Choosing an agency is often framed around logistics like timelines, screening, and coordination. Those matter. But there is another layer that is just as important and often less visible at the outset: how you will be supported psychologically throughout the process of becoming a parent through surrogacy.

Even when things are moving forward, this path often includes waiting, uncertainty, complex relationships, and moments where hope and anxiety exist at the same time. This is not something to simply get through. It is part of the experience of becoming a parent.

Having psychological support creates space to think clearly, stay grounded, and make decisions with intention rather than urgency. It also helps you begin forming your identity as a parent long before a pregnancy begins.

What to Look For in Support

Not all agencies approach support in the same way. Some offer thoughtful, ongoing spaces for reflection and preparation. Others focus primarily on logistics or only step in when something feels difficult.

As you consider your options, you might ask yourself:

• Will I have space to process this experience as it unfolds, or only when something goes wrong?
• Does this agency value preparation and reflection, or mainly coordination and timelines?
• Is there support available before matching, during pregnancy, and after birth?
• Will I have guidance in navigating relationships, not just managing steps in the process?
• What do I need, knowing who I am, and how I navigate complex procedures?

A Grounding Question

Alongside all the practical considerations, it can be helpful to ask:

• Where will I go to think, reflect, and feel supported during this process?
• What kind of support helps me stay steady when things feel uncertain?
• Do I want a place that helps me prepare emotionally, or only react when challenges arise?

There is no way to remove uncertainty from this journey. But having the right support can change how you move through it. And that is worth considering from the very beginning. This may be from an existing individual therapist, joining a support group, or finding support from the agency you choose.

How Sweet Springs Can Support This Work

At Sweet Springs, I partner with agencies to offer structured support groups for intended parents that run alongside the medical and logistical process. These groups are designed as a blend of psychoeducation and interpersonal support, offering:

• practical, psychologically grounded frameworks for navigating uncertainty, relationships, and decision-making
• space for reflection and discussion with others in similar stages of the journey
• guidance that is developmental and non-evaluative, rather than tied to screening or gatekeeping
• continuity of support across stages, from waiting to pregnancy and early parenthood

This kind of support is not about adding another task to your process. It is about creating a steady place within it. For agencies, it offers a way to extend care beyond coordination. For intended parents, it offers a place to think, prepare, and stay connected to the experience as it unfolds.

Dr. Diederich and Sweet Springs Consultation and Assessment, can help you navigate through the steps of third-party production, considerations around donating your embryos, egg donor evaluations, sperm donor evaluations, evaluations of gestational carriers. She’s a proud member of ASRM and the Mental Health Professional Group. If you are an agency and want to add a support group to your offerings for IP, reach out! Whether you are in Pennsylvania, New York, Hawaii or in one of the other many PsyPact states that Dr. Diederich can practice in virtually, she can help.

AI writing assistance was used in developing portions of this blog. All content has been reviewed and finalized by Dr. Diederich.