Therapy for Infertility, Miscarriage + Pregnancy Loss in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, and throughout Washington State

Your fertility journey makes your start to motherhood different.

Getting pregnant isn’t what you imagined. It isn’t easy for you. You are caught somewhere between being cautiously optimistic and feeling terrified that it will never happen for you.

You might be blaming yourself for what you’re going through. Even though you know, logically, that it’s not your fault, you can’t believe it. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you that you’re not to blame. You feel like it’s your fault. And you feel it at your core.

You may feel sad or envious when you see a pregnant woman in public, let alone when one of your friends or family members announces her pregnancy. But because no one understands the grief you’re going through, you put on a brave face and a smile. You congratulate them. But you feel terrible inside.

The struggles we face with infertility are often hidden and unacknowledged. I understand the way it can feel invisible and isolating, because I’ve been there. I want you to know that you’re not alone. And that I can help.

My goal as a therapist for women facing infertility is to help you feel seen and heard. I provide a safe space where you can be honest and open about your experience, process the grief and trauma that accompanies infertility, and learn ways to protect and care for yourself as you go through this journey.

Although you likely have many different medical providers who are caring for you, I am unique in that I am centered on your emotional experience. I focus on the way your experiences with medical appointments, procedures, surgeries, and more impact your body. I help to raise your awareness of your emotional impact and empower you to use that information to advocate for your healthcare needs.

I also support women who are going through infertility treatment with finding ways to release the anxiety, stress, and other emotional noise that we hold in our bodies. I teach mindfulness skills as well as coping skills that are based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). I can also help you to find holistic medical providers in our local area who can support the mind-body-connection.

It’s important for you to know that I have my own lived experience with infertility and infertility treatment. I have been through it, and I understand. I will never speak to the details of my experience unless you ask me to, because I understand the way you are being flooded with information about other people’s experiences already. However, if you ask me, I am open to sharing. Many women find it helpful to know that I get it, even without knowing the details.

My Approach to Infertility Counseling

Infertility Counseling FAQs

  • Yes, I work with women who are experiencing pregnancy loss, including recurrent pregnancy loss.

    You do not need to be working with a fertility clinic or in active fertility treatment to work with me. I can support you whether you’re actively participating in infertility treatment, are taking a break from trying to concieve, or have stopped trying to conceive.

  • Many women experience complex and difficult emotions that are grounded in pregnancy loss or physical health conditions that make conception + healthy pregnancy difficult. It is common to experience mental health struggles following any difficult and unexpected experience, including something as difficult and life changing as having a difficult time with pregnancy.

    Women who experience infertiity may struggle with self-blame, guilt, shame, anxiety, and fear. It can feel harder to feel positie about pregnancy under these circumstances.

    Research shows that women who undergo infertility treatment are at greater risk for postpartum mental health disorders such as postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression.

  • Yes, I am able to work with you throughout your fertility journey, including after your graduation from your fertility clinic (if applicable).

    I can work with you from the time you decide you want to have a child through pregnancy, postpartum, and the early years of motherhood.

  • Experiencing infertility is devastating no matter what the circumstances. I believe women who are going through this challenging journey do better with support. You can begin therapy any time, including before trying to conceive.

    Many reproductive endocrinologists recommend that all women who are planning to start in vitro (IVF) seek counseling and support.

    Sometimes women notice that they are struggling emotionally and need more support after a procedure or event such as a failed cycle. Additionally, even a joyul event such as being pregnant after loss or learning that you are pregnant with multiples can be difficult emotionally. These are situations that can feel easier with therapy.

  • Yes, absolutely! I work with women who are in the process of adoption, pregnancy via surrogate, and who are seeking pregnancy with the help of third-party donation. 

YOUR MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST in Seattle, WA and on bainbridge island, wa

First, I’m so glad you’re here. I know how hard it is to admit that you’re struggling emotionally. The fact that you’re here shows me that you’re ready to commit to your wellbeing.

You’re not alone, and I’m here to help.

My name is Dr. Julie Franks, and I go by Dr. Julie. I’m an experienced therapist for women, a social work educator, and an infertility survivor. I went through my own struggles with infertility before becoming a mom, and I consider my experience to be my most important credential. Even though I had supported women for nearly a decade before trying to conceive, I had to go through it to truly get it.

I specialize in maternal mental health and exclusively serve women who are facing infertility, pregnancy loss, or who are pregnant, postpartum, and in the early years of motherhood. Most of the women who work with me have children who are elementary school aged or younger.

I offer online therapy sessions to women who reside in Washington State + in-person groups and workshops in Kitsap County, WA.

Hi! I’m Dr. Julie.

Women who get support tend to feel better quickly, and that includes you. I’m here to help.

Ready to get started?

Even though infertility is common, many women don’t get the emotional support they need. I understand how isolating, exhausting, and invisible it can be. You don’t have to do this alone; we can do it together.