Surrogacy is an incredible journey filled with hope, love, and the promise of creating families. For intended parents, it offers a chance to fulfill their dream of parenthood. For gestational surrogates, it’s a remarkable way to help others. However, this journey also comes with emotional challenges—for both the intended parents and gestational surrogates involved and the agency staff who guide them.
Understanding mental health and emotional needs is key for surrogacy agency staff. With the right training, staff can better support clients, navigate sensitive situations, and create a positive experience for everyone. This approach leads to smoother journeys, happier clients, and a stronger reputation for the agency.
Understanding the Emotions of Intended Parents
For intended parents, surrogacy represents a deeply personal choice and an important step toward building their family. Their reasons for pursuing surrogacy are diverse, ranging from infertility and medical conditions to being part of the LGBTQ+ community or other unique circumstances. Regardless of the reason, they often bring a mix of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety to the process as they navigate legal agreements, medical procedures, and relationships with their gestational surrogate.
Agency staff play a significant role in helping intended parents manage these emotions. By being empathetic and listening to their concerns, staff can provide reassurance and guidance. Sharing stories of other successful journeys or offering resources for emotional support can make a big difference in helping intended parents feel less alone.
The Challenges Gestational Surrogates Face
Gestational surrogates are amazing individuals who take on the responsibility of carrying a child for someone else. While the experience can be very rewarding, it also comes with its own emotional challenges. Gestational surrogates may face societal judgment, worry about balancing the demands of surrogacy with their personal lives, or feel overwhelmed by the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy.
Agencies should strive to create an environment where gestational surrogates feel supported and valued. This includes offering access to counseling services, connecting them with other gestational surrogates for peer support, and checking in regularly to ensure they’re doing well. When gestational surrogates feel appreciated and cared for, it strengthens the relationship between all parties.
What Mental Health Awareness Training Looks Like
Recognizing Signs of Emotional Struggles
Training agency staff to recognize signs of emotional struggles is an essential first step. Staff must be able to spot changes in communication, mood, or behavior in both clients and colleagues. Early recognition of emotional stress allows the agency to intervene appropriately—whether through a reassuring conversation, offering additional support, or referring someone to a mental health professional.
Learning Empathy and Communication
Empathy and communication are at the heart of building trust with clients. Staff should be trained to actively listen, speak with kindness, and approach difficult conversations with care. Whether delivering sensitive news or addressing concerns, strong communication skills help clients feel understood and respected, even during challenging moments.
Handling Conflicts Gracefully
Conflicts or misunderstandings between intended parents and gestational surrogates can sometimes arise. In these situations, agency staff must act as neutral mediators, promoting open communication and collaboration. Addressing conflicts gracefully and maintaining a focus on shared goals ensures smoother resolutions and keeps everyone aligned in their journey.
Making Mental Health Part of Daily Operations
Integrating mental health awareness into the daily operations of a surrogacy agency is essential for creating a supportive and compassionate environment. By prioritizing emotional well-being, agencies can ensure that both staff and clients feel valued and cared for. Here are some effective ways to make mental health a seamless part of your agency’s routine:
- Practice Clear and Compassionate Communication: Good communication is the backbone of any successful surrogacy process. Staff should be trained to deliver updates with clarity and compassion, whether sharing positive news or addressing difficult challenges. Regular check-ins and open conversations help clients feel engaged and build trust throughout the journey.
- Create a Supportive Workplace: A supportive workplace culture promotes emotional well-being and strengthens team morale. Encouraging peer support, debriefing after tough cases, and offering tools to balance work and personal life are all essential strategies for maintaining a positive environment.
- Collaborate with Mental Health Experts: Partnering with mental health professionals provides clients and staff with valuable resources. Counselors can help clients navigate the emotional complexities of surrogacy, while staff benefit from expert guidance during complex situations, ensuring everyone’s well-being is a top priority.
Using these practices in everyday operations can help create an environment where everyone—staff, intended parents, and gestational surrogates—feels supported and empowered.
Why Mental Health Awareness Training Matters
When clients feel emotionally supported, they’re more likely to have a positive experience and trust the agency. Satisfied clients lead to glowing testimonials, word-of-mouth referrals, and a strong reputation in the surrogacy community.
For staff, mental health awareness training builds confidence and reduces stress, empowering them to handle even the most challenging situations. A supportive and skilled team improves retention rates, attracts top talent, and fosters a sense of pride in their work.
Agencies that prioritize mental health awareness training set themselves apart as leaders in the field. Clients and professionals alike recognize them as compassionate and professional, which attracts more clients and strengthens the agency’s standing in the surrogacy community.
A Better Future Through Mental Health Awareness
At PECNA, we recommend that agencies familiarize themselves with best practices for supporting mental health and conduct thorough psychological evaluations for all parties involved, including intended parents and gestational surrogates. Proper mental health screening and pre-surrogacy counseling ensures emotional readiness, helps prevent potential conflicts, and fosters successful surrogacy journeys.
As part of our commitment to supporting surrogacy agencies, PECNA provides expert mental health screenings tailored to the unique needs of the surrogacy process. By integrating comprehensive evaluations into your agency’s practices, you can ensure the well-being of everyone involved and strengthen trust between all parties.
Contact PECNA today to learn more about our mental health screening services and how we can help your agency create a compassionate and supportive environment for surrogacy.
