Medical interventions in fertility have transformed how people experience parenthood. How can clinicians navigate the intricate emotional landscape created by assisted reproduction?

In this episode, Renata Viola Vives and Ana Teresa Vale explore the complex relationship between assisted reproduction and psychoanalysis, drawing from their edited book, "Pregnancy, Assisted Reproduction and Psychoanalysis," published by Routledge. Conceived through years of clinical work and shaped by the collaborative encounters fostered by COWAP, the IPA Women and Psychoanalysis Committee, they explore how contemporary practices redefine our understanding of parenthood, identity, and desire.    

Drawing on their extensive experience, the authors address the historical tensions between psychoanalysis and reproductive technologies, and highlight the need for a nuanced approach. By examining the emotional impact of procedures like gàmete donation and sùrrogacy, they emphasize the importance of understanding the anxieties and fantasies that accòmpany these kinds of journeys to parenthood.

Renata Viola Vives is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalyst, a member of the Brazilian Society of Psychoanalysis in Porto Alegre, and currently COWAP's Latin-American representative. She is an editor and organizer of books on parenting, assisted reproduction, and adoption.

Ana Teresa Vale is a Clinical Psychologist and a Psychoanalyst, member of the Portuguese Psychoanalytic Society, teaching in her Society’s training program. She is Assistant Director of the Portuguese Psychoanalytic Journal, and currently COWAP's European representative.

This episode is presented in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. The English version is read by Ana Teresa Vale.

This Podcast Series, published by the International Psychoanalytical Association, is part of the activities of the IPA Communication Committee and is produced by the IPA Podcast Editorial Team.

Co-Editors: Gaetano Pellegrini and Nicolle Zapien.

Editing and Post-Production: Massimiliano Guerrieri.