In other cases, someone who has had a miscarriage or an infertility diagnosis may realize she's struggling to find a way to tell others about what's going on. Larson says people often ask questions like, "How do you tell people? How much? What do you tell? And how do you cope with the ongoing persistence of that?"

There are also some big (maybe totally new) emotions that may come with fertility issues, Larson adds. There may be a cycle of hope every month, followed by grief when that hope is dashed with a period. "It’s frustrating when you watch other people’s lives moving forward," she says. "It’s something you want that you can’t get; there’s anger in that, too." Women may also feel like their bodies are failing them, and experience a sense of guilt in thinking they're somehow responsible. On top of all that, the experience can also be incredibly isolating — even within a relationship. "No one's feeling understood," Larson says.

All of these different feelings can be hard to control, so you shouldn't feel shy about reaching out for professional help.

What is counseling usually like?

For Larson, it starts with helping her clients figure out what's going right. "People walk in with all of these big emotions, and that has clouded the clarity of how they're making it through the day," she says.

From there, she says her approach helps people understand what they need when those big feelings come up, and how they can get those needs met. "That's helping people to embrace coping and communication skills they already have, or to learn new ones," Larson explains. On top of that, her office acts as a safe environment to have tough conversations that might not be happening anywhere else in her clients' lives.