Genetic Counseling

(Discussing your family medical history with a genetic counselor)

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Genetic counseling is the process of discussing your family medical history with a professional genetic counselor to assess risk for inherited disorders and review options for addressing that risk.

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Preparation for Genetic Counseling:
“Talk to your family and especially include your parents to get information about your family history prior to the counseling appointment.”

“It is important to talk to your parents and include them in the discussion because your test will provide information relevant to them that they may or may not want.”

During and After Genetic Counseling:
“Ask your counselor and/or healthcare provider any questions and keep asking a question — in different ways — until you understand the answer.”

“Ask when and how results will be communicated.”

“Ask about next steps after receiving results.”

 

Patient Stories

Genetic Counseling

I have a higher-than-normal family risk history for breast and ovarian cancer and wanted to understand my options for testing for the BRCA1 and 2 genes. Read More

Roxanne, female, 36, Massachusetts

 
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