The Added Value of CBT in the Genetic Counseling Process: Concept Development, State of the Art and New Directions

Abstract

The definition published by the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ Task Force states that genetic counseling is the process of facilitating people’s understanding and adaptation to the medical, psychological, and familial collateral consequences of genetic diseases. Although the definition of genetic counseling practice goes beyond giving medical information, the great majority of studies, which tested the efficacy of a genetic counseling intervention, focused mainly on providing medical information and seemed to have given less attention to more specific psychological interventions, which could have addressed emotional distress and significant behavioral change relevant to the medical outcomes. Although most genetic counseling theorists recognize the complex emotional, behavioral, and family contexts in which the counselees find themselves during this process, very few studies have investigated the role of specific psychological interventions in the genetic counseling package. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the counseling framework with the most empirical support for a wide range of psychological problems. Consequently, we propose an evidence-based system of psychological interventions CBT that could be added to the genetic counseling paradigm in helping clients deal with specific difficult life situations and the emotional distress associated with them.