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

• Published in: Journal of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavior therapy 2016-12, Vol.34 (4), p.310-331
• Main Authors: David, Daniel, Gherman, Amfiana, Podina, Ioana, Mogoaşe, Cristina, Sucală, Mădălina, Voinescu, Bogdan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Behavior change; Behavior modification; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Brain research; Breast cancer; Clinical information; Clinical Psychology; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Community and Environmental Psychology; Conceptual development; Counseling; Diabetes; Disease; Education; Efficacy; Emotional behavior; Emotional distress; Emotional-Behavioural problems; Evidence based; Family therapy; Genetic counseling; Genetic disorders; Genetics; Intervention; Learning; Patient education; Prenatal development; Psychiatry; Psychological distress; Psychological problems; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Public Health; Society; Studies; Task forces; Theorists
• ISSN: 0894-9085; 1573-6563
• DOI: 10.1007/s10942-016-0245-z

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.