5 ways counseling supports TMS- and Spravato®-based depression care

Depression can impact your physical, emotional and mental well-being. That means your treatment should do the same.

Depression is often treated by changing brain chemistry with medications like antidepressants. You may also go through alternative options, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy and Spravato® treatments.

Even with the positive results that can come from mental health treatments and medications, it’s still important to talk through your challenges with a counselor. They can help you to adjust your mindset and reach long-term growth inside yourself.

Read on to learn how counseling for depression can complement TMS and Spravato®  treatments.

5 benefits of counseling for depression during TMS and Spravato® treatment

For many people who have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, talking to a mental health counselor is usually one of the first-line treatments that they’re recommended by their provider, along with antidepressant medication.

Even if you’re going through TMS- and Spravato®-based depression care, counseling can provide you with many benefits, including:

1. Navigating negative emotions and thoughts during difficult times

If you’re trying to manage depression symptoms, regardless of what treatment you’re going through, the goal of counseling is the same: Get to the bottom of your negative thoughts so that you can work through them. 

TMS and Spravato® work to free up the barriers you might have that are interfering with your ability to process negative thoughts and emotions. As you start to experience the effects of the treatments, you’ll be more open to talking about the negative feelings you’ve been experiencing.

2. Acclimating to the changes that come from starting new treatment

Change isn’t always easy, even when it’s something as important and positive as effective mental health treatment. Starting Spravato® and TMS can involve an adjustment to your regular routines. This adjustment can bring a sense of uncertainty as you’re starting to get used to the treatments and how they affect you.

Talking to a mental health counselor can help you deal with any challenges you’re facing as you go through the new treatments. For example, you can talk through difficulties changing your work schedule to attend sessions or your decision to talk about treatment with your loved ones.

3. Working through frustration of previous unsuccessful treatments

Both TMS therapy and Spravato® are approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). If you have TRD, that means you’ve had to go through at least two trials of medication without success before looking for alternative options. It can be frustrating when what’s supposed to be helping you feels like it’s not doing its job.

There’s no quick fix to depression symptoms, and depression can’t be “cured,” only managed. Treatments, like medication, are meant to help you manage the symptoms. If treatment isn’t working, it can be easy to place the blame on yourself, even though it’s out of your control. 

A counselor can help you work through the negativity from past unsuccessful attempts at treatment so that you can focus on the current improvements you’re experiencing.

4. Developing skills for lasting improvement

As you’re going through treatment for depression, you can develop strategies now that can help you long after your TMS and Spravato® treatments are done and you continue moving along your mental health journey. A counselor can help you learn skills that will help you well into the future.

With the help of a mental health counselor, you can develop and work on the following skills:

• Emotional regulation
• Communication
• Problem-solving 
• Conflict resolution
• Self-awareness

5. Combining neurological changes with psychological changes for better results

Depression is a combination of physical, emotional, mental and behavioral symptoms that affect your everyday life. To get the best results possible, your symptoms should be approached from every angle. 

By combining the power of neurological changes that come from TMS and Spravato®  with the power of psychological adjustments that you go through with counseling, you’re likely to experience genuine, long-lasting, positive changes in your mental health.

Get treatment for depression at Psychiatry Treatment Centers 

At PTC, we make sure that every aspect of your depression is given the attention and support it deserves. We want to help you work toward becoming the best version of yourself. We offer counseling through our psychotherapy services, along with TMS therapy, Spravato® and medication management. 

Our team will help you figure out which treatment options will work best for you. We’ll take a look at your symptoms, medical history and goals.

Reach out to our team by phone today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment. You can also book your initial appointment online now.