A Filipinized view of the counselor-client relationship in genetic counseling

While genetic counseling expands globally and serves increasingly diverse clients, its theory and practice remain shaped by an English-based, Western/European orientation. This is concerning because this assumes that the genetic counseling theory and practice appropriate in the Global North apply equally to the Global South. Recent calls urge decentering genetic counseling from Western foundations to reflect the lived realities of the clients it serves. We present an indigenized view of the genetic counselor-client relationship grounded in Filipino experiences, adopting loob (relational will) and kapwa (shared identity) from Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) to explicate therapeutic relationships within the context of genetic counseling. This Filipinized view cultivates indigenous knowledge to reimagine genetic counseling as culturally sensitive and locally relevant. However, further research is needed to understand how these concepts manifest in practice.