TPC Journal-Vol 11-Issue-1

The Professional Counselor | Volume 11, Issue 1 103 understanding of epigenetics and a clearer comprehension of the implications we offer leading to application in counseling. We suggest readers review Brooker (2017) for more detailed information on genetics. We will present an overview of genetics and epigenetics, an examination of mental health epigenetics, and implications for the counseling profession. Genetics Genetics is the study of heredity (Brooker, 2017) and the cellular process by which parents pass on biological information via genes. The child inherits genetic coding from both parents. One can think of these parental genes as a recipe book for molecular operations such as the development of proteins, structure of neurons, and other functions across the human body. This total collection of the combination of genes in the human body is called the genome or genotype . The presentation of observable human traits (e.g., eye color, height, blood type) is called the phenotype . Phenotypes can be seen in our clinical work through behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression, depression, anxiety, inattentiveness). Before going further, it is important to establish a fundamental understanding of genetics by examining the varied molecular components and their relationships (Figure 1). Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a long-strand molecule that takes the famous double helix or ladder configuration. DNA is made up of four chemical bases called adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). These form base pairs—A with T and C with G—creating a nucleic acid. The DNA is also wrapped around a specialized protein called a histone . The collection of DNA wrapped around multiple histones is called the chromatin . This wrapping process is essential for the DNA to fit within the cell nucleus. Finally, as this chromatin continues to grow, it develops a structure called a chromosome . Within every human cell nucleus, there are 23 chromosomes from each parent, totaling 46 chromosomes. Figure 1 Gene Structure and Epigenetics From “Epigenomics Fact Sheet,” by National Human Genome Research Institute, 2020 ( https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Epigenomics-Fact-Sheet ). In the public domain.