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πŸ”¬Fertility & IVF

The emotional cost of fertility treatment is rarely talked about.

Therapists in Los Angeles, California

"The treatments are relentless. My body and emotions are exhausted."
βœ“See a specialist this weekβœ“PMH-C Certified Therapistsβœ“Telehealth Β· see anyone from homeβœ“In-network in California
In network with
Anthem Blue CrossBlue Shield of CaliforniaUnitedHealthcareCVS HealthAetna+9 more

No commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.

Virtual therapy for Los Angeles families

You're nursing in traffic on the 405 with a screaming infant in the back, calculating whether you have time to cry in the Target parking lot before pickup. Postpartum in LA collides hard with the city's structural realities: long commutes, expensive and unreliable childcare, and a sprawl that means even the friends you do have are an hour away on a bad day. The Valley, West LA, Silver Lake, Pasadena, Long Beach, the Eastside: every part of LA has its own version of the same problem. Building a life here is exhausting before a baby arrives. Postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and birth trauma layered on top of that exhaustion are not unusual. They are common, treatable, and almost never something parents reach out for in time. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification and see clients across LA entirely by secure video. You meet from the nursery during a nap, from your kitchen between feedings, from your car if that's the only quiet room you have. Our clinicians specialize in postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, and the identity rupture that nobody warned you about. There is no commute. There is no waiting room. There is just a conversation, when you're ready to have it.

Los Angeles neighborhoods: the Valley Β· West LA Β· Silver Lake Β· Pasadena Β· Long Beach Β· the Eastside

You might benefit from therapy if…

  • βœ“You're in active treatment and the cumulative weight is becoming hard to carry
  • βœ“You've had failed cycles and the grief from each is starting to pile up
  • βœ“Your relationship has changed under the pressure
  • βœ“You're terrified of the next two-week wait, the next call from the clinic, the next appointment
  • βœ“You're isolating from people who don't understand, and the isolation is making it harder
  • βœ“You're considering or grieving the move to donor eggs, donor sperm, surrogacy, or stopping treatment
Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Psychologist & Founder

From our founder

Clients in IVF often arrive in therapy describing themselves as overdramatic or weak. Nothing could be further from true. You are living through one of the most demanding processes I see, and the fact that you're still upright is not weakness, it's endurance. Therapy is about taking some of the weight off so the endurance doesn't cost you everything else in your life.

What therapy looks like

Therapy during fertility treatment typically blends CBT, ACT, and grief work, all tailored to the medical timeline. Many Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification and several have training in reproductive mental health, which means they understand cycle timing, medication side effects, and the specific language and decisions of IVF. Sessions are often paced to the treatment cycle. During a cycle you might focus on coping with injections, monitoring, and the two-week wait. After a failed cycle, the work shifts to grief and decision-making about what comes next. Between cycles, there's often work on the relationship, identity, and what to do with the parts of life that have been on hold. The goal isn't to make you stop caring about the outcome. It's to help you stay yourself through the process. Most clients work weekly during active treatment and shift to less frequent sessions during pauses, and many stay in therapy through to the end of their treatment chapter.

Our Fertility & IVF specialists in Los Angeles, California

Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification β€” the gold standard in perinatal mental health.

Real clients. Real relief.

What our clients say about their experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"After my third failed cycle my doctor recommended a break. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with myself outside of IVF. It had become my whole identity. My therapist helped me figure out who I was when I wasn't waiting for test results. That turned out to be the most important work I did."”

β€” TTC, 4 years

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"IVF is the loneliest thing I've ever done in a room full of other people doing the same thing. You sit in waiting rooms with women going through exactly what you are and nobody speaks. My therapist gave me a place to say all of it out loud: the grief of each failed cycle, the physical toll no one prepares you for, the rage at how unfair it is."”

β€” IVF, cycle 3

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"I'd been through four failed transfers and was about to give up. My therapist helped me figure out what I actually wanted, not what I thought I was supposed to want. That clarity changed everything."”

β€” IVF warrior

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œAfter my third failed transfer I could barely function. I needed someone who didn't flinch at the medical detail and who got the timing. By the time we did our fourth cycle I went in with way more steadiness than I had ever had, regardless of how it went.”

β€” Stephanie, IVF patient

Expert care.
Covered in California.

  • βœ“Aetna (incl. CVS Health, First Health, & Meritain)
  • βœ“BCBS (incl. Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & state plans)
  • βœ“Cigna / Evernorth
  • βœ“United Healthcare (UHC) / Optum (incl. UBH, UMR, Surest, Oscar, & Oxford)
  • βœ“Magellan Healthcare

Most clients pay less than $20 per session.

Accepted Insurance Networks

Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
UnitedHealthcare
Cigna
Anthem
+9 more

Ready to start Fertility & IVF therapy? Here’s how it works.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance β€” you just show up.

  1. 1

    Book your free call

    A quick 15-minute chat to hear what you're going through, answer your questions, and make sure we're a great fit for your needs. No cost, no commitment.

  2. 2

    Get matched

    We'll pair you with the right specialist for your specific situation. We'll also check your insurance, so you know your exact cost per session before moving forward.

  3. 3

    Start your first session

    Meet your therapist from the comfort of home. No commute, no waiting rooms, no judgment. Most clients notice a real difference within just 2 to 3 sessions.

No commitment Β· Most insurance accepted Β· Available this week

Common questions

  • The research is mixed and the effects, if any, are modest. The bigger point is that the stress of treatment is real on its own terms, and you deserve support whether or not it changes outcomes. Anyone who tells you to just relax is not engaging with what you're actually living.
  • This is one of the most common splits in fertility couples. Often one partner wants to process out loud and the other needs distance to cope. Therapy can help bridge that. Individual therapy gives you a place to process, and sometimes couples sessions help you both find a sustainable way to handle the talking and the not-talking.
  • There is no formula. This is one of the hardest decisions, and most clients benefit from working it through carefully rather than making it in the aftermath of a hard cycle. Therapy gives you a structured place to look at your values, your finances, your relationship, and your body, and to make the call with more clarity.
  • Yes. Third-party reproduction comes with its own emotional terrain, including grief about genetic connection, decisions about disclosure, and complex feelings during pregnancy or after birth. Therapists with PMH-C and reproductive mental health training are equipped for that work.
  • Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of California. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private β€” no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in California.
  • PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health β€” covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.
  • If you're struggling β€” with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping β€” that's enough of a reason to talk to someone. You don't need a diagnosis. A free consultation is a low-commitment first step.

From the Phoenix Health resource center

Articles and guides about fertility & ivf

The Partner's Mental Health During IVF: What Gets Overlooked

The partner in IVF is often expected to be the support system. But partners experience anxiety, grief, and helplessness too. Learn what the partner's experience actually looks like.

Read article β†’

When to Start Therapy During Fertility Treatment (Not Just After)

Most people consider therapy after a failed cycle. Starting earlier β€” even mid-treatment β€” produces better outcomes and makes the process more bearable.

Read article β†’

Why IVF Feels Emotionally Harder Than You Expected

You prepared for the physical side of IVF. What nobody fully prepared you for is the emotional toll β€” the hope, the waiting, the clinical distance from your own body.

Read article β†’

Trusted by leading voices in parenting and mental health

OBs, doulas, and pediatricians refer their patients to us because we specialize in maternal mental health.

  • Parents.com
  • Postpartum Support International
  • Healthline
  • HuffPost
  • Fatherly
  • Choosing Therapy

The sooner you start,
the sooner you'll
feel like yourself again.

You've been surviving. It's time to start healing.

No commitment Β· Covered by insurance Β· Available this week

Learning resources

πŸ”¬Read our Fertility & IVF guides β†’

Often goes alongside

🌱InfertilityπŸ•ŠοΈGrief & Loss🌻Pregnancy After Loss