The Surrogacy Lawyer Radio Program Focus on Fathers Day

SAN DIEGO, CA, June 16, 2011

Ever since the popular book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus was published, it has been assumed that men and women live on different planets when it comes to expressing their emotions. But just because men and women don't emote in the same way does not mean men don't need help and support on the infertility journey, as well as guidance about how to assist their female partners who bear the brunt of treatment. While many support groups, services and reading materials are directed towards women, men need tools and resources devoted to their special needs too.

As a special for the upcoming Father's Day holiday, the next episode of the Surrogacy Lawyer: Your Guide to Building Your Family will focus on support for would-be fathers, Theresa Erickson, Esq., will be interviewing Marc Sedaka, author of the newly published What He Can Expect When She's Not Expecting and psychologist William Petok, Ph.D., a specialist in male infertility and sexuality. The show will air on Thursday, June 16 at 11AM PST/2PM EST on Voice America.

William Petok, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in Baltimore, Maryland, who has a specialty practice focusing on the emotional components of reproductive medicine including infertility and sex therapy. As a board member of The American Fertility Association, he is involved in the educational efforts of the organization to improve public knowledge regarding fertility and its preservation for both men and women. A past chair of the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Dr. Petrok currently serves on the editorial board of the ASRM's journal Sexuality, Menopause and Reproductive Medicine and is an associate editor of Post Graduate Obstetrics and Gynecology. Marc Sedaka is a successful comedy writer for both film and TV. His produced credits include New Line Cinema's Overnight Delivery starring Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd, CBS's "King of Queens," and NBC's "Inside Schwartz." In addition, his family-related articles have appeared in L.A. Parent and The Los Angeles Times and he recently completed a children's book with his father, legendary singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka. Marc currently lives in Los Angles with his wife, Samantha, and their three young children.

"With infertility treatment focused primarily on meeting the emotional and physical needs of women, sometimes men can feel lost in the process. Also their ego and sexual functioning can be affected," says attorney Erickson. "But intended fathers need support on two levels: to both process their emotions and to help their wives. This week's guests will share their wealth of personal and professional experience so that men can be fully functioning for their wives and partners throughout the infertility experience."

About Theresa Erickson, Esq.

As one of the few lawyers in the United States dedicated to the unique area of family formation law, Ms. Erickson is known as "The Surrogacy Lawyer" and continuously earns national recognition for her work. As part of her efforts to provide legal services for individuals going through the surrogacy process, Erickson also has written several books on this subject including her most recent: Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm and Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking?, which was released in August 2010 by iUniverse Publishing (www.ericksonlaw.net/surrogacy-and-embryo-sperm-and-egg-donation-what- ... u-thinking).

Erickson's work also includes being the founder of Conceptual Options, LLC, as well as an executive board member of The American Fertility Association (AFA) and the legal director f or Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED). She also is a professional member of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and the founding director of The American College of Assisted Reproduction and Adoption Lawyers (ACARAL). For more information on Erickson's work and current projects, you may visit www.ericksonlaw.net.