Bonnie S. LeRoy

Genetic Counseling Research: A Practical Guide is the first text devoted to research methodology in genetic counseling. This text offers step-by-step guidance for conducting research, from the development of a question to the publication of findings. Genetic counseling examples, user-friendly worksheets, and practical tips guide readers through the research and publication processes. With a highly accessible, pedagogical approach, this book will help promote quality research by genetic counselors and research supervisors--and in turn, increase the knowledge base for genetic counseling practice, other aspects of genetic counseling service delivery, and professional education. It will be an invaluable resource to the next generation of genetic counseling and its surrounding disciplines.

Genetic counseling is fairly new. The fact that the field is an accepted professional enterprise in universities, clinics, and hospitals throughout the United States is remarkable. The contributors argue that genetics and medicine rest on beliefs widely held in American society. Scientific progress is good, and highly sophisticated technologies are appropriate means to solving medical problems. The better understanding they gain about the nature and evolution of disease, the more prepared clinicians will be to treat and prevent future occurrence of disease. A belief that medicine, including genetic medicine, is clear, factually based, and objective undergirds the strategies and norms of genetic counseling. This collection of original papers explores the history, values, and norms of that process, with focus on the value of non-directiveness in counseling practice. The contributors' examination of genetic counseling issues serves as a foundation from which to address the ethical, legal, and policy considerations of clinical genetics.

Now in its revised and updated second edition, this text provides a practical way of teaching genetic counseling helping skills. The contents can be used by genetic counselor educators and supervisors to facilitate student professional development, including gaining knowledge about basic helping skills; practicing using the skills specific to genetic counseling services; and understanding one's self as a professional in training. New topics include: the Reciprocal-Engagement Model (REM) of genetic counseling practice; research findings about genetic counselor professional development, values, compassion fatigue, burnout, and distress; expanded discussion of patient factors; and more attention to cultural issues. Every chapter contains updated literature, and both revised and new structured activities and written exercises.Salient features of this second edition include:• An “active” and “cooperative” pedagogical approach, with numerous structured activities and exercises emphasizing student self-reflection and engagement with core content.• Inclusion of skills which comprise key elements within three competency domains for accreditation of genetic counseling training programs in North America: genetics expertise and analysis; interpersonal, psychosocial, and counseling skills and assessment; and professional development and practice.• Content grounded in a widely-cited, empirically-derived model of genetic counseling practice.• Inclusion of patient scenarios and roles for skills practice based on genetic counseling cases and reflecting recent developments in genetic knowledge, testing, and technologies.

Genetic counseling is fairly new. The fact that the field is an accepted professional enterprise in universities, clinics, and hospitals throughout the United States is remarkable. The contributors argue that genetics and medicine rest on beliefs widely held in American society. Scientific progress is good, and highly sophisticated technologies are appropriate means to solving medical problems. The better understanding they gain about the nature and evolution of disease, the more prepared clinicians will be to treat and prevent future occurrence of disease. A belief that medicine, including genetic medicine, is clear, factually based, and objective undergirds the strategies and norms of genetic counseling. This collection of original papers explores the history, values, and norms of that process, with focus on the value of non-directiveness in counseling practice. The contributors' examination of genetic counseling issues serves as a foundation from which to address the ethical, legal, and policy considerations of clinical genetics.