Imagine sitting in a restaurant waiting for your dinner date to arrive and finding out from your iPhone that half of your family is not what you expected. Then heading to the bathroom to call Ancestry and ask, "Could this be wrong?"

"Genealogical bewilderment" and "identity disruption" are two terms to understand if you're an NPE or are connected to one in your circle of friends and family.

Laura’s story gives us insight into the impact that a sudden discovery of an adult biological child has on a marriage.

The most common FIRST question I am asked as a genetic counselor and DNA coach working with those in NPE situations. That first question is most commonly, “Could the DNA test be wrong?”

The first book of its genre to cover the pressing topic of DNA tests and the end of family secrets, Copeland’s The Lost Family provides an overview of the current DNA test landscape and a short history of how it came to be this way.

Janna shares her experience and how she has coped with the decision made decades ago by her teenage mother after a high school party and an unplanned pregnancy.

More people every day are discovering unexpected news about their parentage as a result of consumer DNA tests. As a licensed and certified genetic counselor specializing in ancestry testing, I have more and more people reach out to me wondering could it be true my dad’s not my dad? If so, then who IS?

Here’s some advice I’ve gathered for those who are considering or already have involved DNA testing in an adoption-related search.

Sometimes 23andMe reports an inaccurate DNA relationship between two testers. A half sibling is not always a half sibling. It could be a cousin, for example.

This YouTube video went up a few days ago, created and posted by an adoptee named Blake who experienced GSA after reuniting with a biological parent (father/same-sex parent in his case).

Umbilical cord blood donation allows a type of stem cell transplant.

I recently received a message from someone who made an unexpected discovery of a new family member after doing DNA testing.

I’m often asked for my thoughts on whether at-home DNA tests should be used for medical purposes, since they are the only option some people can afford.

Ancestry tests work like paternity testing, in that they are able to detect whether or not you are matching to close biological family correctly or not. The results can be confusing, especially to someone not familiar with the way ancestry test results are displayed.

The uncovering of one DNA surprise can sometimes have a domino effect in a family. In the case of James and his family, the discovery that the father who raised James wasn’t his biological father led to the same discovery for his three siblings as well.

NPE meet and greets rapidly growing worldwide.

Stacey reached out to me looking to connect with and find support from others who have discovered from DNA testing that they have Misattributed Parentage (NPE).

If you are in a spot of deciding whether to reach out to genetic family who may or may not be aware of your existence, consider the situation pressing, but not urgent.

Casey shares with us her DNA surprise, a shocking realization about herself and her connection with family that unfolded over time.