential advancements being made in the field of reproductive medicine, and with the wider acceptance of LGBTQ+ and single-parent families utilizing donor gametes in recent decades. The accessibility of commercial DNA testing is also helping to expand these families, as many people are finding out by surprise that they are part of a sometimes quite large donor family. Individuals connected to donor families are therefore much more likely to be seen across a variety of mental health and medical settings for a range of presenting problems, either related to or separate from this part of their background. Regardless of the presenting issue, for these individuals the challenges of forming and redefining family as they explore their own or their child's new biological connections can seem overwhelming and are therefore very likely to surface as a topic of discussion in treatment. Given the greatly increased probability of encountering a client connected to a donor family in their practices across settings, and the specific challenges this presents, clinicians must be well-informed about all perspectives in order to address such issues in a knowledgeable and sensitive manner. Counseling Donor Family Members provides clinicians and mental health professionals with guidance on the unique issues that can present for egg and sperm donors, parents of donor-conceived children, and donor-conceived people. They will be better prepared for many of the issues that donor family members might present in regards to their family of origin and with their new donor family relationships. Counseling Donor Family Members is both a resource for mental health and medical professionals in any setting, and a useful reference book for researchers, and donor family members themselves. It presents evolving ideas, recommendations, and talking points, that can be used in counseling everyone in the donor family. Because each stakeholder is deeply connected to the others, understanding all viewpoints is important for a successful counseling experience with any parent, egg and sperm donor, or donor-conceived person. Review "Education and competency in the issues related to donor-assisted reproduction should be required of any professional working with parents, donors, or the donor-conceived. And by this, I mean healthcare workers, legal professionals, teachers, spiritual care workers- people who interact with humans. Especially now, as this medical technology advances its accessibility, and as more people find out later in life that they were donor-conceived. This is another intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion for which professionals and families alike need resources for education and understanding. This handbook is just that source. As a healthcare professional, beneficiary of an egg donor, and mother to a young donor-conceived person, I can say this book is a great start. I extend gratitude to Kramer and Bertisch for their hard work in sharing this with us."- Laurie N. Baker, PhD, ABPP, Director of Psychology, Shepherd Center"This is a therapist handbook that should not be put on a high shelf; it needs to be readily available. While focusing on the needs of all members of donor families, the handbook is also an intelligent, accessible, and practical guide for offering high-quality therapy to all clients who want to address issues related to their families." - Liz Margolies, LCSW and Founder, National LGBT Cancer Network"This handbook relays the practical importance of this topic, particularly how mental health providers can help donor-conceived people navigate such complexities. Although discourse is shifting and stigma is decreasing, there needs to be greater awareness around assisted reproduction and its impact on individuals, couples, and families."- Dr. Elizabeth B. Lozano, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Sociology, Ca