When embarking on their fertility journeys with Harley Street Fertility Clinic, we support our patients from beginning to end. Undergoing a fertility journey is often deeply rewarding, but the experience can also be long, painful and emotionally draining. All our patients hope for a wonderful outcome, and we do whatever it takes to ensure this becomes a reality.
The support we offer our patients goes above and beyond the usual patient support you find in a medical setting. Our nurses hold our patients’ hands when delivering happy news, share a tear when the news is not so happy, and get to know each patient on a personal level, supporting them completely from the first time they come to the clinic until they are discharged. The same goes for the receptionists, pharmacists and everyone who works at Harley Street Fertility Clinic. We really ARE a family!
Part of our ongoing support includes the counselling we offer our patients, and today’s blog is about Mollie, one of our fantastic counsellors at Harley Street Fertility Clinic. Mollie loves her job, as she finds she can truly “empathise with people’s stories” and offer personalised advice and support to each patient. Here is more about Mollie...
In her interview, Mollie tells us: “I started my journey as a nurse, then trained as a midwife... I came down to London in 1979, en route to America, in Florida, where I was for a year.” After her American adventure, Mollie returned to England to be a ward sister at the Royal Hospital.
As a Registered Nurse and State Certified Midwife Mollie has worked in the field of women’s health for the last 35 years. She spent 5 years in breast cancer research and was chemotherapy co-ordinator at the Royal Free Hospital.
“After a while, I went back to midwifery, in an obstetric practice in Harley Street,” says Mollie.
In 1981 she returned to midwifery. She has been responsible for promoting safe sexual health and raising awareness of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, abortion and gender dysphoria.
Despite working in midwifery, Mollie still felt she wanted to do more for patients. So she obtained a degree in Psychology before going on to train as a counsellor and psychotherapist. If that wasn’t enough, she also completed some postgraduate courses!
“I started my psychology career to help support patients through fertility or infertility issues, and also to support patients who have experienced obstetric disasters like stillbirth, miscarriage and fetal anomalies.”
Until January 2017 she worked in an advisory capacity, advising about contraception, breast awareness, cervical screening and HRT.
Mollie tells us that she considers her profession a “very rewarding, and also very painful job at times... it’s difficult to not empathise with people’s stories. Some people’s stories are hugely impactful. The pain resonates with me.”
Mollie understands the pain that some patients go through because she actually experienced it herself. “I suffered four miscarriages but was fortunate to have three healthy children afterwards. I love being able to support people in their journey and see a very positive end result,” says Mollie.
Mollie tells us that she’s known Dr Venkat for 20 years. “We met at a different clinic, and we’ve passed each other by. When [Dr Venkat] opened up her clinic, I was delighted to join her at HSFC as soon as it opened, and have been there ever since.”
When asked about HSFC, Mollie simply says: “It is a wonderfully calm clinic with such a positive energy, and respects everyone’s unique needs!”
When asked what her favourite part of the job is, Mollie simply replies: “meeting different people and supporting them through an extremely painful fertility journey. It is a great joy to hear of success stories following the despair of infertility.”
Mollie is a BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist and a United Kingdom Register of Counsellors registered independent counsellor. She has worked in the field of women’s health for over 30 years.
Mollie became an executive member of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA) and was appointed to Chair in 2005. She is also an executive board member of the British Society of Psychosomatic Obstetrics Gynaecology and Andrology (BSPOGA) and was appointed honorary treasurer in 2009.
Other aspects of her work include relationship, bereavement and trauma counselling. She is a member of an International Rapid Response Counselling team and is highly skilled and trained to deal with the aftermath of major incidents.
If you would like to meet our wonderful Mollie, please give us a call on 020 7436 6838 or email us at info@hsfc.org.uk.
On Wednesday 2nd of December 2020, Mollie will attend a webinar in partnership with Fertility Help Hub, about the support she can provide. To register, please click here.