When people begin a surrogacy journey, they are often told they need counselling. Sometimes they hear different terms used: psychologist, fertility counsellor, surrogacy counsellor, ANZICA counsellor, clinic counsellor, implications counsellor or therapist.
It can be confusing.
These terms are sometimes used as though they mean the same thing, but they do not. Understanding the difference can help intended parents and surrogates make informed choices about the support they receive.
The distinction is not about saying one professional is “good” and another is “bad”. Many fertility counsellors are highly skilled and experienced. Some are psychologists. Some are social workers. Some have counselling or psychotherapy backgrounds.
The key issue is clarity.
Who are you seeing?
What are their qualifications?
What are they trained to provide?
What are the limits of their role?
And who are they accountable to?
What is a psychologist?
A psychologist is a registered health professional. In Australia, the title “psychologist” is protected by law. Ahpra explains that only registered practitioners who are suitably trained and qualified can use protected titles under the National Law.
To become eligible for general registration, psychologists complete a six-year sequence of education and training. Psychologists must also meet ongoing registration requirements, including annual continuing professional development and peer consultation.
Registered psychologists are also accountable to the Psychology Board of Australia. The Board’s Code of Conduct sets out standards of behaviour and practice expected of psychologists registered to practise in Australia, and came into effect on 1 December 2025.
A psychologist working in surrogacy may support people with:
- mental health history
- trauma and grief
- fertility-related distress
- perinatal adjustment
- relationship dynamics
- communication and conflict
- risk assessment
- informed consent
- psychological assessment
- family systems
- ethical decision-making
- boundaries and autonomy
A psychologist may also provide counselling, assessment and reports where appropriate, depending on the requirements of the relevant surrogacy pathway.
What is a fertility counsellor?
A fertility counsellor is someone who works in the fertility, donor conception and assisted reproductive treatment space. They may provide support around IVF, donor conception, embryo donation, infertility, fertility treatment decisions, treatment stress, grief, implications counselling and family-building options.
Some fertility counsellors are psychologists. Some are clinical psychologists. Some are social workers. Others may have counselling or psychotherapy qualifications.
This means “fertility counsellor” describes the area of work, but it does not always tell you the person’s underlying profession or registration.
A fertility counsellor may be very experienced in:
- IVF and assisted reproductive treatment
- donor conception
- embryo donation
- implications counselling
- fertility clinic processes
- reproductive grief
- decision-making around treatment
- adjustment to infertility
- family-building conversations
This can be extremely valuable, particularly when people are navigating fertility treatment or donor-related decisions.
However, not every fertility counsellor has the same training, scope of practice or regulatory accountability. Their ability to provide psychological assessment, mental health treatment, diagnosis, trauma-informed therapy or risk assessment will depend on their actual qualifications and professional background.
What is ANZICA?
ANZICA is the Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association. It sits within the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand and is a key professional association for infertility and fertility counsellors.
ANZICA states that it aims to promote a high standard of counselling for individuals affected by infertility issues, including consideration of the welfare and best interests of any potential unborn child. ANZICA also lists objectives including promoting education and training of counsellors in infertility, undertaking research, providing ethical guidance and maintaining communication with members.
You can find ANZICA here: Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association
ANZICA membership can be a helpful marker that a practitioner is connected to the fertility counselling field and relevant professional development.
However, ANZICA membership does not necessarily mean someone is a psychologist. ANZICA includes professionals from different backgrounds, including psychologists, social workers and infertility counsellors. The ANZICA page notes its origins among infertility counsellors, social workers and psychologists, and states that ANZICA counsellors are required to abide by ethical principles linked to professional codes such as APS, AASW, ANZASW and NZCCP.
So, when choosing support, it is reasonable to ask both:
“Are you an ANZICA member?”
and
“What is your underlying professional qualification and registration?”
Why the distinction matters in surrogacy
Surrogacy is not only about fertility treatment.
It involves fertility medicine, but it also involves relationships, consent, pregnancy, birth, autonomy, family systems, legal processes, trauma history, identity, loss, expectations, post-birth adjustment and the lifelong story of the child.
A fertility counsellor may be the right person for fertility-specific implications counselling or donor conception counselling.
A psychologist with fertility and surrogacy experience may be the right person when there are more complex psychological issues to consider, such as:
- trauma history
- mental health risk
- complex grief
- family violence concerns
- anxiety or depression
- attachment dynamics
- coercion or pressure
- family-system stress
- capacity for informed consent
- risk to the arrangement
- post-birth adjustment concerns
In many cases, the ideal professional is someone who understands both: a registered psychologist with specific experience in fertility, donor conception and surrogacy, or a fertility counsellor with strong professional qualifications, surrogacy experience, ANZICA membership and clear accountability.
Questions to ask before choosing a surrogacy counsellor
It is reasonable to ask questions before booking.
You may want to ask:
- What are your qualifications?
- Are you a registered psychologist, social worker, counsellor or psychotherapist?
- Are you registered with Ahpra or another professional body?
- Are you an ANZICA member?
- Do you have specific experience in surrogacy, not only fertility treatment?
- Have you worked with intended parents, surrogates and partners?
- Do you understand the relevant state or territory requirements?
- Do you provide counselling, assessment, reports or all of these?
- How do you manage confidentiality?
- What happens if concerns arise?
- Do you work with diverse families, including same-sex intended parents and single intended parents?
- Do you know when to refer to another professional?
A qualified professional should be able to answer these questions clearly. Transparency should not be treated as an insult. It is part of ethical care.
Psychologist, fertility counsellor or ANZICA member: which do you need?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer.
A fertility counsellor may be well placed to support fertility treatment decisions, donor conception implications and clinic-related counselling.
An ANZICA member may bring specialist fertility counselling knowledge and connection to a professional fertility counselling body.
A psychologist may be especially important where psychological assessment, trauma-informed care, mental health concerns, complex family dynamics or clinical risk need to be considered.
Sometimes the same person may hold more than one role. For example, a registered psychologist may also be an ANZICA member and fertility counsellor.
The main thing is to understand what the practitioner is qualified to provide.
A final thought
The words used in surrogacy support can be confusing. Psychologist, fertility counsellor, ANZICA member and peer supporter are not interchangeable terms.
Each may have a valuable role.
But intended parents and surrogates deserve to know who they are seeing, what training that person has, what professional standards they are accountable to, and whether their experience is specific to surrogacy.
At Happy Minds Psychology, we provide surrogacy counselling and psychological support grounded in professional psychological training, fertility-informed practice and an understanding of the emotional and relational complexity of surrogacy.
If you are unsure what kind of surrogacy support you need, we can help you think through the right fit for your situation. Contact us to find out more.
