Genetic counseling is a hybrid field, utilizing a combination of knowledge about medical genetics and counseling techniques. Just as genetic counseling may be imprecise without reliable diagnostic capabilities, it can be ineffective without adequate counseling skills. Because genetic counseling is a relatively new field, its counseling techniques are still being evolved. Many of the techniques and practices now used have been borrowed from psychology and interviewing. Families are often involved in genetic counseling, so a knowledge of family dynamics and how to counsel families is needed, as are techniques from crisis intervention for individuals who are in a crisis state.