An Introduction to Genetic Insight
Welcome to Genetic Insight. I am so glad you found me. Let me tell you about myself and the job I love doing – genetic counselling.
Who am I?
My name is Romy. I was born in South Africa but have spent most of my life in Aotearoa, New Zealand. After finishing school in the beautiful Taranaki, I returned to South Africa in the pursuit of love (how romantic!). I was lucky in love and after 6 years in Cape Town I moved to Australia for two years with a husband, two degrees and a passion for genetics and genetic counselling. I completed my training with a Masters in Genetic Counselling at the University of Sydney before landing back in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I worked for five years with the Genetic Health Service in Auckland. Recently, I have moved with my family to Tauranga and began Genetic Insight so I could continue to help people to access genetic testing and understand their genetic information.
What is a genetic counsellor?
Meeting new people, as a genetic counsellor, usually goes something like this:
“Oh hi, nice to meet you. I’m so-and-so. Tell me about yourself? What do you do?”
“Hi, great to meet you. I’m Romy and I’m a genetic counsellor.”
“A what?”
This is then followed by a well-rehearsed “elevator pitch” of what genetic counsellors do. Most people have heard about genetics, and everyone knows about counselling, but many people, even those working in the health sector, have not heard of genetic counselling.
My pitch usually goes something like this:
“A genetic counsellor is a health professional who meets with couples, individuals, adults or children/young people to talk about a genetic condition they may have or is in their family. We are trained at taking complex genetic and medical information and transforming it into information our clients can understand and use to make informed choices about their health.”
Sometimes that puts them off entirely, but usually lots of questions follow.
How do you become a genetic counsellor?
Genetic counsellors have a Master’s degree in Genetic Counselling, but before that could have come from lots of different places. I did a Bachelor of Science at the University of Cape Town and followed this up with a Medical Honors in Human Genetics. When I moved to Sydney, a lot of my peers had a similar background in science, but others had been nurses, teachers, researchers and even a GP.
What do genetic counsellors do?
Just like there are lots of paths someone might travel before becoming a genetic counsellor, there are also many ways a person might use their genetic counselling skills. Genetic counsellors often work in public hospitals, seeing clients who meet certain criteria for testing in their area. Some specialise, seeing only paediatric clients, or people with genetic heart conditions, cancer histories or couples during their pregnancy journey. Then there are those genetic counsellors who work in laboratories, providing support to medical specialists who are requesting genetic testing for clients, and still others who work in research, policy development, advocacy or genetic education. More genetic counsellors are moving into the private sector, providing genetic testing to those who might not meet the criteria for testing in public, but who still wish to access information about their personal genetic risks. And then there are still others who do bits of everything.
In short, genetic counsellors do a lot of things. Some things that will be similar for many genetic counsellors include:
- Recording an individual and family medical history
- Explaining genetic conditions and the process of genetic testing
- Interpreting genetic results
- Referring to specialists
- Supporting individuals or families making decisions about genetic testing and health management
- Advocating for clients to have access to particular services or medication
- Enrolling clients in research
- Providing genetic education to colleagues, families or students
- Staying on top of paperwork
What is it like being a genetic counsellor?
I have found meeting people and hearing their stories while unpacking the impact a genetic condition has had on their lives and the lives of their family members a very humbling experience. I have been constantly surprised by how much some people have coped with. I have also found it challenging (in a good way). Genetic research and our understanding of genetic conditions is changing all the time, so genetic counselling is a profession that involves a lot of learning (which suits me!). There is also a lot of personal reflection and growth needed so I can be the best support I can be for the people I meet. It can be emotional and exhausting but extremely rewarding.
It is a career that I love and one that I think offers so much value to so many people.
What is Genetic Insight?
Genetic Insight is a genetic counselling and testing service for people in New Zealand wanting to know more about their genetic risks. It is a private service, meaning that there is a cost that either the consumer or their insurance will need to cover.
Genetic counselling is offered alongside genetic testing to ensure that each person seeking testing is offered what is most appropriate for their unique situation and that they understand how genetic results may impact them, their future medical management, insurance and their relatives.
If you would like to learn more about this service, please visit www.geneticinsight.co.nz
Looking for more information?
Here are some websites that may be useful.
Human Genetics Society of Australasia Home (hgsa.org.au)
Genetic Health Service NZ Home | Genetic Health Service NZ
Centre for Genetics Education Welcome — Centre for Genetics Education – Welcome – Centre for Genetics Education