A genetic counselor is a health care professional that reviews and interprets family and medical histories and advises couples or individuals about the risk of occurrence of a genetic condition in themselves or their offspring. In the process of counseling, the counselor educates people about the basic principles of inheritance and helps them to make informed decisions about reproduction and/or management of a genetic condition. These conditions could range from genetic diseases and cancer to predisposition to mental illness that runs in a family. Genetic counselors may also advise people about how to interpret the results of genetic screening tests and what to do when a family member has been diagnosed with a genetic condition. Since most of the people who meet with the counselors have little of no background in genetics or even biology in general, a counselor must be able to help people understand their situation in a nontechnical way if possible. In the United States, certified genetic counselors must have a Master of Science (MS) degree from an American Board of Genetic Counselors accredited program.
Color Blindness with a Twist: As a genetic counselor, you may face some ethical dilemmas. Imagine that a couple came to your office to discuss potential color blindness in their children. The man is not color blind, but his wife is. They already have one daughter that is color blind
and want to know the probability of future children having the disorder. First, you will need to explain to the couple the difference between sex chromosomes and autosomal chromosomes and that color blindness is caused by a recessive mutation in a gene found on the X chromosome. Once they understand this, you can then explain to them the probability of other offspring having the disorder. What is the dilemma in this case and why might you need to suggest to the couple that they see a marriage counselor?
