Genetic Counselling Available

Do you or one of your family members have a mental illness?  Are you concerned about potential risks for your children or other family members?  Genetic counsellors can help.  Genetic counsellors are health care professionals with specialized training and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counselling.  Genetic counsellors can tell you what is currently known about the causes of mental illness, and can help you to apply this information to your own family.  The service is available for free to interested men and women who live in British Columbia. You do not require a referral from your family doctor.  To schedule an appointment, call Angela Inglis at 1-604-875-2000, extension 4733 or e-mail [email protected].  Appointments take place in person at the department of medical genetics at BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Vancouver or may be done by phone.  Prior to the appointment, the genetic counsellor will phone you to do a family history.  This takes approximately 30 minutes.  The genetic counselling appointments are about an hour in length.  The genetic counsellor will try to answer any questions that you have about the causes of your or your family members’ mental illness.   Please note that genetic testing is not offered.  Your information will remain confidential.