What Happens During A Genetic Counseling Session?
Some genetic counseling sessions are simple, and require only one visit. Other times, multiple sessions are needed to collect additional information, to keep the family updated or to deal with ongoing medical and/or psychosocial problems. The first step in a genetic counseling session is to determine why the patient or family is seeking genetic counseling and to identify what information they wish to get out of the session. Usually only one or two family members attend a counseling session. Sometimes cousins, in-laws, siblings, and grandparents may come. For genetic counselors, the family is the patient, not just the person affected, or potentially affected, with a genetic disease. An accurate pedigree is an important part of genetic counseling. A pedigree is used to help make a diagnosis of a genetic disease, to determine a person’s risk of developing a genetic disease or to determine the risk of having a child with a genetic disease. At minimum, a pedigree includes first degree relat
