About... Information

In this area we have sections on our house magazine, The Journal, Review Documents, Policies and Publications. For further information and advice, please contact Sandra Hewett, The BICA Information Officer - Tel 01372 451626 Important - Please note that BICA's Information Officer is not a trained Infertility Counsellor and cannot offer counselling or support to anyone contacting her. The Information Officer can help direct anyone requesting counselling to the list of counsellors on the website. The Information Officer will also help guide anyone through all the information and services on the website and those offered through BICA., e-mail info@bica.net.

About... News

The latest details of our news section will appear here and also on the front page

Becoming a BICA Member

We hope to offer all members support through our network of counsellors and emerging local groups. This is aided by study days and conferences when counsellors can meet and make contacts. For more details see Becoming an infertility counsellor

There are 5 categories of membership:
 Associate Member – not practising counsellors but colleagues and supporters of BICA’s aims
 Ordinary Member – counsellors interested in reproductive health care practising outside licensed clinics; or practising in licensed clinics where they must also be working towards accreditation
 Accredited Member [AMBICA] – based on peer assessment of required skills necessary for all infertility counsellors to meet the requirements of the new HFEA Code of Practice [8th ed.]
 Accredited Member, Independent Practitioner [AMBICA(IP)] – based on peer assessment of required skills necessary for all infertility counsellors to meet the requirements of the new HFEA Code of Practice [8th ed.] but who does not practise in a Licensed Treatment Centre
 Senior Accredited Member [SAMBICA] – for those of proven experience and seniority assessed by work portfolio demonstrating specialist expertise

We have developed this accreditation programme for all infertility counsellors nationally (see the training section for further details).

The Journal of Fertility Counselling provided three times a year free to members keeps members in touch with key practixce issues and what is going on in the fertility counselling world.

The Committee is always happy to hear of any issues you are concerned about and you can contact any of the members through the Information Officer.

If you wish to become a member please contact:

BICA Membership Secretary

Membership form attached below as interactive PDF format or printable MS Word format

Membership Rates:
Full Membership £45
Overseas Membership £50
Corporate Membership £120
Annual Membership Cheques made payable to:
'BICA' CO-OPERATIVE BANK, A/C 65000812, SORT 08.90.82
Accreditation Fee Cheques made payable to:
'BICA' CO-OPERATIVE BANK, A/C 65125483, SORT 08.92.99

We are always happy to welcome new members. The membership year runs form April to March, back copies of the year's Journal are sent to new members joining after the start of the year to ensure fair treatment.

What is Counselling?

What is Counselling?

There can be times when we experience difficulties that are hard to sort out on our own. Sometimes our usual sources of support, such as family or friends, are too close to us or can even be part of the problem. It may then be helpful to see a trained and experienced counsellor in a private and confidential setting where it is possible to talk freely. The counsellor will provide an opportunity to explore feelings, make sense of what is happening, gain greater self-awareness, look at the options available and decide on the best course of action.
Acceptance and respect for each individual is a vital part of counselling. It means that the person can be confident that they will not be judged and a relationship based on trust is able to develop.
The aim of counselling is to encourage people to find their own solutions – it is not about giving advice or instruction.

Counselling when there are Fertility Problems

We know that when people have problems conceiving and have to seek medical help they can experience “a roller coaster of emotions”. For many it is the most distressing and disruptive experience in their lives and their feelings can range from despair, hope, anger, anxiety and isolation to grief.
The situation can also put a great strain on relationships, not only with a partner, wife or husband but with relatives and friends who may not fully understand what it is like to have fertility issues. It is hard to deal with other people announcing a pregnancy, having a baby or just seeing people enjoying family life.
It is usually difficult to deal with the outcome of treatment if the tests are negative or people receiving any kind of bad news and understandable that anxiety about the future then increases.
Sometimes people face very painful decisions about whether to try again or whether to think about other ways to create a family. These may offer hope but also involve feelings of sadness and loss about the child that had been planned. These other ways include the possibility of egg, sperm or embryo donation, adoption or surrogacy, each of which has implications that need to be understood. People nearly always need time and support to work out how they feel and whether this would be the way forward for them.
Under any of these circumstances counselling can provide a safe haven where people have a chance to explore their most difficult feelings and try to adjust to their situation. A counsellor can help people deal with the distress they are feeling, explore their options, express their grief and work with couples or individuals to reduce stress in their relationships.
Where necessary, a counsellor can enable a person to find other specialist support services and also provide relevant information that may be helpful.
You have a legal right to be offered counselling if you are attending an assisted conception centre for treatment. The majority of centres provide at least some of these sessions without charge but at others you will be charged a fee. You will be able to get details from the centre itself.

The Infertility Counsellor

The counsellor is expected to have specialist competence in infertility counselling. He or she must have an appropriate qualification, be accredited or working towards accreditation by a recognised counselling body that has a complaints/disciplinary procedure and they should have agreed to abide by a relevant code of conduct or ethics.

BICA

BICA is the British Infertility Counselling Association and is the professional body for infertility counsellors in the UK. If you are looking for a counsellor who specialises in this area you can find a list of infertility counsellors who accept BICA referrals by clicking on your local area on our counselling requests list. Details of most of the counsellors who accept referrals are listed, but not all of them. There are more counsellors available in some areas than others and for some areas none of our members have registered on the list. If there are no suitable counsellors available in your local area or if you prefer this approach, you can make a telephone counselling arrangement.


All the BICA members who are registered on our referral list meet the requirements set out in the HFEA (Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority) Code of Practice Section 1.9 (6th edition), have at least 150 hours experience of infertility counselling, have professional liability insurance and attend regular supervision. The list was closed in December 2008 to counsellors who are not BICA accredited infertility counsellors [AMBICA] or senior accredited counsellors [SAMBICA]. Some of the counsellors currently on this list are not BICA accredited but do meet the criteria listed above. Please note, however, that you will need to satisfy yourself as to the standard and relevance of the qualifications offered by any counsellor whom you contact.


Our recommendation is that you start by contacting the counsellor for an informal discussion. If you decide to go ahead, the times you meet, the number of sessions and the fees should be decided between the counsellor and yourself. The leaflet Ten Rules for Choosing a Counsellor provides further advice and information.

Alternatives

All licensed fertility treatment centres must offer you access to counselling in line with the HFEA Code of Practice. If you are receiving treatment and have not already done so, it is worth finding out who is the named counsellor at your clinic and also whether there is a local support group where you can meet other people in a similar situation.


The Infertility Network UK and More To Life (INUK) Tel: 0800 008 7464 or website www.infertilitynetworkuk.com offer both written information and contact with others who are experiencing fertility problems. Two of the services offered to members are the "Daytime Advice Line". This is run by a qualified nurse with many years of experience, including infertility. This operates Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.00hrs - 16.00hrs and is fully confidential.

"Helpliners" are also available. These are members of 'INUK' who have experience of certain types of infertility and are happy to talk of their experiences and offer information. Other services are described and accessed by the website.

BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) - Tel 0870 443 5252, Website www.bacp.co.uk

UKCP (UK Council of Psychotherapy) - www.psychotherapy.org.uk/

BCP (British Confederation of Psychotherapists) - www.bcp.org.uk

Many GP practices now offer a counselling service or will be able to refer you on to a qualified therapist.

Contact Us
For further information and advice, please contact Sandra Hewett, The BICA Information Officer -

Tel 01372 451626 Important - Please note that BICA's Information Officer is not a trained Infertility Counsellor and cannot offer counselling or support to anyone contacting her. The Information Officer can help direct anyone requesting counselling to the list of counsellors on the website. The Information Officer will also help guide anyone through all the information and services on the website and those offered through BICA., e-mail info@bica.net.

Counselling Requests List

here is a list of all counsellors, click on the column headings to sort in a different order. See also What IS counselling and what qualificationss/experience do BICA counsellors have?

Name	Tel Number/s	Mobile	City	County/Area	Counselling
Angela Mahony	(00)353 21 4865764		Cork	Ireland	BOTH face to face & telephone
Angela Mann	020 8770 0303		Cheam	Surrey	BOTH face to face & telephone
Ann Curley	01663 735292	0796 1286040	Manchester	Derbyshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Ann Curley	01663 735292	0796 1286040	Manchester	Manchester	BOTH face to face & telephone
Anne Owen-Williams		07891 741440	South Wales	Wales	ONLY face to face
Anne Owen-Williams		07891 741440	Hereford	Herefordshire	ONLY face to face
Anne Owen-Williams		07891 741440	Birmingham	West Midlands	ONLY face to face
Barbara Read	0208 4007951		W4	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Caroline McLean		07930 824504	South Woodford	Essex	BOTH face to face & telephone
Claude Rennert	0207 3883666		NW1	London	ONLY face to face
Elise Atkinson		0778 8158 734	Lewisham	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Gill Woodbridge	01225 466 506		Bath	Avon	ONLY face to face
Gosia Heeley		07766 292 665	Guildford	Surrey	BOTH face to face & telephone
Harriet Goldenberg	0207 722 2589		NW3	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Helen Bohme	0161 485 8050		Stockport	Cheshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Helen O'Hora Swords	020 8743 7112	07957 432851	W12	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Irene Tubbs	01322 862 158		Farningham	Kent	BOTH face to face & telephone
Isobel O'Neill		07734 995222	Glasgow	Scotland	ONLY face to face
Jackie Riley	01256 882 764		RG27	Hampshire	ONLY face to face
Jacqui Feld		07784 747126	N6	London	ONLY face to face
Jane Boden		07946 444230	Hull	East Yorkshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Jane Fizor	01242 821062	07713 182979	Cheltenham	Gloucestershire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Jane Knight	020 7224 0017		W1	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Jane Read	0131 667 2005		Edinburgh	Scotland	BOTH face to face & telephone
Janet Carter	01277 353678		Ingatestone	Essex	BOTH face to face & telephone
Janet Owen	01642 644691		Stockton-on-Tees	Cleveland	BOTH face to face & telephone
Jennifer Hunt		07967812085	Watford	Hertfordshire	ONLY face to face
Jennifer Hunt		07967812085	NW	London	ONLY face to face
Jenny Duniop		07970 787439	Stockport	Manchester	BOTH face to face & telephone
Jenny Dunlop		07970 787439	High Peak	Derbyshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Jenny Dunlop		07970 787439	Manchester	Manchester	BOTH face to face & telephone
Joanna Miller		07956 225899	W1	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Josephine McCoy		07875 122654	SE6	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Judith O'Hagan	01458 252236		Taunton	Somerset	ONLY face to face
Linda Breeze	01363 776184		Crediton	Devon	BOTH face to face & telephone
Lynne Swarbrick	01484 717380		Brighouse	West Yorkshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Marilyn Lawrence	02920 514204		Cardiff	Wales	ONLY face to face
Mary McCann		07759 701173	Canterbury	Kent	BOTH face to face & telephone
Mollie Graneek		07710 631702	W1 and N13	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Norma Wilson		07787 706917	Bristol	Avon	BOTH face to face & telephone
Ophra Gilead	0208 361 4414		N12	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Patricia Lambert		07985 780066	Lancaster	Lancashire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Patsy Morgan	01962 623707	07760 477531	Winchester	Hampshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Paul Crowther		07803 013992	Knutsford	Cheshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Paul Entwistle	0151 709 3505		Liverpool	Merseyside	ONLY face to face
Pip Reilly	01908 393686	07941 233 061	Milton Keynes	Buckinghamshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Robert Oakes	0121 455 6224		Birmingham	West Midlands	BOTH face to face & telephone
Ruth Wilde		07971 830715	Salisbury	Wiltshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Sally Ann Swain	020 7237 4672	07796 895717	SE1	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Sarah Tingle	01753 577886		Slough	Berkshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Sheila Pike	0114 2361539		Sheffield	South Yorkshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Sue Bedigan	0191 2638579		Wallsend	Tyne & Wear	BOTH face to face & telephone
Susan Trueman	01630 654514		Shrewsbury	Shropshire	BOTH face to face & telephone
Suze Fisher	0208 874 7132		SW18	London	BOTH face to face & telephone
Vicky Allen		07748 681510	Peasmarsh	East Sussex	BOTH face to face & telephone
Vivian Beanland	01744 754719		St Helens	Merseyside	BOTH face to face & telephone
Wendy Martin	0117 9249488	Skype: wendy-martin1	Bristol	Avon	BOTH face to face & telephone

Telephone Counselling

Click on the headings to sort in a different order

Name	Tel Number/s	Mobile	City	County/Area	Counselling
No table data available.