SHARON COVINGTON, LCSW-C, BCD

Sharon N. Covington is a Board-Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work with almost 50 years’ experience as an adult psychotherapist and over 40 years providing services in reproductive medical settings. While maintaining an active private practice, she is Director of Psychological Support Services for Shady Grove Fertility, the United States’ largest ART program. In addition, she is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has been an Associate Investigator in the Intramural Research Program on Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health.

Mrs. Covington is internationally recognized and considered a pioneer in the field of reproductive mental health and fertility counseling. She is the co-editor of the first international textbook in the field, Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians, which is frequently referred to as " The Purple Bible". She is, also, the editor of the more recent text, Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide and Case studies, with the 2^nd edition soon to be published. In her academic career, Mrs. Covington has been a researcher and continues to write, teach, supervise, and mentor the next generation of clinicians in this work. As a founding member and past Chair of the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Mrs. Covington has been recognized for scientific contributions and service, including work to establish guidelines, training and practice for mental health professionals working in reproductive medicine.