Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)

Advisor

Venetia Bennett

Abstract

Male infertility can be disturbing to individuals in a relationship system where the reproduction of children is one of the agreed upon goals of the relationship. This life crisis can cause severe emotional and psychological distress for the female partner within the relationship system. Additionally, social pressure, and other effects outside of the relationship system may be experienced and cause further distress to these women. This ACP critically analyzed the literature on the emotional experience of females whose male partner is struggling with infertility, their mental health, treatment journey, relational concerns, and coping strategies utilized by those women to manage the stress associated with such a condition. The review identified several gaps, notably the limited research on the emotional experience of women whose partner was diagnosed with infertility. Additionally, limited research surrounds the implementation of psychotherapeutic interventions that could help the targeted population. In response to these gaps, this project will conduct a critical analysis of the literature utilizing Bowen family system theory (BFST) to make sense of the women's experiences. In addition, it will incorporate BFST in the development of a psychotherapeutic intervention for clinicians that will assist in improving women's capacity to manage stress linked to their male partner's infertility and address the inadequacies. The intervention proposed will help increase women's level of differentiation, enabling them to make rational responses as they interact with their spouses as well as the larger system. Keywords: Infertility, men factor infertility, reproductive masculinity, infertility stress, coping strategies, relational concerns, mental health

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