Jacquelyn B. knows the weight of depression all too well. It started in her twenties after losing her mother to cancer, navigating a divorce, and grieving her father’s death. Each loss pushed her deeper into a recurrent depression that lasted 35 years.
Recurrent depression isn’t just a bad season or a difficult year. It’s a cyclical mental health condition in which symptoms return again and again, sometimes triggered by life events, sometimes without warning.
When her terminally ill brother and his ailing wife moved into her home, she welcomed them out of love. But the weight of being their full-time caregiver — emotionally and physically — threatened to break her. “I was quickly falling into a black depression,” Jacquelyn recalled. “This time, I was afraid I wouldn’t survive it.”
Though she never stopped loving her family, she began to lose herself. “I left my house for a week, just to survive,” she said. “Eventually, they moved to a hotel so I could breathe.” That decision, though painful, marked a turning point — one where self-preservation had to take priority over self-sacrifice.
How a therapist’s recommendation helped her out of a deep depression
Jacquelyn had tried different treatments over the years: medications, talk therapy, and EMDR. But nothing seemed to fully reach the root of her despair. “I took myself off medication at 61, and by then, the depression had worsened,” she explained.
It was her therapist at Family Care Center, Heidi Q., who first recommended transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). “I was hesitant at first,” Jacquelyn admits. “I had this fear of it being like electric shock therapy. But Heidi explained how different TMS was.”
Unlike electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which uses a brief, controlled electrical stimulus to stimulate the brain, TMS is a noninvasive, medication-free treatment that uses gentle magnetic pulses. These pulses stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. Patients remain awake and alert during TMS sessions, which are typically well tolerated with minimal side effects.
“I thought—what could be worse than six years in a deep depression?” Jacquelyn shared. “If it didn’t work, I’d stop. The way Heidi explained things gave me hope.”
That hope began to turn into belief just a few sessions in. “After the third treatment, something started to shift,” she says. “It wasn’t a dramatic change, but there was movement. I realized I wasn’t sliding down the slippery slope anymore.”
“After the third treatment, something started to shift. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but there was movement. I realized I wasn’t sliding down the slippery slope anymore.”
– Jacquelyn, a Family Care Center TMS patient
The difference a safe, supportive team can make
Jacquelyn describes the Mesa, AZ clinic’s TMS team with deep affection. “The entire staff—Tracy and Jennifer from TMS, Heidi my therapist, and Suzana from the front desk—made me feel safe. They shared themselves with me and let me share myself with them. It was such a warm, caring environment.”
Throughout her journey, Jacquelyn also continued EMDR with Heidi, combining approaches that worked in harmony with her TMS. “Everything was connected. Each piece helped the other,” she shared. “For the first time in years, I had energy. I survived my brother’s death and his wife moving into a care home. I no longer cry at work every day. Friends who haven’t seen me in a while tell me I look healthy. And I feel it.”
Jacquelyn used to think she wasn’t “good enough.” Her childhood taught her to hide emotions and push away pain. Now, she sees herself in a new way. “I used to wake up and think, ‘It’s fine.’ Now, I wake up and think, ‘I am good enough.’ That’s a miracle.”
Life after TMS: clarity, confidence, and real change
Jacquelyn completed her TMS treatment in early 2025 and proudly received her Family Care Center TMS completion certificate. “Jennifer, my TMS tech, was so proud of me,” she smiles. “But more than that—I was proud of myself.”
“I approach life with self-awareness and grace,” Jacquelyn shared. “Life is still changing for the better. I think differently now. I had a conversation with my sister recently and, for the first time, I stopped and considered what she was trying to give me, not just what she was saying. That shift in perspective felt huge.”
Jacquelyn offers encouragement from the heart to anyone considering TMS: “This is the miracle treatment of our time. It takes commitment and is not always easy—but it’s worth it. The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work. The best? It gives you your life back.”
Explore more patient stories
To learn more about how Family Care Center has helped others on their mental health journeys, we invite you to explore additional patient stories. These narratives showcase the diverse experiences of individuals who have navigated their challenges with the help of our comprehensive services. From therapy and medication management to TMS treatment, our patients share how they found hope, healing, and connection.
How TMS can work for you
When therapy and medication aren’t enough, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be a life-changing solution for teens (ages 15+) and adults. It’s a non-invasive, safe, and effective treatment for depression, OCD, and more. Plus, TMS is covered by most major insurance and is done on an outpatient basis.
- Reduce medications and symptoms safely
- Covered by most major insurance
- No downtime from work or social activities
- Approximately 90% see significant improvement in depression and anxiety
Our Family Care Center TMS experts have completed over 80,000 successful treatments. Contact us today to see if transcranial magnetic stimulation is appropriate for you.
