Finding a therapist who understand the grief of childlessness because they haved lived through the experience themselves, can be a relief. Knowing triggers of parenthood will not accidentally slip into the conversation or be evident in the room. But how often do we consider the emotional toll on the counsellors, therapists and life coaches as they listen to our stories?
This discussion will cover the challenges therapists face dealing with their own emotions and healing whilst training and after they qualify; supporting others and encountering new triggers.
Together they will share their knowledge in the hope it will help you.
The webinar will be hosted by Stephanie Joy Phillips who will be joined by Cristina Archetti, Jody Day, Katie Maynard and Meriel Whale. Further details below.
DATE: Monday 12th September
TIME: 7.00pmBST Find your time zone here
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
Please note: This webinar will be recorded and available to view on the website, if you are unable to attend it live. You do not need to register to watch the replay.
Stephanie Joy Phillips - England
Stephanie Joy Phillips is passionate about raising awareness for the childless not by choice. After realising there was no national recognition of the community she started World Childless Week in 2017.
Stephanie also runs three childless Facebook groups: Childless Path To Acceptance focuses on support, Childless Chit Chat is a trigger free zone and Childless Perks!! is all about laughter and finding the positives of being childless without a parent saying 'I told you so'.
Steph lives in Worcestershire, UK, with her husband and two rescue cats, Storm and Tea-Cup.
Cristina Archetti - Norway
Just when I thought my life was perfect, I was diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility.’ I embarked on IVF without realizing how invasive and demeaning it would be, both physically and psychologically. When it failed, I was devastated: I had never been the little girl who wanted to be a mum as a grown up, yet I did not know any more who—or what—I was.
To process my own trauma and to investigate the reasons for the silence that surrounds involuntary childlessness, I wrote Childlessness in the age of communication: Deconstructing silence (2020). I also founded the first Norwegian organization for the permanently childless Andre veier: Foreningen for permanent barnløse”. I am currently training as a psychotherapist and researching how a greater understanding of the trauma of infertility can support childless women (and men) in coming to terms with the perspective of a life without children.
Jody Day - Ireland
Jody Day is the founder of Gateway Women and the author of what many professionals consider to be the 'go-to' book on healing from childlessness, ‘Living the Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Future Without Children’ (Bluebird/PanMac). Chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2013 & awarded UK Digital Woman of the Year (2nd place) in 2021, she’s a global thought leader on female involuntary childlessness, a psychotherapist, a 2017 and 2022 TEDx speaker (with another one coming soon), a founding and former board member at Ageing Without Children and a former Fellow in Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School. Often referred to as the ‘voice of the childless generation’, she moved a few years ago to rural Ireland, where she’s building a house by the sea, finishing her novel (featuring a childless heroine of course!) and nurturing the emerging Gateway Elderwomen project. www.gateway-women.com
Katie Maynard - USA
Katie Maynard is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with over two decades of involvement within psychotherapy, clinical research, and macro-level community based Social Work.
Her lived experience of childlessness informs and inspires her work with clients as well as her dedicated advocacy for better mental health care for all people without children.
Alongside a private practice she also provides supervision, consultation, and training to providers seeking to enlarge their clinical competency and provide childless affirmative services.
Meriel Whale - England
My name is Meriel Whale, and I am a childless woman living in East Sussex. I am a counsellor (Meriel Whale Counseling), a teacher and a writer and when I am not working, I like sea swimming, walking and the arts.
I've been working as a person-centred and integrative counsellor since 2010, and work predominantly with people who are childless not by choice. I am both neurodivergent and part of the LGBTQ+ community.
My journey towards childlessness has encompassed both physical infertility and an attempt at solo adoption and came to an end in 2015. Since then, I have benefited hugely from the support of the childless community both in the UK and around the world and began working with childless clients in 2019 after finishing a one year Plan B course with Jody Day from Gateway Women. I consider myself both proud and lucky to be able to work with people who are childless.