ABSTRACT
To speculate about the future of genetic counseling and its continued adherence to the central tenet of nondirective counseling, a historical perspective of medical genetics and genetic counseling can provide a basis for exploration. In addition, the application of some counseling and ethical theories to the evolving process of genetic counseling must be considered. Ithas become apparent that the genetic counseling profession has grown concomitantly with the rapid advances in molecular genetics, carrier and prenatal screening techniques, and the increasing understanding of the human genome and its interaction with the environment. New developments in molecular biology and their clinical applications continue to shape the philosophy of genetic counseling and the delivery of genetic services. As the mapping of the human genome progresses, genetic counselors face numerous and complex ethical, social, legal, and educational issues that influence the discipline, the profession, and the daily practice of genetic counseling. An exploration of the impact of the Human Genome Project on genetic counseling as a discipline and a profession, as well as on the values and ethics we embrace, must begin by turning to the past for guidance and insights.
