What is genetic counselling, what does a genetic counsellor do, and who gets to see one? Our latest exhibition at the Wellcome Genome Campus explores this vital but often little-known subject.
Genetic counsellors are healthcare professionals trained to work with people at risk from, or who have been diagnosed with, genetic conditions. They draw on a range of different expertise: knowledge of genetic conditions and risk factors, communication skills that explain jargon and make sense of complex situations, and counselling techniques that emotionally support a person.
Empowering People: Genetic Counselling in Focus uses accounts from research and clinical genetic counsellors to explore the experience of genetic counselling and the work they do. The exhibition follows the journeys of people referred for genetic counselling: from a first referral, through the counselling appointment, to the decision-making process necessary to take the steps that are right for them and, potentially, for their family.
