Serving Families with Science and Empathy
Science Magazine
Elisabeth PainJune 2, 2016

Genetic counseling was born out of the need and desire to help those patients “understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease,” according to the U.S. National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). As Gillian Hooker—who worked as a genetic counselor after completing a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology—explains the job, “a lot of it is about helping [patients and their families] integrate that information into their life, cope when things are very difficult …, find ways to make meaning out of what’s happening to them, and move forward.”