Third-Party Reproduction Counseling with Trailhead Therapy

Building a family through egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation, or gestational surrogacy is one of the most meaningful paths to parenthood — and one that comes with its own emotional landscape. Our co-owner and perinatal mental health specialist, Rachael M. Jones, LMFT, PMH-C, provides specialized counseling and consultations for intended parents, donors, and gestational carriers navigating third-party reproduction, grounded in the standards and qualifications recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Whether you're an intended parent preparing to work with a donor or gestational carrier, a donor considering egg or sperm donation, or a gestational carrier getting ready to support another family's journey, Rachael can help you think through the emotional, relational, and logistical dimensions of the process — before you begin, and at every stage after.

Our third-party reproduction counseling services include:

• Intended parent consultations — psychoeducational sessions to help you process expectations, grief or loss related to genetic connection, and questions around disclosure and future conversations with your child about their origins.

• Donor evaluations — psychosocial consultations that explore motivation, emotional readiness, and informed consent for those donating eggs, sperm, or embryos.

• Gestational carrier evaluations and support — in-depth consultations addressing psychological readiness, family and partner support, prior pregnancy experiences, and the emotional process of carrying and relinquishing a pregnancy for another family.

• Joint sessions — facilitated conversations between intended parents and their gestational carrier or donor to align expectations and build a strong foundation for the arrangement ahead.

Our clinicians bring training specific to reproductive and third-party family-building work, and our approach meets ASRM's recommended qualifications for fertility counseling — so you can feel confident you're getting support that's both clinically sound and attuned to the unique realities of this path to parenthood.

Many fertility clinics, agencies, and reproductive attorneys require documented counseling before treatment or legal contracts can move forward. We work efficiently to help you meet these requirements while also giving you genuine space to process what this journey means for you and your family.

If you're an intended parent, donor, or gestational carrier in Illinois seeking compassionate, knowledgeable support with third-party reproduction, we're here to help.

Please note that third-party reproduction counseling services are not typically covered by insurance and payment is collected at time of service. Superbills for submission to insurance for possible reimbursement will be provided upon client request.