If you or someone you love has fought a mental health battle, you know medications don’t always bring relief.
But for those who are struggling with serious depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and other conditions, Gulf Coast NeuroSpa offers hope. With locations in Gulfport and Ocean Springs, the mental health clinic opened in 2020 and is the first interventional psychiatry clinic on the Coast.
The founders, Dr. Bryan Vyverberg and Scott Turner, saw an unmet need for patients who seem to not respond to standard depression treatments.
“They shared a vision to bring the latest and most effective depression treatments to the Coast,” says CEO Stephanie Dicharry. “Our mission is truly rooted in love for our community.”
TMS THERAPY AND SPRAVATO®
The clinic began by offering a therapy called transcranial magnetic stimulation. The outpatient procedure targets the area of the brain believed to regulate mood.
“At the time, there were no TMS therapy providers on the Coast,” Dicharry says.
Later, Gulf Coast NeuroSpa became the region’s first Spravato® treatment center. The nasal spray, which is a ketamine derivative, has shown great promise for helping those with treatment-resistant depression.
“Spravato® is the first anti-depressant that is FDA approved as a safe treatment for adult patients with suicidal ideations,” Dicharry says. “This is groundbreaking in psychiatry.”
Both TMS therapy and Spravato® have received game-changing clearances in recent years, according to Dicharry. TMS was FDA approved for obsessive compulsive disorder in 2017, and just weeks ago, TMS therapy was FDA approved for adolescents ages 15 and older.
“It is important to understand what FDA approved means to truly appreciate how exciting the last year has been for our field,” Dicharry says. “FDA approved means that the treatment or medicine has enough peer reviewed, significant data to support that the treatment is both effective and safe for use.”
Another service, massage therapy, has been available at Gulf Coast NeuroSpa since 2021 for patients with chronic muscle tension and pain. Dicharry points out that insurance coverage for massage therapy is available for veterans — and hopefully others in the future.
LOOKING AHEAD, CHANGING LIVES
In a field where collaboration is key, Gulf Coast NeuroSpa maintains strong ties with fellow mental health providers, recognizing the collective effort needed to bridge gaps in care. The clinic’s evidence-based approach has earned rave reviews, with patients calling the treatment they received there “life-changing,” “amazing” and “my saving grace.”
Looking ahead, Dicharry is excited and encouraged by the advances she’s seeing, and whatever breakthroughs come next, it’s safe to say Gulf Coast NeuroSpa will remain at the forefront of innovation.
“We look forward to the future of interventional psychiatry,” Dicharry says, “and we are committed to continue pioneering these cutting-edge services and making them available to our community.”