DNA Consultations Online

DNA Consultations & Coaching Online

Do you have unknown parents or grandparents?

Which DNA test should you choose?

Struggling to understand your DNA results?

Overwhelmed? Don't know what to do next?

Not confident with technology to do it yourself?

Book a DNA consultation to get expert assistance with your genetic genealogy.

DNA consultations can be customised to your specific needs and goals, for example:

Learn which DNA test type to select, which company to use, and which family member(s) to test. Begin your DNA testing experience with a strategy appropriate to your family situation and your research goals. Ask questions about testing, shipping, accounts, results, access, privacy, settings, sharing, family trees and other options. Assistance also available with ordering your DNA tests.

Were you or your parent adopted, donor conceived, a foundling, a child migrant, a war baby, or is one or are both parents unknown for any reason?

During your DNA consultation we’ll assess the quality of your DNA results in the context of identifying close biological relatives. Is the answer already there waiting for you? Should you wait for some better matches? Could genetic genealogy research help progress your case? Could testing known relatives help?

Also refer to my ‘Guidelines for Unknown Parentage Searches‘ below.

Do you have unexpected results, misattributed parentage, and/or one or more unknown close matches? During your consultation we’ll review your results and plan any next steps for you.

Do you have complex family relationship questions or family mysteries to explore? Who relates to whom? Do you want to confirm or disprove a particular relationship?

Do your results reflect your known family history and confirm previous research?

Are you an experienced family historian who wants to learn to use DNA testing as a research tool?

DIY unknown parentage searchers who need guidance with methodology, progress and next steps.

You think you’ve solved your family mystery but would like your findings reviewed.

Learn basic genetic genealogy concepts and understand relationship estimates.

Get more from your DNA results by linking your DNA to your family tree. Learn to navigate your DNA account and understand the various settings, features and tools available to you.

Get new matches for free by uploading your DNA data to other DNA databases. We’ll work through all the steps together, downloading your DNA data file and uploading it elsewhere.

Learn to use basic DNA tools such as a chromosome browser, GEDmatch, DNA Painter chromosome mapping, or WATO (What are the odds?), or DNA account features such as shared matches, colour grouping, ThruLines, Theory of Family Relativity, Family Matching, etc.

Learn the different types of DNA testing for genealogy and the special inheritance patterns and uses for autosomal DNA, X-DNA, mtDNA & Y-DNA.

Any mix of the above or other genetic genealogy topics… book the time required and we’ll customise the content to suit your needs.

Consultations are conducted online to facilitate screen sharing, which is ideal for everything related to DNA testing, results reviews, report delivery and coaching.

Consultations by telephone or email are available too, if preferred (request with your booking).

A$ 150

1 hour consultation
Custom Content
Suggested Actions
Recording

A$ 250

2 hour consultation
Custom Content
Suggested Actions
Recording

A$ 350

3 hour consultation
Custom Content
Suggested Actions
Recording

Interested in Genetic Genealogy Research & Reports?
If further research is necessary, proposals/quotes or referrals can be provided after the related DNA Results Review Consultation.

Guidelines for Unknown Parentage Searches

Were you adopted, donor conceived, a foundling, a war baby, a child migrant?

If your parentage is unknown for any reason, your DNA could help you discover who you are and where you come from.

Step 1

Test your DNA… If you haven’t already done a DNA test, order an AncestryDNA® and a 23andMe test. If you are male with an unknown father, also order a Y-DNA test from Family Tree DNA in case it provides an indication of your father’s surname.

If you already know one parent (eg. mother), it can help to ask them or one of their close relatives (eg. maternal half sibling, aunt/uncle) to test too, as it will help distinguish between your known matches and your unknown matches. You can leave this step until after your own results are ready if you prefer.

If you need assistance with the test selection, the ordering, working out who in your family should do the test (if not you), or if you have any other questions, book a DNA consultation with me and I will assist you.

Step 2

Collect information…

While you are waiting for your DNA test results to be processed, locate or request copies of any relevant documents, eg. adoption documents, donor conception records, ward-of-the-state records, birth certificates etc.

Collect family information for any known biological relatives (eg. if you know your maternal side).

Was there any family hearsay or gossip about the identity of your unknown parent(s)?

If you were a foundling (abandoned baby), were there any newspaper articles or court records that might hold clues?

Don’t worry if you can’t obtain any additional information – as your DNA will be guiding the search anyway – but any non-identifying information you do find could be helpful for confirmation or elimination purposes once a family or person of interest is identified.

Step 3

Upload DNA to additional databases…

Once your AncestryDNA results are ready (or if you already had them before Step 1), follow these instructions to download a copy of your Ancestry DNA data file and upload it (for free) to MyHeritage, Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder, Living DNA, GEDmatch and Geneanet.

If you are not comfortable with the technology and you would like me to help you with this step, book a DNA consultation with me and I will help you do what is needed.

Step 4

DNA results review…

Once you have your DNA results available (or at least your AncestryDNA results, if not any others), then book a DNA consultation at a time convenient to you. You will receive a confirmation email with instructions showing you how to share your DNA results, your background information, and any relevant family trees with me, as well as instructions to prepare for and join the online consultation at the scheduled time.

During the consultation I will share my screen with you and review your DNA test results, explain them to you, and assess the quality/workability of your matches in the context of identifying your biological parent(s). Everyone’s DNA and family situation is different, and everyone’s results are unique and unpredictable before testing. Some people get great results that provide an imminent answer, others need to wait for some better matches.

Most people don’t find an instant answer, but often their DNA matches are of a workable quality and number such that undertaking a block of genetic genealogy research may reveal a candidate for the parent(s) or a family of interest.

If additional research is recommended and you have previous experience doing family history research, you may like to undertake your own research with occasional DNA consultations for guidance with the methodology, tools and next steps. It is more usual that clients with unknown parentage do not have genealogy research experience and will either need it to be done for them – or they may want to learn to DIY.

If you don’t have a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone and you would rather have the consultation over the telephone while I review your DNA results online simultaneously (and record it for you to watch back later), that is okay too.

Step 5

Next steps…

The outcome of the DNA results review consultation will determine what options are available to you and what next steps might be recommended for your particular circumstances.

If further research is required and you can’t or don’t want to do it yourself, I will then be in a position to provide you with a research proposal/quote or a referral.

If you are keen to learn to do-it-yourself – which will be very satisfying for you, although be prepared for a lot of learning and time commitment – I can coach you through the process, at your own pace. Book another DNA consultation online whenever you feel you need further guidance or a review of your progress (if at any time you decide it is too difficult and you’d rather someone else do the genetic genealogy, a research proposal/quote or referral can be arranged).

Get expert genetic genealogy advice to help plan your DNA testing strategy, review your DNA results, and help you focus your efforts to achieve your specific research goals.

DNA consultations are held online via your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Screen sharing provides flexibility for reviewing results, demonstrating features, tools, and actions. Phone consultations available.

Book & pay online, then you’ll receive instructions to share your information, share your DNA results, and prepare for the consultation.

Other Services

For enquiries about speaking engagements or investigative genetic genealogy research for law enforcement, please contact me.