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Infertility, a vast and expanding topic, touches the lives of millions of people annually. Adding to the approximately one couple in ten (of childbearing age) that experience reproductive difficulties, also affected are the countless would-be grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, and others. In addition, the tragedy of an infertile couple is often palpable to others beyond the seemingly insular world of the affected couple or individual and their family. With the advent of new technologies and treatments come the challenges of disappointment, adaptation, and adjustment; and the resources (financial, emotional, psychological) of many couples are taxed, often to the point of dissolution, by the stresses of infertility.
None of this is new, however, and in fact much has been written about infertility and mental health over the past 15 years. Studies exist reporting the incidence of depression and anxiety in individuals experiencing infertility, and the psychological distress that can accompany infertility treatment has been well documented. It is a rare infertility treatment program that does not have on hand staff dedicated to dealing with the emotional side of reproductive difficulties. Since this topic has been so extensively discussed, Frozen Dreams is a significant contribution because it goes beyond the established knowledge to take the reader into the minds of clinicians as they grapple with actual situations and difficult therapeutic quandaries. This volume, a well-edited collection of thematically linked chapters, is indeed about the psychodynamics of infertility and the transferences, counter transferences, and therapeutic dilemmas that clinicians experience daily in their consulting rooms.
The editors' plan for this book was to solicit chapters from experienced clinicians (predominantly psychologists and social workers) on particular topics in fertility-related problems. Their vision, which is realized, was that the “reader should have a first-hand e