The Center for Family Building

Founded in 2015 by Director Lisa Schuman, LCSW, and located in New York City, The Center for Family Building offers a unique fertility counseling service designed to help both individuals and couples achieve their dreams of parenthood. Although the office is located in New York City, the Center serves clients within the tri-state area in person and offer online meetings for those who live at a distance, including international clients, or for those who simply prefer to meet online. Simple Surrogacy is proud to welcome The Center for Family Building into our network of professionals.

Therapy at The Center for Family Building

The Center for Family Building is staffed by therapists who have much experience working with fertility centers and agencies across the United States. They understand issues specific to families who are formed with the assistance of donor conception and surrogacy. Additionally, they are proficient in stress management techniques and are sensitive to the complexities of open donor relationships. The Center’s therapists are available to support intended parents throughout their journey to parenthood. This is accomplished through methods such as:

• Facilitating bonding between intended parents and gestational carriers
• Providing a wealth of parenting information
• Resolving conflicts that may arise between couples during the surrogacy process

Services Provided by The Center for Family Building

Services offered by The Center for Family Building include, but are not limited to:

• Providing media and learning tools such as videos and e-books to help intended parents along the road to building their dream families
• Offering consultations to intended parents
• Providing anonymous and known donor screening
• Educating intended parents on building a mutually beneficial relationship with their surrogate
• Offering guidance on issues to consider when raising children conceived through a donor or through surrogacy
• Providing ongoing support for gestational surrogate mothers
• Offering individual, couples and group counseling
• Providing screening for compassionate surrogacy arrangements
• Conducting educational workshops and webinars

Director Lisa Schuman, LCSW

Director Lisa Schuman, LCSW has won awards for her research at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society (PCRS). She has worked within clinic settings and in her own psychotherapy practice for over two decades, and has brought that valuable experience and knowledge to The Center for Family Building. Ms. Schuman is active in the LGBTQ community, lecturing to organizations frequently. Ms. Schuman and her therapists work with a variety of organizations, and understand the importance of being available to the referring organization as well as completing all reports according to ASRM guidelines.

Ms. Schuman is also a contributor to publications and blogs targeted at intended parents. For example, she recently wrote an article for Parents.com entitled “10 Things Donor-Conceived Children Want Their Parents to Know.”

Simple Surrogacy is proud to work with The Center for Family Building and invites you to check out its website for further information. Please contact Simple Surrogacy at 1-866-41-SURRO for more information on our services or to network with representatives from The Center for Family Building.