Genetic Counselling

Do you, your child, or a member of your family have a health issue where the question of it being “genetic” has come up? What does it mean to have a genetic condition? How do you find out for sure? How do you deal with the emotions that can come from this situation? Genetic counsellors are here to help. We are specially trained members of your healthcare team.

You may have learned about genetics in science class in high school. Why is it coming up now in your child’s health care? Over the years, our understanding of how genes play a role in many conditions has grown. We now have tests that can look at many genes or even all of our genes at one time. These genetic tests can provide results that may tell us:

• The cause of your child’s health issues
• What other health issues should I watch out for?
• Which treatments or medications may be more effective?
• Who else in the family may be at risk?

Genetic information can be confusing. It can be hard to make sense of what genetic results mean for you and your family and what to do next. As genetic counsellors, we help translate genetic information in a way that is easier to understand. We focus on supporting you to make choices that are consistent with your family’s needs, values, and beliefs.