National Society of Genetic Counselors

The National Society of Genetic Counselors is the professional membership organization for the genetic counseling profession, those specialists who incorporate a balance of medical genetics and counseling skills and who assign risk analysis based on family medical histories. The vision of the Society is to be the leading voice, authority, and advocate for the genetic counseling profession. The mission of the Society is to promote the genetic counseling profession as an integral part of health care delivery, education, research, and public policy. Genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of genetics and counseling. Genetic counselors work as members of a health care team, providing information and support to families who have members with birth defects or genetic disorders and to families who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. They also serve as patient advocates and refer individuals and families to community or state support services. Genetic counselors serve as educators and resource people for other health care professionals and for the general public. THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF GENETIC COUNSELORS DOES NOT MAINTAIN OR DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC GENETIC DISORDERS.