The NYC Gathering

The NYC Gathering
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Monday, December 13, 2010

The NYC Gathering 12.14.10 Update

THIS SUNDAY-THE NYC GATHERING-Lets get together! We have many yeses so far, we need to finalize plans for Sunday, Dec 19, saxel95@aol.com



The NYC Gathering Womens Dinner in Midtown- Mondays,Jan 10, Feb 7, March 7, April 4, May 9, June 6, 6-8 pm, saxel95@aol.com, 516-967-7430.


Long Island Resolve Peer-Led Support Group-Third Thursdays Monthly, 7-9pm. Saxel95@aol.com, 516-967-7430.


NEW JERSEY GET-TOGETHER IN JANUARY-Sunday January 9-All-inclusive Gathering, Saxel95@aol.com.


Tuesdays -Judith Kottick,LCSW -Montclair NJ,Support Group for Donor Parenting mailto:Judykottick@comcast.net Tuesdays Dec-7, Workshop in Montclair April 2, 2011, details to follow or contact Judy directly now.


Weds-Midtown-Family Building Network for Donor Conception and Surrogacy-Support Group with Patricia Mendell, LCSW, Pmendell@aol.com Dec 15,Jan 19 from 7-9pm.


Weds-Anne Malave, PHd-Support Group for Women Exploring Egg Donation-2nd and 4th Weds of the month, 7-8:30 pm, afmalave@aol.com ,212-787-1304.


Tues-Third Party Parenting Network,Upper West Side-Dec 14,Support Group, Nancy Kaufman, LCSW, 212-772-1200 or thirdpartyparenting@yahoo.com.


Janet Mueller, PsyD., Primary Infertility Group, Tuesdays 7-8:30 in Plainview Long Island, $320 for 8 Sessions, Janetmu@earthlink.net.


Monday January 10th - the first of 4 (ongoing) classes in mind/body stress reduction @ NYU Fertility Center. Helen Adrienne, LCSW, BCD Psychotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Practitioner of Mind/Body Therapy,420 East 64th Street,212-758-0125,helen@mind-body-unity.com


Thursdays-Midtown Not strictly Third Party Reproduction, open (free) drop-in group Carolyn Berger, LCSW. at Batzofin Fertility Center in Midtown on the 1st and 3rd Thursday each month, 6-7:3pm. cnberger@optonline.net 914-834-6396.


Carolyn Berger is also offering a new FERTILITY DISCUSSION SERIES beginning in January........
Come talk with fertility experts the first Wednesday evening of every month, 6-7:15 pm at Batzofin Fertility Services,NYC. There is no charge. Everyone is welcome to attend.


January 5: “How Healthy Eating and Losing Weight Can Help You Get Pregnant
February 2: “Options in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): It Takes a Team”
March 2: “Embryology: Choosing the Best Embryos to Transfer, Intricacies of ICSI and Much More”
April 6: “Can Acupuncture Help Me Get (and Stay) Pregnant?”
May 4: “Love and Infertility: Keeping Your Relationship Alive While Trying to Get Pregnant”
June 1: “Yoga for Fertility”
July 6: “Building Your Family in the LGBT Community"


Thanks and best wishes to all for a happy and healthy holiday season.
Sara Axel
The NYC Gathering
516-967-7430
http://donorgroupsnyc.blogspot.com/

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The NYC Gathering Dec Update 12.5.10

New Items and date changes are highlighted. Please note that The NYC Gathering Womens Dinner and Long Island Resolve meetings are scheduled for 12-6 and 12-9, I had a scheduling conflict. Also, 2 Sundays are added as well as a new series being offered by Carolyn Berger, LCSW, please see details below.

The NYC Gathering Womens Dinner in Midtown- Mondays Dec 6 ,Jan 10, Feb 7, March 7, April 4, May 9, June 6, 6-8 pm, saxel95@aol.com, 516-967-7430.

Long Island Resolve Peer-Led Support Group-Third Thursdays Monthly -Dec 9, 7-9pm. Saxel95@aol.com, 516-967-7430.

Sunday, Dec 19-All-inclusive NYC Gathering, Upper West Side, Saxel95@aol.com.

Sunday January 9-All-inclusive NJ Gathering, Saxel95@aol.com.

Tuesdays -Judith Kottick,LCSW -Montclair NJ,Support Group for Donor Parenting mailto:Judykottick@comcast.net  Tuesadays Dec-7, Workshop in Montclair April 2, 2011, details to follow or contact Judy directly now.

Weds-Midtown-Family Building Network for Donor Conception and Surrogacy-Support Group with Patricia Mendell, LCSW, Pmendell@aol.com Dec 15,Jan 19 from 7-9pm.

Weds-Anne Malave, PHd-Support Group for Women Exploring Egg Donation-2nd and 4th Weds of the month, 7-8:30 pm, afmalave@aol.com ,212-787-1304.

Tues-Upper West Side-Dec 14,Support Group, Elizabeth SIlk, LCSW, 212-873-6434 , Nancy Kaufman, LCSW, 212-772-1200 or thirdpartyparenting@yahoo.com.

Thursdays-Midtown Not strictly Third Party Reproduction, open (free) drop-in group Carolyn Berger, LCSW. at Batzofin Fertility Center in Midtown on the 1st and 3rd Thursday each month, 6-7:3pm. cnberger@optonline.net 914-834-6396.

Carolyn Berger is also offering a new  FERTILITY DISCUSSION SERIES beginning in January........

Come talk with fertility experts the first Wednesday evening of every month, 6-7:15 pm at Batzofin Fertility Services,NYC. There is no charge. Everyone is welcome to attend.

January 5: “How Healthy Eating and Losing Weight Can Help You Get PregnantWith Weight Loss Expert Kavita Jhaveri-Patel.

February 2: “Options in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): It Takes a Team”With Joel Batzofin, MD, Kristina Salvati-Block, PA-C, and Colleen Ryan, BS; Batzofin Fertility Services.

March 2: “Embryology: Choosing the Best Embryos to Transfer, Intricacies of ICSI and Much More” With Mary Schalkoff, PhD, Embryologist, Batzofin Fertility Services.

April 6: “Can Acupuncture Help Me Get (and Stay) Pregnant?” With Mike Berkley, L.Ac. The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness, NYC.

May 4: “Love and Infertility: Keeping Your Relationship Alive While Trying to Get Pregnant” With Carolyn Berger, LCSW, Founding Board Chair of The American Fertility Association, Practice in Manhattan and Westchester.

June 1: “Yoga for Fertility” with Beth Gibney-Boulden, Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified in Fertility Yoga, Full Circle Family Care, White Plains, NY.

July 6: “Building Your Family in the LGBT Community” 

Thanks and best wishes to all for a happy and healthy holiday season.

Sara Axel
The NYC Gathering

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

TPPN Professionally-Led Support Group Info....The Power of Words…Spoken in a Group

The Power of Words…Spoken in a Group
By Nancy Kaufman LCSW, LP
NLKaufman@Yahoo.com

Last night a woman told her story out loud for the first time in front of other people. It had taken her years to summon up the courage to attend this group, years to come to terms with belonging here. But the look of relief as she spoke and her feelings of comfort as she heard others speak was palpable from across the room. She was, after all, talking to a room full of men and woman who all understood how she felt because they too had traveled this same long road. This is a group for men and woman who have taken the arduous journey of infertility and arrived (or are arriving at the decision to involve a third party in the creation of their families. We call the group The Third Party Parenting Network.

TPPN was created several years ago with the intent of providing an arena for people who were already parents of children conceived through third party reproduction (sperm donation, egg donation, and surrogacy) to meet one another and discuss ongoing concerns related to raising this unique generation of children.  Issues like disclosure as well as identity, self esteem, extended families, siblings, etc.

Led by Nancy Kaufman LCSW, LP a psychoanalyst with many years experience working in the field of infertility and with groups.

The latest research shows that women who are in some kind of talking therapy along with their medical treatment for infertility end up having more babies! Why? Because the emotional rigors (and rollercoaster ride) of infertility treatments can be overwhelming. What we have found is that when people come together to tell their stories they gain strength from hearing others who are in the same place or have, miraculously, passed through it. This is a very fluid setting. Not everyone comes to each month’s meeting. Sometimes spouses and partners come…sometimes not.

Sometimes the participants are already parents to children conceived through Third Party Reproduction and issues related to raising these children are discussed. These parents report that, unlike the total preoccupation they felt during the process of struggling to make this difficult decision, they now, rarely even think about the conception of their children and relish the group to have a special time and place to think about these issues. When a new member comes, desperately struggling with how to make these decisions they often report feeling relieved and hopeful from the combination of support, information and simply (or most importantly!) just feeling comfortable to have all their feelings and say them out loud. Sometimes someone comes who has just gotten pregnant or found a surrogate….sometimes a baby comes.

When someone is given the chance to “Just Say Everything” and their fears, frustrations and devastating disappointments are verbalized, heard and understood….miracles can occur and families are made.