HomeProvider StoriesThe GeneSight test has really helped me in my practice The GeneSight test has really helped me in my practice March 10, 2022 Debbie Thomas, EdD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, PMHNP-BC, CMP Kentucky “The GeneSight test has really helped me in my practice by giving me a more concrete underpinning for precision decision making with my patients.” Read the transcript Since I’ve been able to use GeneSight testing and I see how effective it is for my patients as a clinician, it makes me feel empowered and it makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing. My name is Debbie Thomas, and I’m a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I’ve been in private practice for about 30 years now, I love what I do. One of the things that most intrigued me about the GeneSight test is the way we always made decision-making for our patients about medications. Before we did that, based on what meds did you have a family member on? Did that work well for you, or it worked for them, this will probably work well for you. We don’t get the best results in meds that way, it’s throwing something at the wall and really hoping it sticks. So, just using family history to determine medication management is really just a little tiny piece of the information that we need to have to make good decision making, or I guess I should say best decision-making, it’s just a little part of it. There’s so much more that really comes into effect, that’s where pharmacogenomic testing really has been a benefit to my patients. It gives you so much more information about why to choose this particular med versus this particular med, when both of those might be, or seem to be equally efficacious for that particular patient or that particular disorder. One of the really nice things about GeneSight is they’ve got wonderful medical science liaisons who are available to help walk you through it if you feel uncomfortable, or if you have questions, I’ve worked with several different ones over the years, and they’re all just top notch and they’re very willing to help you with that and they’re always available. I think the GeneSight test has really helped me in my practice by really giving me a more concrete underpinning for precision decision-making with my patients in terms of medication management. It’s been probably one of the best tools I could have in my toolbox for patients in the past 10 years. Patient Barriers at Every Turn: How Systemic and Social Factors Block Men from Mental Health Care Taking the important step of seeking care for mental health isn’t always an easy decision. Uncertainty about the need for care, social stigmas associated wi... Read more Healthcare Provider Overcoming Side Effect Concerns: Leveraging Pharmacogenomic Insights to Inform Depression and Anxiety Medication Selection Whitnee Brown, a lifelong resident now practicing in Birmingham, Alabama has nearly an entire alphabet following her name, abbreviations for degrees and certifi... Read more Patient Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and was an anchor for her mother and other family members. When, within ... Read more Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more Patient Can an App Help Me Manage My Anxiety? Health and wellness smartphone apps have become so common that if you can name a health goal, desire or condition, you can probably find an app for it. N... Read more Patient Black Trailblazers of Psychiatry and Mental Health: A Legacy of Healing and Advocacy As we celebrate Black History Month, we want to recognize a few individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of psychiatry and mental heal... Read more Patient Mindful Moments: Tips for Anxiety If a well-meaning friend or family member has ever told you to “just breathe” when you’re feeling worked up or stressed out, you’d be forgiven if you felt l... Read more Patient Hints To Help You Have A Better New Year The holidays have ended, and a new year has begun—a time when many embrace a fresh start by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not consider s... Read more Patient Movement as Medicine: Solutions for Anxiety Moving forward. It sounds like a nice idea, especially when you’re feeling stuck deep in the throes of an anxiety spiral. But it turns out that physically m... Read more Learn more Learn more about GeneSight How to talk to your provider View our clinical studies
Patient Barriers at Every Turn: How Systemic and Social Factors Block Men from Mental Health Care Taking the important step of seeking care for mental health isn’t always an easy decision. Uncertainty about the need for care, social stigmas associated wi... Read more
Healthcare Provider Overcoming Side Effect Concerns: Leveraging Pharmacogenomic Insights to Inform Depression and Anxiety Medication Selection Whitnee Brown, a lifelong resident now practicing in Birmingham, Alabama has nearly an entire alphabet following her name, abbreviations for degrees and certifi... Read more
Patient Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and was an anchor for her mother and other family members. When, within ... Read more
Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more
Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more
Patient Can an App Help Me Manage My Anxiety? Health and wellness smartphone apps have become so common that if you can name a health goal, desire or condition, you can probably find an app for it. N... Read more
Patient Black Trailblazers of Psychiatry and Mental Health: A Legacy of Healing and Advocacy As we celebrate Black History Month, we want to recognize a few individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of psychiatry and mental heal... Read more
Patient Mindful Moments: Tips for Anxiety If a well-meaning friend or family member has ever told you to “just breathe” when you’re feeling worked up or stressed out, you’d be forgiven if you felt l... Read more
Patient Hints To Help You Have A Better New Year The holidays have ended, and a new year has begun—a time when many embrace a fresh start by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not consider s... Read more
Patient Movement as Medicine: Solutions for Anxiety Moving forward. It sounds like a nice idea, especially when you’re feeling stuck deep in the throes of an anxiety spiral. But it turns out that physically m... Read more