Facilitating Decision-Making, Risk Communication, Advanced Empathy, and Cultural Competence
Section outline
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In this topic, we will examine some advanced techniques in genetic counseling specifically on facilitating decision-making, risk communication, and advanced empathy. As genetic counselors, we are often engaged in counseling session where our clients need to make a decision whether this is pursuing a genetic test, or communicating genetic information in his/her family. In situations like this, it is imperative for the genetic counselor to guide the clients in the decision-making process. In other situations, we are confronted with having to communicate risks and probabilities to our clients. Remember that more than the risk figure, the emotions attached to the risks are very important that genetic counselors understand and respond to. Lastly, advanced empathy is used to process in-depth client's thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Not as often used as primary empathy skills, but advanced empathy is effective especially when used strategically.
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Read this chapter on facilitating decision-making from the book Genetic Counseling Practice: Advanced Concepts and Skills (edited by LeRoy, Veach, Callanan)
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Read this section on risk communication from the book Genetic Counseling Practice: Advanced Concepts and Skills (edited by LeRoy, Veach, and Callanan)
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Read this chapter on advanced empathy and confrontation from the book Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process (by Veach, LeRoy, and Callanan)
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We are working in a multicultural setting and as such it is imperative for genetic counselors to be culturally sensitive and competent. These papers provide an overview of the implications of cultural beliefs of disease causation in the Philippine in our practice as genetic counselors. The use of Kleinman Explanatory Model of Illness is also suggested as an approach to be culturally sensitive in our practice setting.
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