There is a moment many mental health patients know all too well. It’s the moment after another medication change. Another follow-up appointment. Another hopeful start that doesn’t provide the relief they need to survive. By the time some patients reach that point, they are exhausted by their symptoms and the process itself. They begin to wonder whether they’ve run out of options. The truth is that many haven’t.
Some of the greatest barriers to behavioral healthcare treatment are not clinical; they’re informational. Patients can’t ask about treatments they’ve never heard of. Providers can’t discuss modalities they’re unfamiliar with. Families can’t advocate for solutions they don’t know exist.
That is where advocacy matters. That means making sure people have access to accurate information when they need it most. It’s closing the gap between what modern medicine can offer and what patients know is available.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an example. It is FDA-approved, noninvasive, and supported by decades of clinical research. Yet many people cycle through years of medication before hearing about this treatment. When effective treatments like this remain underutilized, the issue isn’t a lack of innovation; it’s a lack of awareness.
What Advocacy Means in Behavioral Health
In behavioral health, advocacy is not just legislative or policy reform. It’s much more personal than that.
It’s when a provider takes the time to explain every available treatment option and personalizes a care plan. It happens when a patient shares their story and helps someone else feel less alone. It happens when accurate information reaches a family searching for answers after months or years of frustration.
Advocacy is about closing the gap between what is possible and what is known.
Mental health treatment has advanced significantly over the last several decades. Yet many people continue to navigate their care without a clear understanding of the evidence-based treatments available to them. That disconnect delays care, prolongs suffering, and leaves patients feeling defeated.
Every patient deserves the opportunity to make informed decisions about their care. That starts with awareness.
Why TMS Is an Advocacy Opportunity
TMS offers a powerful example of what happens when awareness lags behind innovation.
TMS is a noninvasive treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain associated with mood regulation. It has been FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression since 2008 and has since expanded to include obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental health disorders.
The treatment does not require anesthesia or surgery. For many patients, it offers an effective option when traditional treatments have not provided adequate relief.
Yet despite its clinical track record, many patients still encounter TMS far later than they should.
I’ve spoken with individuals who spent years trying medication after medication before learning TMS was even an option. Others discovered it through a friend’s recommendation or a late-night internet search after feeling they had run out of alternatives.
That reality points to something important. The challenge is not that TMS doesn’t exist. The challenge is that too many people don’t know it exists.
Five Ways Providers Can Be Better Advocates for Their Patients
Patients come to us during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Here are five ways we can become stronger advocates for the patients we serve:
- Stay Curious About Emerging Treatments
Whether it’s TMS, ketamine therapy, or new medication approaches, staying informed allows us to have broader, more meaningful conversations about care. Patients deserve access to current information, not just the treatments that have traditionally been discussed.
- Present More Than One Path Forward
When patients feel like they only have one option, they often feel trapped. Advocacy means discussing which options may align with the patient’s goals, preferences, and treatment history. Not every path is right for every patient, but every patient deserves to know their options.
- Listen Before You Recommend
The best treatment decisions begin with listening. Patients frequently tell us what they’re looking for if we create space to hear them. Understanding those concerns allows us to recommend care that is truly individualized.
- Make Education Part of Every Appointment
Patients cannot advocate for themselves if they don’t have the information they need. Taking a few extra minutes to explain available treatment options, answer questions, and address misconceptions can make an impact.
- Never Let a Patient Leave Without Hope
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is reassure them that the conversation is not over and the search for answers will continue.
Advocate for Your Patients
Advocacy is ensuring patients have the knowledge, support, and resources they need to make informed decisions about their care.
At Serenity Mental Centers, that philosophy guides every patient interaction. Our job is to walk alongside them, provide clarity when they need it most, and ensure that a lack of awareness never stands between them and the possibility of healing.
Dr. TeeJay Tripp is Chief Medical Officer at Serenity Mental Health Centers. Visit www.serenitymentalhealthcenters.com or call (844) 310-1649 to learn more.
