Advanced Reproductive Health Center, Ltd. (ARHC) in conjunction with The Chicago Stress Relief Center, Inc. (CSRC) provides comprehensive psychological health care to all ARHC patients. All clinical services are managed via the founder and director of CSRC, Dr. Howard K. Weissman, Psy.D. Dr. Weissman’s history with ARHC goes back to the genesis of the organization. Dr. Brasch invited Dr. Weissman to provide stress assessments to patients as he appreciated how important it is to successfully manage stress during the infertility process.
Pregnancy rates increased among infertile women who supported medical
therapies with stress reduction or support group treatment. Harvard University
investigators reported at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine
meeting that 76% of women who participated in stress management groups
with other infertile women became pregnant after 1 year as compared to
28% of those not in a cognitive therapy group.
-USA Today, October 6, 1998.
In addition to providing individual, marital and group therapy to the patients at ARHC, Dr. Weissman has provided stress management sessions to the front-line employees, lectured on the psychological impact of infertility stress, and created an IVF relaxation meditation tape/cd which has become a standard for all patients undergoing IVF. Dr. Weissman’s article, “Mind/Body Approaches to Managing Infertility” is available to all new patients.
Dr. Weissman and his associates provide all clinical services to the patients at ARHC. The services include “emotional empowerment sessions” provided in a confidential individual and/or marital format.
Specific infertility stress services offered by The Chicago Stress Relief Center, Inc. include the following:
- Emotional Empowerment Sessions
During the diagnostic phase of the infertility work-up, all patients will go through two emotional empowerment sessions. The patient can expect to gain a greater understanding of how infertility stress is impacting their lives. Concrete skills are taught to aid the individual/couple in managing the multitude of ways infertility stress manifests in their relationships. We teach deep relaxation, guided imagery, cognitive restructuring, pain management and communication skills enhancement. 24-hour telephone consultation for patients in crisis is available through a staff member of CSRC.
- Managing Infertility Stress: A Monthly Group Experience
If you said yes to any of these questions, this monthly group presented by the CSRC in conjunction with ARHC will be available to those after completing the Emotional Empowerment Sessions.
- IVF Training
For those undergoing IVF, we provide two sessions specifically designed to teach deep relaxation, self-hypnosis, and positive visualization and meditation exercises. These skills have proven especially helpful for all patients preparing for egg retrieval. Research strongly supports the use of these skills in increasing one’s likelihood for conception.
- Egg and Sperm Donor Assessments
Our egg donor program evaluates the mental health of the donor via psychological instruments and a clinical interview. Verbal feedback and an individualized report are provided.
For more information about Dr. Howard K. Weissman and/or his clinical staff and services, please contact
ARHC or Dr. Weissman directly by phone at 847-412-0922, by email at drhweissman@aol.com, or visit us at www.stressreliefcenter.com.
