Fertility Counseling: What Clinical Social Workers Need to Know About Reproductive Loss and Therapy

Sharon N. Covington is a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work with almost 50 years experience as an adult psychotherapist and over 40 years providing services in reproductive medical settings. While maintaining an active private practice, she is Director of Psychological Support Services for Shady Grove Fertility, the United States’ largest ART program. In addition, she is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has been an Associate Investigator in the Intramural Research Program on Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health.

Mrs. Covington is an internationally recognized and considered a pioneer in the field of reproductive mental health and fertility counseling. She is the co-editor of the first international textbook in the field, Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians, (1st and 2nd Editions) which is frequently referred to as “The Purple Bible”. She is, also, the editor of Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide and Case Studies and the recently published 2nd Edition, now in two volumes: Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide and Fertility Counseling: Case Studies. In her academic career, Mrs. Covington has been a researcher and continues to write, teach, supervise, and mentor the next generation of clinicians in this work. As a founding member and past Chair of the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Mrs. Covington has been recognized for scientific contributions and service, including work to establish guidelines, training and practice for mental health professionals working in reproductive medicine.