Genetic Counseling

Genetic Counseling is a professional assessment of a patient's risk factors regarding their family history or a pregnancy. The goal of genetic counseling is not only risk assessment, but also to explain the cause/inheritance of a disorder, availability of testing, prognosis and management/ treatment, and options.

Genetic counselors have a minimum of a master's degree in genetic counseling which includes extensive training in both human genetics and psychology. Genetic counselors in the state of Georgia are licensed medical professionals. All genetic counselors at Emory are licensed and board-certified or board-eligible. Board certification through the American Board of Genetic Counseling is required within the first year after graduation from an accredited program.

Throughout a genetic counseling session, genetic counselors guide and support patients seeking information about how inherited diseases and conditions might affect them or their families and enable patients to make informed decisions about their health. Genetic counselors also elicit and analyze family histories to identify the risk of genetic conditions. In the broader context of healthcare, genetic counseling is essential as it bridges the gap between complex genetic information and patient care, ensuring that the implications of genetic health are both understood and appropriately managed.

Genetic Counseling Session

Typically, the components of a genetic counseling session include:

• Obtaining a family pedigree of at least three generations
• Reviewing the patient's personal medical history
• Explaining genetic testing options
• Genetic testing results discussion that includes reviewing the diagnosis or possible diagnosis, inheritance, recurrence risk, prognosis, management, and any treatment options
• Providing supportive counseling and referral to patient support groups and/or other families with similar experiences
• Supporting the individual, couple, or family in whatever decision best suits them, with regards to the information received, their personal, religious, and moral values. In this manner, genetic counseling is non-directive

Our genetic counselors practice in a number of areas and specialties across Emory Healthcare and in partnership with Emory affiliates such as Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Grady Hospital.

• Emory Medical Genetics Clinic
• Winship Cancer Institute
  • Emory University Campus
  • Emory Midtown Campus
  • Emory Decatur Hospital
  • Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
  • Emory Johns Creek Hospital
  • Grady Memorial Hospital
• Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • Emory University Hospital Midtown
  • Emory Decatur Hospital
• Inpatient services
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
    • Arthur M. Blank Hospital
    • Scottish Rite
• Specialty Clinics at Emory
  • Down Syndrome Clinic
  • Fragile X Syndrome Clinic
  • eXtraordinarY Clinic
  • Skeletal Disorders Clinic
  • Adult Neurology Huntington Disease Clinic
  • CFTR-Related Metabolic Syndrome (CRMS) Clinic
• Specialty Clinics in partnership with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
  • Disorders of Sex Development
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Craniofacial Clinic