Laura Covington received her undergraduate degree and MSW from Boston College. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in DC, MD, VA, and PA, she provides clinical counseling to individuals, couples and groups, where she offers an safe environment to discuss issues around developing strategies for stress and coping during fertility treatment, grief and loss related to reproductive health, disclosure around third party reproduction, and all facets of assisted reproduction. Her interests are primarily in reproductive health issues, fertility, trauma, and family building. Ms. Covington also collaborated with the National Institute of Health (NIH) researching patients’ current medical and psychosocial needs around Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). She is also a member of Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG) of American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and RESOLVE. Ms. Covington recently authored the chapter “Psychological Aspects of Infertility Post-War Injury” in Intimacy after Injury: Combat Trauma and Sexual Health edited by Elspeth Ritchie and co-authored the chapter, “Counseling Known Participants in Third-Party Reproduction” in Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide and Case Studies, edited by Sharon Covington.
Research and Scholarly Interests
- Reproductive health issues and traumas
- Third party reproduction
- Assisted reproductive technology
- Military and veteran culture and infertilty
Dissertation Topic
Biopsychosocial Recovery From Service-Related Genitourinary (GU) Injuries: Examining Reproductive Trauma and Narrative from a Life Course Perspective
This qualitative research builds on the life course model while also considering the reproductive story model, to examine how service-connected injuries that impair fertility affect ongoing life trajectories (Elder & Giele, 2009; Jaffe & Diamond, 2011). The study aims to discover how the injuries (physical changes and limitations, including GU trauma in the context of polytrauma, TBI, and/or amputations) and the associated reproductive health issues impact subsequent attitudes about family development, sexual functioning, and quality of life.
