Executive Committee

Ruth Wilde lives near Salisbury in Wiltshire. She has worked as a counsellor for over fourteen years specialising in infertility since 2002. She has worked in infertility counselling in both private and NHS clinics in Birmingham and London, and is currently the Senior Infertility Counsellor for Complete Fertility Southampton. She also has a small private practice in Wiltshire specialising in infertility and relationship problems.

Since she started working in a Licensed Centre, Ruth has been an active member of BICA and has been on the Executive Committee since 2008. She is also a member of the HFEA Licensed Centre’ s Panel and has been since its inception. Ruth was elected to the British Fertility Society’ s Executive in 2010 and represents BICA’ s interests and infertility counselling generally at BFS meetings. Ruth is currently representing BICA as a stakeholder of the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority(HFEA) in on-going discussions about where the functions of the HFEA will be carried out following the recent Public Bodies Act.

Jim Monach is now a consultant in mental health based in Sheffield, after a University career in social work, mental health teaching and research. He wrote his PhD on the ‘psychosocial impact of childlessness’ published as ‘Childless No Choice’ and has published widely on both infertility issues and mental health. Jim is a past Chair of BICA and current Chair of the National Accreditation Board. Jim was asked to lead the development of the Infertility Counselling Award and the accreditation scheme for BICA some years ago and is pleased that it has now become a reality for the whole profession. He has wide interests in voluntary and community organisations as well as membership of Mental Health Tribunal and local health service governing bodies

I have worked as an infertility counsellor since 1997, both in NHS and private settings. I have used my experience in this field to offer training as part of the Post Adoption Centre's courses for social workers involved with assessments.

Presently I work for the Centre for Reproduction and Genetic Health (CRGH) in London (which also takes referrals from the NHS). More generally, since 1998 I have been a group supervisor at The City Lit and also have a private practice both as counsellor and supervisor in Central London.

Daniel Eyles is a part qualified Chartered Accountant, having worked within the accountancy profession since 2004. Daniel grew up in London, however he now lives and works in Sheffield with his wife and young child following his graduation from the city's University.

Kate Brian is a former television journalist who began her career at the BBC as a news trainee and went on to work on Panorama before leaving for ITN where she spent ten years, working mainly as Home Affairs Producer for Channel Four News. Kate is the author of 'The Complete Guide to IVF', 'The Complete Guide to Female Fertility', and 'Precious Babies', a new book aimed at those who are pregnant or have children after infertility. Kate is a former trustee of Infertility Network UK, and worked for the charity as a regional organiser for two years. Kate now works freelance as a writer, journalist and editor. She has two children who were both IVF babies.

I am a BICA Accredited Infertility Counsellor. I have had many years experience in all aspects of infertility; working with single women and couples (both same sex and heterosexual), donor conception, surrogacy and with people ending treatment. I work within the NHS at the Fertility Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and at the private Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine. I serve as an Exec. Committee member of BICA.
My earlier training was in child protection and sexual abuse, initially in a specialist social work team and as a manager and then as a family therapist. I worked also for a number of years in adoption assessment and post adoption therapy. I am particularly interested in the impact of infertility on couple and family relationships.

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Gerry McCluskey originally trained as a social worker and since 1983 has held a variety of practitioner and management posts in Family and Child Care Fieldwork and Family Placement (Fostering and Adoption). She came to Fertility Counselling seven years ago through her work in adoption.

Gerry is employed by the Fertility Counselling Service ni to provide counselling for NHS patients. She continues to work in adoption social work practice and from time to time provides training to adoption social workers on the impact of infertility in adoption.

Gerry has been a member of BICA since 2003 and a member of the BICA Executive since February 2010. She is BICA’s representative on PROGAR and is also a member of the Irish Fertility Counsellors’ Association.

Tracey Sainsbury lives near to Caterham in Surrey and has worked as a counsellor since 2006. She is currently the fertility counsellor & research officer at The London Women’s Clinic (London) and the London Sperm Bank.

Tracey was a volunteer with iSSUE running the South London Support Group and became the Regional Organiser for London & The South East with Infertility Network UK in 2004.

Tracey was formerly responsible for the Infertility Network UK, More To Life & ACeBabes websites, online communities and social networking. She has been co-opted on to the Executive Committee to take an active role with the BICA website