Third party reproduction
Your clinic asked for implications counselling. Here's how to get it done.
For donor eggs, donor sperm, donated embryos, surrogacy, egg freezing, and IVF or IUI. A letter or report for your clinic is included with every service.
What implications counselling is, and who needs it
Implications counselling is a structured conversation that many fertility clinics require before certain treatments. It gives you space to think through the emotional and long-term implications of your decisions, for yourself, for your partner if you have one, and for any child who may result.
Who needs what depends on your path. Intended parents using a donor or surrogate usually need implications counselling. Donors and gestational carriers usually need a psychosocial assessment, which looks at readiness and expectations. Some clinics also ask for counselling before egg freezing, IVF or IUI.
We see intended parents, donors and gestational carriers, and every service includes the letter or report your clinic needs. Sessions are available virtually across Ontario. This work is led by Annie Peralty, RP, MACP, who specializes in infertility, assisted reproduction, donor conception and surrogacy.
Clear, structured, and the paperwork your clinic needs.
Services and fees
Every service includes the letter or report your clinic needs.
| Service | Who it's for | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intended parents | Donor conception, surrogacy or embryo donation. Includes a confirmation letter or report. | 90 minutes | $450 |
| Donors and gestational carriers | Psychosocial assessment for people planning to donate or act as a surrogate. Includes a written report or clearance letter. | 90 minutes | $450 |
| Complete surrogacy package | Intended parents and a gestational carrier together. Individual assessments plus a joint implications session. | Three 60 minute sessions | $800 |
| Egg freezing | People whose clinic requires counselling before freezing eggs. Includes a confirmation letter or report. | 60 minutes | $350 |
| IVF or IUI | Individuals or couples whose clinic requires counselling before treatment. Includes a written report or clearance letter. | 60 minutes | $350 |
If additional sessions or documentation are needed, they're billed separately. We'll always tell you first.
Two different things
Make sure you're booking the one you need.
Implications counselling or assessment
A clinic requirement. Structured, with a set of topics to cover, and a letter or report for your clinic at the end. You may never need to see us again, and that’s a perfectly good outcome.
- Booked because a clinic asked for it
- 60 to 90 minutes, $350 to $450, documentation included
- Seen separately from the other side of the arrangement
Fertility counselling
Ongoing therapy for the emotional weight of treatment: cycles, waiting, grief, the strain on your relationship, and deciding when to stop. No clinic involvement and no paperwork.
- Booked because you want support
- 50 minutes, $175 to $200, as many or as few as you need
- One of our fertility therapists
Plenty of people do both, in either order. If you’re not sure which you need, get in touch and we’ll help you figure it out.
The session
What gets covered.
For intended parents
- What you’ve already grieved to get here, and what remains
- Disclosure: whether, when and how you’d tell a child about their origins, and what the research says about timing
- What you’d share with family, and what you wouldn’t
- The genetic link one of you may have and the other may not
- Anonymous versus known donation, and what at-home DNA testing means for anonymity now
- Contact: what you’d want, what you could live with, and what happens if your child wants more than you do
For donors and gestational carriers
- Why you want to do this, and what you’re expecting
- Your own future feelings, including ones you might not expect
- Your relationship with the intended parents, during and after
- What you’d tell your own family and your own children
- What contact you want, and what you’d do if that changes on either side
- How a difficult outcome would be handled between you
Donors and carriers are seen separately from intended parents, so everyone can speak freely.
Practical
What matters when a cycle is waiting on you.
Tell us your deadline
Let us know your clinic's deadline when you book. If it's tight, put it in the first line of your message and we'll do our best to work around it.
Letter sent for you
With your written consent, your letter or report goes directly to your clinic. Include your clinic and coordinator's name when you book.
No surprises
Most services are a single session. Surrogacy involves more people, so it's a package. If anything extra is needed, we'll tell you before it happens.
Before you book
Questions people ask about this specifically.
Is implications counselling mandatory in Ontario?
Many Ontario fertility clinics require it before treatment involving donor eggs, donor sperm, donated embryos or a gestational carrier, and many require a separate session for the donor or carrier. Some also ask for it before egg freezing, IVF or IUI. It's a clinic and professional guideline requirement rather than a law, so the exact rule depends on your clinic.
Ask your clinic two things: whether they require it, and whether they accept counselling from an independent provider rather than only their in-house counsellor. Most accept independent providers, which can mean you're seen sooner.
How many sessions does it take?
Usually one. The surrogacy package includes three sessions because it involves both intended parents and the carrier. If your clinic asks for something extra, we'll let you know before booking anything more.
Will you send documentation to my clinic?
Yes. With your written consent, a letter or report is sent directly to your clinic. It's included in the fee.
Is this an assessment? Can we fail?
For intended parents, implications counselling isn't an assessment, and there's no pass or fail. It's a conversation to help you think things through. For donors and gestational carriers, it is a psychosocial assessment, because clinics want to know you're ready and supported. Your therapist will walk you through what that involves, and if anything comes up that needs more thought, you'll talk about it openly.
What does it cost, and does insurance cover it?
Fees are listed above. Sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist are covered by many Ontario workplace plans, but coverage varies, so check with your provider. You'll receive a receipt you can submit, and we direct bill through Sun Life and TELUS eClaims, and provide receipts for all other insurers.
We're the donor, not the recipients. Do we need our own session?
Usually, yes. Most clinics require donors and gestational carriers to complete their own assessment, separate from the intended parents. Book the donor and gestational carrier session, or the surrogacy package if you're going through it together.
Reading on donor conception and surrogacy
Articles on third-party reproduction and the decisions around it.
Fertility
Exploring Fertility Options: Surrogacy, Egg Donation, and Sperm Donation Explained
Surrogacy, egg donation and sperm donation explained: how each works, who chooses them, and the emotional questions each one raises.
5 May 2025
Fertility
Surrogacy Assessments in Ontario: What to Expect
What happens in a surrogacy psychological assessment in Ontario: who attends, what gets asked, what the report says, and how to prepare.
27 Apr 2026
Fertility
Our Path to Parenthood: What Fertility Therapy Really Looks Like for LGBTQ+ Families
As a same-sex couple, we knew we would need a little extra help when it came time for children.
16 Apr 2025
Bring your clinic's deadline with you.
Book directly, or send us your clinic's name and what they've asked for, and we'll confirm we can meet it before you commit.