WHAT IS GENETIC COUNSELING?

Genetic counselors provide patients and their families with information about inherited conditions.  Emphasis is on education, to aid in the patient's and /or family's understanding of a genetic condition. 

What happens during genetic counseling?

The genetic counselor generally begins the session by obtaining relevant family, pregnancy, and medical histories, concentrating on the patient’s questions and concerns. If a condition has already been identified by clinical examination or genetic testing, every effort is made to provide as much information as possible about the the diagnosis and the options available. 

The goal of genetic counseling is to:

• provide medical information about the disorder(s) in question
• describe patterns of inheritance
• discuss appropriate genetic testing
• identify options for prenatal diagnosis, preconceptual or presymptomatic testing
• assess risks to other family members
• supply information about resources for patient education and support

At the Harvey Institute, genetic counselors are an integral part of our services:

• prenatal genetics
• cancer risk assessment
• pediatric genetics