I am enthusiastically committed to increasing childless affirmative practices within the therapy world. I’ve never heard anyone say that they entered the field to marginalize their clients, but we all carry with us aspects of power and privilege that can show up in our work. When I consult with or train other clinicians, here are some examples of questions I often ask to help guide the discussion about bias. Take a look and think how you might answer these:

Was your own decision making about parenting from a place of empowerment and opportunity and so you misperceive most other people felt this way?
Is it challenging to recognize your childless client’s grief as healthy instead of wishing they could move to a place of acceptance so they can embrace “childfree” life?
If you struggled to become a parent in some way is it possible for you to allow your client to also struggle, but with a different outcome, and see that outcome as equally worthy?
Who in your personal or professional life is a nonparent? What aspects of their lives are pitied or esteemed?
Are you hearing voices of childless clinicians? Where are they obscured?
When your client shares a story do your thoughts go quickly to an urge to share something related to your own parenting status? Or offer one that can justify your own parenting status?
What messages have you gotten from our profession about parenthood, ambivalence, and infertility?

If any of these sparked an aha moment, please take your insight to your colleagues, consult groups, and supervisors! This kind of exploration needs a community and often a good dose of self compassion. Once we know better, we can do better by our nonparent clients. I’d love to help support your work as well, you can find out more here on my website, or through my Instagram content.