Genetic counselling: Psychological impact and concerns

Genetic counselling is the process by which the patients or relatives at risk of an inherited disorder are advised of the consequences and nature of the disorder, the probability of developing or transmitting it, and the options open to them in clinical management of their disease and family planning. Genetic counselling centres on helping patients understand the implications of their genetic test results. Advances in sequencing technology are changing the scope and practice of genetic counselling. It is likely that the role of genomics in clinical medicine will continue to grow over the next decade, and may eventually dominate the practice of health care. Genetic counselling is an increasingly important aspect in the clinical care of patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis due to rapid advances in our understanding of the underlying genetics of this disorder.