How genetic counselors in North America describe their professional identity

Authors

• Lisa Schwartz, Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, The George Washington University, Ashburn, Virginia, USA.
• Kaye Stenberg, School of Health Professions, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
• Andrea Casey, Department of Human and Organizational Learning, The George Washington University, Ashburn, Virginia, USA.
• Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• Mia S. Mackall, Natera, Inc, Austin, Texas, USA.
• McKinsey L. Goodenberger, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• Aishwarya Arjunan, Department of Medical Affairs, GRAIL, LLC., Menlo Park, California, USA.
• Sarah Witherington, Quest Diagnostics, Inc, Secaucus, New Jersey, USA.
• Isha Kalia, Otogenetics Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
• Rachel Mills, MS Genetic Counseling Program, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-1-2026

Journal

Journal of genetic counseling

Volume

35

Issue

2

DOI

10.1002/jgc4.70198

Keywords

definition; genetic counseling; genetic counselors; professional identity; roles

Abstract

Professional identity is defined as the attitudes, behaviors, values, and experiences by which individuals define themselves in a professional role and is influenced by socialization during training and in the workplace. As professional identity develops and is integrated with one's personal identities, it allows an individual to think, act, and feel like a member of their chosen profession and to develop a sense of meaning, confidence, and satisfaction in their work. Conflicts may arise due to perceived differences between one's professional identity and the collective identity of the profession, resulting in stress, burnout, and attrition, all of which can negatively impact patient care and the collective identity of the genetic counseling profession. Using Social Identity Theory (SIT) as a theoretical framework to develop the semi-structured interview protocol, recorded interviews were conducted with 50 genetic counselors who were purposefully sampled to ensure diversity of personal demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and caregiver status), as well as years, settings, and roles in genetic counseling practice. Transcripts were coded and subjected to codebook thematic analysis using NVivo. Genetic counselors described their professional identity in terms of who they are (characteristics and attributes), what they do (actions and skills), and what they have (training and knowledge). The majority of participants had a multidimensional perspective of what it means to be a genetic counselor, noting the transferability of their skills to a broad set of roles and settings, which supported their sense of professional identity, particularly for those who were no longer seeing patients. Yet many expressed tension with the collective identity of the profession. Expanded opportunities for genetic counselors to work in new settings and roles require review and revision of key professional documents to ensure they are reflective of the collective identity of the genetic counseling profession.

APA Citation

Schwartz, Lisa; Stenberg, Kaye; Casey, Andrea; Fitzpatrick, Jennifer; Mackall, Mia S.; Goodenberger, McKinsey L.; Arjunan, Aishwarya; Witherington, Sarah; Kalia, Isha; and Mills, Rachel, "How genetic counselors in North America describe their professional identity" (2026). GW Authored Works. Paper 9151.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/9151

Department

Biomedical Laboratory Sciences