What is a Genetic Counselor?
A genetic counselor is a health professional with a graduate degree (usually a masters in genetic counseling) and experience with medical genetics and counseling. Genetic counselors take on many roles that are helpful to patients, from educator to social worker to advocate, while also assisting the physician by collecting the pertinent information to make a diagnosis. We have expertise in genetic testing, and discussing testing options, helping people decide whether to undergo genetic testing, and explaining the results are all things you may cover in a session with your genetic counselor. Genetic counselors at the Genomic Medicine Institute see patients and also have other responsibilities, such as providing genetics education through public speaking engagements and coordinating research studies. Our access to cutting edge research being done in the GMI and our extensive network of colleagues enable us to bring scientific advances to our patients as quickly as discoveries are made.
Genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling. Most enter the field from a variety of disciplines, including biology, genetics, nursing, psychology, public health and social work. (see “How to Become a Genetic Counselor”). Genetic counselors work as members of a health care team, providing information and support to families who have members with birth defects or genetic disorders and to families who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. They identify families at risk, investigate the problem present in the family, interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence and review available options with the family. Genetic counselors also provide supportive counseling to families, serve as patient advocates and refer individuals and families to community or state support services. They serve as educators and resource people for other heal
Genetic counselors are healthcare professionals with specialized graduate degrees and training in medical genetics and counseling. Genetic counselors may provide genetic counseling in various settings, including prenatal, pediatric, or cancer counseling. Other healthcare providers such as advance practice nurses, oncologists, obstetricians, etc, may have additional training in the field of genetics and provide genetic counseling within the scope of their practice.
A genetic counselor is an important member of the perinatal health care team with specialized training in genetics and genetic disease. Because their training is so focused and specialized, the genetic counselor often has access to information and resources not readily available to your doctor. This puts the genetic counselor in the unique position of being able to serve as a liaison among you, your doctor, and the sometimes daunting world of medical genetics. If a diagnosis has been made, genetic counselors provide supportive counseling to families, serve as patient advocates, and refer individuals and families to community or state support services. Often, the genetic counselor interprets medical information and can become a most welcome support person if the information turns out to be stressful or complex.
