Introduction
If you’re running a TMS, Spravato, or ketamine clinic, you already know—this isn’t general psychiatry. Unlike traditional mental health practices where insurance enrollment alone can fill a schedule, interventional psychiatry operates in a low-demand environment. That means your growth depends on having a real, replicable strategy for how to find new patients.
We call this strategy the Three Pillars of Patient Acquisition. Developed over the course of launching and growing 13 successful clinics, this system combines internal processes, external outreach, and digital marketing to consistently bring in qualified patients for treatments like TMS, Spravato, and ketamine. Here’s how it works.
1. Activating Internal Referrals
Your clinic’s growth starts from within. If you’re already seeing patients for psychiatry or therapy, chances are you’ve got dozens of eligible candidates for interventional treatments sitting in your schedule right now.
This first pillar is about creating a process—not just relying on your clinical team to “remember” who’s a fit for TMS or Spravato. It involves:
- Reviewing schedules weekly to flag potential candidates
- Training front office staff and intake teams to recognize qualifying diagnoses
- Giving providers the education and tools they need to advocate for these treatments
When internal referrals become a system (not just a hope), you create a reliable stream of new patients already familiar with your clinic and already engaged in care.
2. Strengthening External Referrals
Referral relationships don’t build themselves. But when they’re done right, they can be one of the most effective ways to scale your practice—especially in markets where patients trust their PCP or therapist more than an online ad.
At our clinics, we took a proactive approach. We requested a Release of Information from every TMS patient at intake. By the end of treatment—often marked by a dramatic drop in PHQ-9 or GAD-7 scores—we delivered a custom outcomes folder to that provider with:
- A signed treatment summary
- Outcome graphs and scale improvements
- An overview of services offered
Then, we scheduled face-to-face visits or luncheons to deepen those connections. This boots-on-the-ground model helped turn one-time mutual patients into ongoing referral sources.
“We found that most providers were impressed by the outcomes—and even more impressed by our transparency. That trust laid the groundwork for long-term partnerships.”
3. Reaching Patients Directly Online
Not all patients have a provider pointing them to treatment. That’s why the third pillar—direct-to-patient marketing—is essential. This is where platforms like Google Search and Meta (Facebook & Instagram) come into play.
By investing in paid digital advertising, your clinic can appear in front of thousands of people in your area who are actively searching for solutions to their depression or anxiety. Unlike organic efforts, which require months of content production, paid search and social ads deliver instant visibility—and real patient inquiries.
The key to success here is messaging: Highlighting outcomes. Emphasizing FDA clearance. Offering immediate next steps. This pillar turns strangers into leads and leads into patients—often in a matter of days.
Conclusion
If you want to grow your TMS, Spravato, or ketamine clinic, relying on one referral stream just isn’t enough. With a three-pillar approach—Internal Referrals, External Referrals, and Direct-to-Patient Marketing—you create multiple pathways for consistent, sustainable growth.
By implementing this model, you’re not just filling seats. You’re making life-changing treatments more accessible to those who need them most.
