Are you a practitioner who works with fertility clients? There are so many factors to consider in a fertility case – from nutrition to lifestyle, genetics and environmental exposures.
But one area you may find hard to address is the stress, emotions and trauma that come along with fertility issues. Not only does trying to conceive often contribute to stress – unprocessed stress can often be a driver of fertility problems in the first place.
Let’s have a closer look at why I recommend using Naturopathic Emotional Release (NER) with fertility clients.
The nervous system as a driver of infertility
When you’re under significant stress, the last thing your body wants to do is add a baby into the mix! Constant stress was once associated with life-threatening circumstances such as famine, war and natural disasters.
Nowadays, constant stress looks more like a boss who keeps piling on more work, a family member who rubs you the wrong way, and too much time scrolling on social media. But on a physical level, the response is the same.
A nervous system that spends more time in fight-or-flight mode means:
- Reduced sex drive
- Increased cortisol production
- Dysregulated menstrual cycle
- Irregular ovulation or anovulation
- Impaired immune function
- Depletion of vital nutrients including zinc, magnesium and B vitamins
These all add up to reduced fertility. So if you want to support a fertility client, stress always needs to feature in their plan!
But what can you realistically do? Yes, you can offer adaptogens and supplement the nutrients that are low. But it would be far better to address the root cause – the nervous system’s reaction to their circumstances. And that’s what NER has to offer.
Are there stories around becoming parents or growing their family?
One consideration I always think about when it comes to fertility problems is whether one or both parents have sabotaging beliefs around having a baby. This could be a range of things, including:
- I’m not fit to be a parent
- It’s not safe to have a baby these days
- We’re not secure enough to have a child
- We already have enough children
- I’ll have to give up something/everything when I have a child
- Birth is terrifying/painful
- We’ve already lost a pregnancy, I don’t want to go through that again
- I’m too old to have babies
The list goes on. Now it’s not to say that there aren’t some valid concerns here, but these can be part of why the client is struggling to conceive and/or maintain a pregnancy.
Some of these may have been beliefs picked up from other family members and friends, based on their experience of having children. In some cases, it could even relate back to previous sexual abuse or trauma.
But at the end of the day, if they are stopping your client from achieving their goal, they are no longer serving them. By using NER, you can help your client to identify emotions, stressors and beliefs and clear them.
Managing the experience of trying to conceive
When someone is trying to conceive, there are a lot of emotions going around! And that’s even before you add in any hormonal interventions such as those involved in IVF treatments.
Many will struggle to manage their feelings and stress load, particularly once you add on everyday stressors such as work. The spectrum of emotion ranges from anxiety, worry, sadness and deep grief through to anger, frustration, guilt and loneliness.
This is where NER can really shine. By tackling those emotions and stresses before they get pushed down and become a future problem, you can help your clients to feel more balanced, calmer and in control.
Addressing other health concerns that may play a role
As practitioners, we understand that medical conditions of all kinds can contribute to someone’s fertility. The great thing about NER is that it not only helps with everything we’ve already discussed – but it can also benefit your clients in other areas of wellbeing.
Some of the conditions that NER is indicated for include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Digestive disorders such as IBS
- Eating disorders
- Hormone imbalances
- Sleep issues including insomnia
- Weight issues
By helping to process the stress contributing to these types of conditions, NER can address multiple contributing factors at the one time. And best of all? It’s quick and easy – your clients could see the benefits with a 10 minute NER session at the end of their regular consultation.
Want to add Naturopathic Emotional Release to your clinical toolbox?
The place to start is with my NER Training Course, which is run online and in-person. To learn more about the training and check out the upcoming workshops, click here.