As a former Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Psychiatry at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, I spent 15+ years working in the Northwestern Fertility and Reproductive Medicine clinic in Chicago, IL. Having worked with thousands of individuals and couples in the clinic, I have a deep understanding of the emotional rollercoaster of infertility, reproductive loss, fertility preservation, the loss of fertility from medical treatments such as chemotherapy, and the need for third-party collaboration (egg/sperm donation, gestational surrogacy). I am passionate about helping all families grow their families.

Intended Parent Consultations

These consultations typically last between 50-60 minutes and are not "therapy" or "counseling" appointments. The goals of an intended parent consultation are psychoeducational in nature and focus on discussing and processing the emotional reactions to the need for fertility treatment, emotional preparedness of the individual/couple to undergo fertility treatment; treatment-related decision making; useful communication strategies with partners, family, friends, co-workers, etc.; helpful coping strategies (prior to, during, and after fertility treatment); future decision making (e.g., talking to children and others about use of donor gametes or gestational surrogacy, contact with donors or other donor conceived children, future personal DNA testing through 23andMe or other companies, etc.), and any other emotional concerns the intended parent may have. 

Third-Party Psychological Evaluations (egg donor, sperm donor, gestational carrier/surrogate)

Evaluations consist of a clinical interview with the potential third party and the administration of psychological testing. If the third party is partnered, the partner must also be present for a portion of the evaluation. These evaluations typically last 2-3 hours. Upon completion of the evaluation I will write a report and send it to the intended parent's physician or agency. For known (e.g., long-term friend, family member) third party evaluations, a group appointment with the intended parent(s) and the third party (and her partner if applicable) will be conducted without exception and the final report will be sent to the physician or agency after completion of the group appointment. I do not conduct evaluations for independent third party arrangements (e.g., someone you met online or some other way specifically for the purpose of third-party collaboration).

For more information, please contact Dr. Lawson at 312-313-6719 or alawsonphd@gmail.com.