Genetic counselors: who we are and what we do

Have you or your family ever met with a genetic counselor before? Do you know one personally?

Genetic counselors make up only 0.0001% of the worldwide population* but the numbers of these masters-trained genetic professionals grow every year!

Every November, the National Society of Genetic Counselors leads an awareness day to make sure more people have a chance to learn about genetic counselors and to better understand when and how they might benefit from meeting with one.

Just like there are so many ways doctors and nurses and teachers apply their education and training, there are countless ways genetic counselors help.

Many genetic counselors you meet work with patients considering medical DNA tests. Others work in laboratory or industry settings, teach genetics at the university or graduate level, provide specialized services to areas of rare disease, train other medical professionals, or work as advocates for non-profits or legislative efforts. I know of one genetic counselor who brings her skills and her experience to her work at an adoption agency!

In recent years, mail-in DNA tests have prompted more people to seek out a genetic counselor. This shift towards more people meeting with a genetic counselor after having a DNA test they’ve ordered for themselves, rather than before a test is ordered by a medical professional, has brought genetic counselors into the lives of thousands of individuals and families in a new way.

My own personal experience with consumer DNA testing, plus a desire to search for information regarding an adopted family member, led me to the work I do as a genetic counselor specialized in direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Seven years after founding Watershed DNA, I continue to work to spread clarity and support, and to identify and share resources developed by myself and others, for people who find their lives forever changed by a DNA test.

Today, I am joining in the celebration of a profession that has brought so much purpose and meaning to my life, and to celebrate the talented and passionate colleagues, supervisors, students, and friends I’ve had the honor to meet and connect with over the past two decades.

The next time you meet a genetic counselor, my hope is that your first question is not, “What is that?” but rather this:

“Yes, I know about genetic counselors!

What type of work do YOU do?”

*This percentage was determined by a rough estimation of 8,000 genetic counselors worldwide divided by a worldwide human population of nearly 8 billion in 2022.