Sunshine Coast Counselling: Your Partner IN FAMILY BUILDING

What is donor or implication counselling?

This is for potential recipients wanting to access donated human gametes (egg, sperm, embryo) through a fertility clinic. Examples: independent mums wanting to access a sperm donor, same sex couple accessing a sperm (and sometimes egg) donor (i.e. double donation), male/female couples accessing sperm, eggs or embryos. 

During these counselling sessions, we explore the short and long term implications for both recipient parent(s) and the gamete donor(s). These sessions help intended parents to support their donor-conceived child. It also supports donors in how to navigate the arrangement within their own family i.e. half sibling relationships. We also talk about supportive disclosure to the child throughout the course of their life in age-appropriate ways. We also talk about donor linking and navigating future sibling relationships.

Fiona is a registered member of The Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association (ANZICA).  As such, she is uniquely positioned to offer supportive fertility counselling around treatment, perinatal loss, donor recipiency. She works closely with local fertility specialists and clinics.

Quick Facts about Donor Conception:

• Gamete donation must be altruistic in Australia, that means - the donation is free of financial gain and/or emotional or financial coercion.
• Gamete donation can be known, such as a friend, family member or someone you've met OR "deidentified" such as with an overseas sperm/egg bank. 
• There is no anonymous donating in Australia. It is important that donor-conceived people understand their conception story and who they are biologically related to. This is their right to have this information.
• Donor-linking is the process in which the deidentified donor's information is shared with the donor-conceived person. 
• All donors undertake counselling.
• All recipients undertake counselling. 
• In known arrangements, group counselling also takes place.
• Donor/implication counselling must be conducted by an ANZICA registered counsellor, which Fiona is and can provide the required report for your fertility clinic.
• There is lots more to learn about donor conception and plenty of resources available! Feel free to contact Fiona for more information.