A genetic counselor is a healthcare professional with special training in both medical genetics and counseling. We’re here to take complex science and make it clear, practical, and meaningful for you. Genetic counseling is the process of helping you understand how your genes may affect your health, what testing options are available, and how results could impact you and your family.

Genetic counselors complete a Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling and then pass a national board exam to become Certified Genetic Counselors (CGC). Many states also require a professional license. This means when you meet with a genetic counselor, you’re talking with someone who has both the medical genetics expertise and counseling skills to guide you through decisions with confidence.

• Planning for pregnancy or learning more about family planning options

• Reviewing past genetic test results, including 23andMe or other direct-to-consumer tests

• Understanding a personal or family history of cancer

• Learning more about genetic conditions that may run in the family

• Exploring how genes may affect medication response (pharmacogenomics)

People come to genetic counseling for many reasons, such as:

• A personal or family history of cancer

• Planning for pregnancy or learning about carrier screening

• Reviewing past genetic test results (including 23andMe or AncestryDNA)

• Wondering if updated testing might provide more answers

• Learning how genetics may affect medication response (pharmacogenomics)

Not at all. The purpose of genetic counseling is to give you information and options. You’re always in control of whether or not to move forward with testing. Some people find peace of mind with just a conversation, while others want the added information from testing.