Hope Affirm Thrive. Your Roadmap Through IVF

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European Fertility Society Fertility Care Awards 2026 Winner Best Fertility Psychologist
Comprehensive, evidence-based resources, you’ll unearth renewed confidence and strategies to help you take control and emotionally thrive through your IVF treatment.

A 2026 Norwegian study followed over 22,000 women and found that those reporting a difficult childhood had 35% higher od...
25/08/2026

A 2026 Norwegian study followed over 22,000 women and found that those reporting a difficult childhood had 35% higher odds of infertility, along with higher odds of preterm birth and small for gestational age babies. Proposed mechanisms include chronic stress altering the HPA axis and reproductive hormone regulation.

This is part of why I screen for childhood adversity at intake and draw on EMDR where clinically indicated. It’s also why I think the current model of IVF psychological support, one Medicare-funded session with the in-clinic counsellor, falls short of what patients need.

📎 Bromark et al., Fertility and Sterility, 2026.

Minister Butler spoke this week about transparency and accountability in fertility care. I’ve spent over a year trying t...
11/08/2026

Minister Butler spoke this week about transparency and accountability in fertility care. I’ve spent over a year trying to get any of that applied to the psychological side of IVF - through the Department, my local MP, and the Minister’s office. Still waiting.

New research shows nearly a third of fertility patients meet criteria for Complex PTSD, and most say their care made it worse. This isn’t a fringe issue. It’s a system quietly failing people at scale.

Petition link in bio - every signature helps make this harder to ignore. 🔗

I didn’t win last night.Frances Bilbao did, and if you don’t know her work at Mums Matter Psychology, please look her up...
07/08/2026

I didn’t win last night.

Frances Bilbao did, and if you don’t know her work at Mums Matter Psychology, please look her up. It was the right result.

But something else happened that I wasn’t expecting.

After the formalities, person after person found me in that room. Aged care workers. Disability services staff. Community service workers. People who had nothing professionally to do with fertility.

And they told me their IVF stories and the stories of people they knew.

Years of treatment. Failed cycles. The grief that doesn’t have a name.

These were not my clients. These were allied health professionals. People who spend their working lives caring for others. Who had quietly carried their own fertility experiences into rooms that never thought to ask.

And then there were the people who already knew. Colleagues who had heard about Hope Affirm Thrive through a colleague, a podcast, a conference presentation, a social media post, a lived experience advocate, a past client. People who had been quietly following the work and wanted to say so in person.

I didn’t expect that either.

That’s what I learned last night.

Fertility is not a niche population. It is not a specialty corner of healthcare. It is in every room. It is carried by the people who work in those rooms just as much as the people who walk through the doors.

Hope Affirm Thrive exists for the person in the waiting room who has been told their needs are too much. Last night I was reminded it also exists for the person on the other side of the door.

Thank you to everyone who found me last night and trusted me with your story. You didn’t have to. I won’t forget it.

And at home in Perth, Rob and Charlie watched the livestream. Charlie was sad for me that I didn’t win.

Sweet boy.

I already won when I had him. Thirteen years of trying will do that.

And congratulations to Frances. The room was better for both of us being in it.

HESTA Super Mums Matter Psychology

In two days I’m flying to a national awards ceremony.That sentence looks simple. It isn’t.I have POTS. Standing still ri...
04/08/2026

In two days I’m flying to a national awards ceremony.

That sentence looks simple. It isn’t.

I have POTS. Standing still risks me passing out. I have MCAS. Every meal at every event is a potential problem. I have hEDS and lipoedema. Travel is physically hard in ways most people don’t see. I’m also Autistic and ADHD. Formal events take a particular kind of preparation that has nothing to do with what I’m going to wear.

HESTA asked what I needed. The Sofitel asked what I needed. A bar stool on stage. Meals planned around my conditions for my entire stay. Softer bedding for the pain.

Nobody made it a problem. They just did it.

I’ve spent years navigating systems that didn’t ask. That told me my needs were too much. This time is different.

I’m a finalist in the HESTA Allied Health Excellence Awards Individual Leadership category. A solo practitioner from Perth who built Australia’s first neurodiversity-affirming IVF psychology program from a practice room and a lived experience that wouldn’t let me look away.

I don’t know what happens on the night. But getting there, actually being able to be in the room, is already something.

For everyone who has ever been told their needs are too much: they’re not. They’re just in the wrong system.

HESTA Super

07/07/2026

That face you just saw is what winning an international award looks like at 5am in Perth in your pyjamas.

The European Fertility Society Fertility Care Awards. Best Fertility Psychologist and Counsellor. 133 applications. 25 countries.

I have never won anything. I’m not being self-deprecating. I mean it literally. Nominated, yes. Shortlisted, yes. The bridesmaid of every awards panel I have ever entered.

Every other finalist in this category had more years in the fertility industry than me. More clinic experience. More professional connections. I came to this field as a patient first, a clinician second, and a researcher third — in that order, because that’s the order it actually happened.

The EFS defines this award as recognising someone who demonstrates “an unwavering commitment to helping individuals and couples navigate the mental health challenges that accompany fertility treatments” — someone whose work creates “a safe space where patients feel heard, understood and supported every step of the way.”

I don’t have the longest career. I just noticed the gap and built the space nobody else had built yet.

The ADHD entered me without asking. The Autism was not impressed. My colleague and fellow finalist kindly accepted the award in London while I was asleep in Perth and found out via Instagram messages.

This is what grassroots looks like when it works.

If you’re going through IVF and the system feels like it wasn’t built for you — you’re probably right. That’s what I’m changing.

Link in bio.
fertility.society 


This weekend I was in a car accident with my husband and son.We’re all okay. But in the hours that followed, I noticed s...
17/05/2026

This weekend I was in a car accident with my husband and son.

We’re all okay. But in the hours that followed, I noticed something I couldn’t ignore.

The version of me from a few years ago would have looked completely different — snapping into control mode, panicking visibly, spiralling into ‘of course this happened to me’, pushing through without any medical care, and lying awake all night replaying every detail.

Instead I sat in the shock. I let my husband handle things. I smiled at my son so he didn’t take his cues from my fear. I cancelled plans without guilt. I went to urgent care, took the medication, booked the physio. I caught the unhelpful thought spiral before it took hold. And I did my bilateral tapping — a few gentle ones for my little one too.

This is what a processed nervous system looks like. Not drama-free. Not perfect. But regulated.

I’m sharing this as both a clinician and someone who has lived it.

If you’re heading into IVF — or already in it — your nervous system is going to be asked to hold a lot. Waiting rooms. Injections. The two-week wait. Results you didn’t expect.

How you respond in those moments isn’t a character flaw. It’s a nervous system pattern, often built long before fertility treatment ever entered your life.
EMDR before IVF isn’t about being ready for things to go wrong. It’s about building a nervous system that can stay present when they do.

This is the work we do in HAT. Link in bio.

(And yes — I’m resting. Physio’s orders.)

💾 Save this if you’re in the middle of IVF and need a reminder that how you’re responding makes sense.

💬 Has a stressful moment ever shown you how far you’ve come? Tell me below.

Today is hard for a lot of people who won’t say so out loud.If you’re navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, or treatme...
09/05/2026

Today is hard for a lot of people who won’t say so out loud.

If you’re navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, or treatment that hasn’t worked — Mother’s Day doesn’t arrive gently. It arrives in your feed, at brunch tables you weren’t invited to, in the card aisle you can’t walk through.

Grief researchers call this disenfranchised grief — loss that is real, but goes unnamed and unwitnessed by the world around you.

So today, I want to witness yours.
If you’re willing — drop a number in the comments. It can represent whatever losses you are carrying today. There’s no wrong count.

Mine is 10.

Six miscarriages. Three failed embryos. And one grief I rarely talk about — the loss of the mother-daughter relationship I had imagined as I became a mother for the first time, because my mum died well before I got there.

Grief doesn’t always have a certificate or a casserole. But it’s real. And today, it counts.

💙 You don’t have to explain your number. Just know it’s held here. If this resonates, share it with someone who might need to see it today. And use — let’s make these losses visible together.

08/05/2026

💡 The Work-Life-IVF Balance Hack You Didn’t Know You Needed

Feeling like your brain is in overdrive between work deadlines, IVF appointments, and, oh yeah, life? 💻🔬😵‍💫

Let me introduce you to Square Breathing—a simple, sneaky stress-busting trick you can do anytime, anywhere (yes, even in the clinic waiting room or before that big meeting).

Here’s how it works:
1️⃣ Inhale for a count of 4 (imagine drawing one side of a square).
2️⃣ Hold your breath for 4 (draw the second side).
3️⃣ Exhale for 4 (third side complete).
4️⃣ Hold again for 4 (square closed!).

✨ Repeat this cycle 4-5 times or until your heart rate starts to chill out.

Why it works: Square breathing helps regulate your nervous system, giving your brain a quick timeout from the stress spiral. 🧘‍♀️ It’s like hitting “refresh” on your mental browser—no deep dive into mindfulness apps required.

Give it a try the next time:

Your clinic calls with test results. 📞
You’re stuck in traffic after an appointment. 🚗
You’re bracing for that "Have you tried relaxing?" comment. 😒
Let me know in the comments how it worked for you—or if you’ve got a favorite stress hack of your own. We’re all in this together, and balance is possible. 💛

08/05/2026

✨ Neurodivergent. Fertility treatments. Stressed. Sound familiar?
Chronic stress doesn't just mess with your mood—it can derail your entire fertility journey. My evidence-based program isn't about toxic positivity. It's about real, science-backed strategies that work with your unique brain.
Imagine feeling supported, understood, and equipped—not just emotionally, but biochemically.
👉 Tap the link. Your body, brain, and future self will thank you.

08/05/2026

✨ 3 Steps to Set Yourself Up for IVF Success ✨

Starting IVF can feel like a whirlwind—so many decisions, so much uncertainty. But did you know the choices you make before treatment even begins can have a huge impact on your journey?
That’s why I created this FREE guide just for YOU:

“3 Game-Changing Tips to Maximise Your IVF Success.”
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
✅ Make simple, effective lifestyle choices that are within your control
✅ Build a strong foundation to boost your chances of success
✅ Save time, stress, and potentially thousands in treatment costs

💡 Don’t leave your IVF success to chance.
Preparation is everything. Start this journey with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

📥 Download your free guide today—link in bio!
Your future family starts with the steps you take today. 💛

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Labouchere Rd
Perth, WA
6151

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