2020 was a year like no other. It challenged even those who seemed invincible. And if you were someone who was struggling with mental health issues prior to the beginning of the pandemic, the trials of 2020 most likely took your plight to the next level.

Fortunately for many, Susan Mueller, CEO of Relief TMS, had the foresight to found her company just when patients were in the need of most support.

“If someone is calling for mental health help, they need answers that day,” says Mueller, who has worked in the mental health field for more than a decade and knew there had to be a new way to help patients. “They need someone to empathize with them, an  they need help immediately. Mental health doesn’t wait until it’s convenient, so we try to get a plan in place for our patients the day they call. To think that in early 2020, we only had one office in the Chicago area and now we have four—and we’re busy—speaks volumes to the need that is out there.”

Relief TMS—with facilities in Northbrook, St. Charles, Oak Brook, and Chicago—offers a noninvasive solution to depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and other mental health diagnoses without the use of medication, side effects, or invasive procedures. For those interested in coming off of their antidepressants or avoiding the drugs, TMS may be the answer.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) works by emitting gentle magnetic pulses to the area of the brain that regulates mood. These pulses activate specific areas of the brain and decrease symptoms of depression. The clinicians who dispense the treatments at Relief TMS are hands on and always interacting with patients, who sit comfortably in a chair during their 20-minute session and can drive themselves home after treatment.

Relief TMS uses Brainsway technology which has been demonstrated to have exceptional results due to its broad and deep prefrontal stimulation. Unlike medication, the benefits of TMS are durable. This means that patients experience lasting remission of symptoms long after treatment has been completed.

TMS has a 75 percent success rate for patients with treatment-resistant depression or OCD. Even in cases where medications haven’t proven effective, TMS can help patients overcome their symptoms and experience the best version of themselves.

ReliefTMS also offers psychotherapy and intranasal Ketamine (Spravato) for treatment mresistant depression and suicidal ideations.

“Our patients feel such a sense of relief when they find us,” says Mueller. “They’ve often tried a number of other things before they get to us that haven’t worked. TMS requires a commitment to the process, but when people walk through our doors, they are very serious about doing what they must to get better.”

TMS is FDA-approved and many insurance plans cover the treatment, but it might not be for everyone. The most important thing to the staff at Relief TMS is that individuals get the right help they need.

“The medical device we use is the latest technology and definitely ahead of the game,” she says. “But we won’t treat a patient if it’s not right for them. I have a whole network of therapists and doctors I can refer someone to, and I’m always willing to help someone whether I treat them or not. Restoring mental health is what is most important to us.”

Relief TMS is located at 1100 Jorie Boulevard, Suite 172, in Oak Brook, 630-974-6602, relieftms.com.