I see genetic genealogy as a partnership between you & me, the Family DNA Finder. I believe that your privacy is paramount, and that you are in control at all times on how you would like to proceed. I feel that compassion, empathy, knowledge, and even humor, can make this a journey that is beneficial to all involved.
Every case is so different, yet the steps to get started are almost universally the same.
First, it’s important to understand what you are wanting to accomplish. If you were placed in a closed adoption, you may ultimately want to find your birthparents or other close birthfamily. You may want to see if your family oral history can be verified through DNA, or find out which region of the world you are descended from. You might just want to find relatives that may be able to shed light on parts of your family history that have been unknown or lost through the ages.
There are quite a few consumer DNA tests available now, such as Ancestry, 23 and Me, MyHeritage and Family Tree DNA. However, if you have not tested with any, yet, I highly suggest starting with Ancestry.com. Ancestry DNA has the highest number of testers of any of the DNA tests available right now. Each DNA company has its strengths, and can be successfully used for genetic genealogy, but Ancestry remains the best to begin with. Besides the large testing pool, Ancestry also has the most family trees created by users, which tend to be very useful to untangle family history and relationships.
Before you test, or if you have already received your results back, you can contact me, the Family DNA Finder, for a free consultation and we can work together to create a plan for the most strategic and cost-effective course of action based on your specific needs.
It is a great honor, and a great responsibility, to be able to assist those who need help, and I am humbled that you have considered me to join you on this quest.