ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the responsibilities of genetic counselors as the authors prepare for a future in which increasing numbers of genetically determined disorders will be identified and mapped to specific genes, thus opening new, albeit more complex challenges for the genetic counselor. In addition to describing the origins and evolution of training for genetic counselors, it addresses the issue of value neutrality as it relates to the training of counselors. Many programs were established in consultation with existing programs; others have based their curricula on the recommendations documented, after a series of conferences, by Dumars et al. in "Genetic Associates: Their Training, Role, and Function". The programs include: theory and application of interviewing and counseling in clinical genetics and social, ethical, and legal issues in genetic counseling. The responsibilities the genetic counseling profession faces in educating the next generation of counselors are evolving quickly.
