The short answer
A genetic counselor is a trained professional who helps people understand inherited cancer risk. Before testing, they review your personal and family history, weigh the benefits and downsides, and explain what results could mean for you and your relatives. After testing, they help interpret results and plan next steps. Counseling is generally recommended before any genetic testing for inherited cancer risk.
A genetic counselor is trained to help people understand inherited cancer risk.
Counseling is generally recommended before any genetic testing for inherited cancer risk.
Before testing, they review your history and weigh the benefits and downsides.
They explain what a positive, negative, or uncertain result would mean.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
A genetic counselor is a trained professional who helps people understand whether cancer risk may run in their family. They explain whether genetic testing makes sense, what the different results could mean, and what any result would mean for a person's relatives.
According to the National Cancer Institute, genetic counseling is generally recommended before any genetic testing for inherited cancer risk.
A counselor helps you decide whether testing is right for you — and helps you understand the answer if you test.
Before a test: sorting out whether to test
Much of a counselor's work happens before any sample is taken. In this part, a counselor usually:
- Reviews your personal and family medical history to assess how likely it is that an inherited risk is present
- Discusses whether testing is appropriate, and its possible harms and benefits
- Explains what a positive, negative, or uncertain result would mean for you
- Talks through the psychological sides of learning a result
- Reviews the chance of passing a change to children and the impact on the wider family
- Explains which specific test might be used and how accurate it is
This helps a person make an informed choice rather than testing without knowing what the results could bring.
Informed consent
Before a genetic test is ordered, written informed consent is obtained. A person signs a form confirming that they were told about, and understand, the purpose of the test, its medical implications, its risks and benefits, possible alternatives, and their privacy rights. Consent means the choice to test is yours and is made with clear information.
After a test: making sense of the result
Counseling can also happen after testing, especially if a positive result is found and a person needs to understand what it means for them. In this part, a counselor may:
- Help you understand what your specific result means
- Discuss options for risk reduction and enhanced screening, where relevant
- Provide referrals to support groups and other resources
- Offer emotional support as you take in the news
Because results can carry information for blood relatives, a counselor can also help you think through how to share what you learn with family.
Who provides genetic counseling
Genetic counseling should be done by a trained genetic counselor or another health care professional experienced in cancer genetics — for example, a clinical geneticist or a certified genetic nurse. A doctor or other provider can give a referral.
What a counselor helps you weigh
A counselor's job is not to push a person toward or away from testing, but to lay out the full picture so a decision fits the person. That picture often includes how a result could affect emotions and relationships, what it might mean for children, and how much a result would actually change medical care.
They also explain the limits of testing — for example, that a negative result does not always rule out risk, and that some findings are uncertain. By naming these trade-offs plainly, a counselor helps a person choose with clear eyes rather than testing first and facing surprises later. The aim is a decision that a person understands and feels settled about, whatever they choose.
A calm way to think about it
Meeting with a genetic counselor is not a commitment to be tested. It is a chance to understand your situation, weigh the pros and cons, and decide what fits you. Whether you test or not, the goal is the same: clear information, made sense of by someone trained to explain it, so your next steps match your own risk and values.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸What does a genetic counselor do?
A genetic counselor is a trained professional who helps people understand whether cancer risk may run in their family, whether genetic testing makes sense, and what results mean. According to the National Cancer Institute, counseling is generally recommended before any genetic testing for inherited cancer risk.
▸What happens before a genetic test?
Before testing, a counselor assesses how likely it is that an inherited risk is in the family, discusses whether testing is appropriate and its harms and benefits, explains what positive, negative, and uncertain results would mean, and reviews the risk of passing a change to children and the impact on the family.
▸Do I have to give consent for testing?
Yes. Written informed consent is obtained before a genetic test is ordered. You give consent by signing a form confirming that you were told about, and understand, the purpose of the test, its medical implications, its risks and benefits, possible alternatives, and your privacy rights.
▸What happens after a test?
Counseling may also happen after testing, especially if a positive result is found. A counselor helps you understand what the result means, may discuss risk-reduction and enhanced screening options, provide referrals to support resources, and offer emotional support.
▸Who is qualified to provide genetic counseling?
Counseling should be done by a trained genetic counselor or another health care professional experienced in cancer genetics, such as a clinical geneticist or certified genetic nurse. A doctor can provide a referral.
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