Narrative Identity and the Psychological Care of Young Women Conceived Using Assisted Reproductive Technology
The story of becoming a parent is often couched in the language of desire built on fantasies. And although such idyllic accounts tend to conceal much more difficult stories about becoming parents, nevertheless assisted reproductive technology has given new hope to many couples experiencing infertility. In the course of our work as professional psychologists, we recorded the reflections of young women between the ages of 15 and 25 who were conceived using assisted reproductive technology. To understand how the circumstances of their conception impacted their narrative identity, we adopted a clinical approach that involved having these young women share their life narratives, starting with their conception stories. Based on our clinical observations, the article explores a five-stage method for facilitating narrativity, consisting of the interview process, projective mechanisms, the creation of an autobiographical timeline, and, finally, the act of writing a life story. This multifaceted approach makes it possible to address the impact of conception stories on narrative identity from both a diachronic and synchronic perspective. Finally, we conduct a theoretical and clinical assessment of this promising methodology, which primarily aims to give young people the tools and support they need to share their life narratives in the context of therapy sessions—a process likely to promote better mental health through more harmonious identity development.