Genetic Counseling in Ballard, Seattle
Understand your family history, explore questions about your health, and consider whether genetic testing is right for you. You don’t need to have decided about testing before we meet.
✔ Board-certified genetic counselor | ✔ Holistic care for adults | ✔ In-person & telehealth appointments
What Is Genetic Counseling?
Genetic counseling helps people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease.
Meeting with a genetic counselor can help answer questions such as:
Am I at an increased risk due to my family history?
Could there be a genetic explanation for my complex health concerns?
I keep seeing ads for tests like nutrigenomics and whole genome sequencing, but what would they actually tell me?
I’ve already had genetic testing but don’t understand the results… how do I incorporate them into my overall care plan?
Emily Hasser, MS, MPH, CGC
Board-certified genetic counselor
Who We Serve
Our genetic counselor works with adults seeking support to better understand their health risks and learn more about genetic testing. You might be interested in genetic counseling at One Connection Healthcare because you:
Have complex personal and/or family health histories
Have not been able to access genetic services at other institutions
Would like to incorporate genetic information into your preventive health plan
Want to take an active role in decisions about genetic testing
Conditions & Concerns
Hypermobility and connective tissue conditions
Complex or unexplained health histories
Personal or family history of cancer
Family history of a known genetic condition
Preconception counseling and carrier screening
Proactive screening for actionable genetic conditions
Our Clinical Lens & Testing Approach
Everyone deserves the time and space to learn about genetics and the impact of family history. You don’t need to be sure about whether you want to undergo genetic testing before you come in.
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During a genetic counseling appointment, we step back and look at the bigger picture to understand the combination of your personal medical concerns, family health history, previous testing, and specific questions. Along the way, we will provide unbiased information and guide you through the decision-making process.
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The choice of whether to proceed with genetic testing is very personal. We will support you whether you opt to undergo testing after your first appointment, need time to reflect before continuing, or decide that genetic testing isn’t right for you.
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We also believe in the value of saying “I don’t know” and acknowledging when we are not the right fit for your situation. If your personal or family history suggests that you would benefit from a more comprehensive evaluation by a medical geneticist or other specialist, our genetic counselor will make the appropriate referral and advocate for you to receive the care you need.
What Makes Our Care Unique
Most genetic counselors practice within academic medical centers or specialty clinics. While these settings are a source of important expertise, they are not always easily accessible due to wait times and specific referral criteria.
Integrating a genetic counselor into our multidisciplinary, naturopathic clinic allows us to embed genetic services within your familiar medical home. This can be particularly useful if you have multiple health concerns, find new healthcare environments challenging, or simply want a low-pressure pathway to explore how genetics might fit into your care.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
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01. Before Your First Visit
To help us make the most of your appointment:
Complete an intake form with information about your personal and family history
Provide copies of previous genetic testing reports and any other relevant medical records
The more information you can provide in advance, the better prepared we can be to answer your questions!
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02. Initial Evaluation
During your first appointment, your genetic counselor will:
Clarify your goals and reasons for seeking genetic counseling
Assess genetic risk based on your personal and family history
Present genetic testing options, along with their benefits and limitations
Coordinate testing if appropriate and establish a plan for results disclosure
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03. Results Review
If you choose to undergo genetic testing, we will schedule a follow-up visit to:
Explain what the results do—and don’t—tell us
Interpret results in the context of your personal and family history
Discuss the implications of your results for biological relatives
Explore emotions that arise as you process the new information
When applicable, review established management or screening guidelines
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04. Ongoing Care
Genetic counselors do not independently diagnose or manage medical conditions. If follow-up care is needed, other providers at One Connection Healthcare may be able to support you, or we will refer you to the appropriate specialist.
Care That Meets You Where You Are
Genetics can be complicated or overwhelming, especially when you have encountered conflicting and misleading information on social media or from other providers. Whether you come in with a specific question or don’t know where to begin, we hope you leave your genetic counseling appointment informed, supported, and confident about next steps.
Reviewing family history, sharing health concerns, and considering genetic testing can bring up uncertainty and other difficult emotions. Our genetic counselor will take the time to listen to your story, explain complex information in a way that makes sense to you, and check in with how you’re feeling throughout the process.
Our goal is to provide genetic counseling that is:
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Collaborative and patient-centered
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Clear and understandable
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Adapted to your learning style
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Relevant to your overall care
Explore Care at OCH
What People Are Saying About Us
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"From the front desk to the phlebotomist to the NDs, every single person I have talked to has been amazing. This is what going to the doctor should feel like."
-Patient
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"Great clinic with a comfortable environment and providers who actually listen and care about their patients."
-Patient
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"The attention is just great; the attitude of the team couldn't be better. Waiting time, facility, and everything else are great as well."
-Patient
Frequently Asked Questions About Genetic Counseling
Have questions? We’ve got answers! Check out these FAQs. If you don’t see your question answered here, get in touch.
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Unless required by your insurance plan, you do not need a formal referral to access genetic counseling services through One Connection Healthcare.
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You do not need to be an existing patient to schedule genetic counseling.
If genetic testing is recommended, existing patients can have testing ordered by their naturopathic physician based on our genetic counselor’s recommendations. Patients who are new to OCH can either establish care with a naturopathic physician at our clinic or have us work with their primary care provider to coordinate test ordering.
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No. You can meet with our genetic counselor to discuss your family history, review previous results, or explore whether testing would be useful.
We will support you whether you choose testing, need more time to decide, or determine that testing isn’t right for you.
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Genetic counselors are trained to recognize patterns in personal and family history that may suggest a genetic condition, and some genetic test results can establish a diagnosis.
When a genetic condition has established clinical diagnostic criteria, a genetic counselor can help organize your personal and family history and compare them with those criteria. If appropriate, genetic counselors can also help coordinate evaluation with a physician or other specialist who can make a formal diagnosis.
However, genetic counselors do not independently diagnose medical conditions.
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A genetic counselor can discuss established management guidelines, such as imaging surveillance for individuals with a hereditary cancer syndrome. However, another provider will need to manage the condition.
Sometimes that care is offered by another provider at One Connection Healthcare. In other instances, we will place a referral to an outside specialist according to your needs.
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The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) provides federal protections against the use of genetic information in health insurance and many employment decisions.
However, these protections have limits. GINA does not cover life, disability, or long-term care insurance, and its employment protections generally do not apply to employers with fewer than 15 employees or to the U.S. military.
If you have concerns about how testing could affect insurance or employment, we can discuss these considerations before you decide whether to proceed.
Learn more through the National Human Genome Research Institute’s information on genetic discrimination.
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Coverage varies by insurance provider, your plan, and the reason for seeking genetic counseling. Some plans cover genetic counseling only in certain circumstances, while others may not cover it.
Please contact One Connection Healthcare or your insurance company for information about your specific benefits. If you contact your insurance company, ask whether they cover genetic counseling under CPT/procedure code 96041 and whether any restrictions apply.
If we are out of network for your insurance or your plan does not cover genetic counseling, we offer self-pay pricing and sliding scale options.
Genetic testing is billed separately from genetic counseling. Billing for the test itself is usually coordinated by the laboratory performing it. Many labs offer self-pay options and financial assistance programs. Discussing the potential cost of testing is an important part of the decision-making process during each genetic counseling appointment.
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Emily offers genetic counseling at our Ballard, Seattle clinic and through telehealth for patients located in Washington and other states where permitted.
Please contact our office to confirm whether Emily can see you in the state where you will be located during your appointment.
Learn more about Emma →
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Work with Our Genetic Counselor
If you’re looking to explore whether genetic testing may provide valuable information for your health journey, we’d love to meet you.
You’re also welcome if you simply want to understand your family history or make sense of results you already have.
Complete our Contact Form or Call our Office at 206-279-6390.
