As my career in mental health continues, I’ve found myself in a unique position that I never expected: navigating the balance between being a patient advocate and a prosumer. This dual role has shaped not only how I engage with others but also how I understand and relate to my own mental health journey.

Being a patient advocate means standing up for the rights and needs of those who may not have a voice in the mental health system. It involves ensuring that care is equitable, effective, and delivered with respect for the individual. In my own practice and life, I’ve found advocacy is about more than pushing for access or resources – it’s about pushing for understanding. Mental health is complex, deeply personal, and often misunderstood. My role as an advocate is to help bridge the gap between providers and patients, facilitating a relationship where both parties can hear and see each other clearly.

But then there’s the other part of the equation – the prosumer. This term, a blend of  “producer” and “consumer”, reflects a more active and engaged role in the mental health space. As a prosumer, I not only consume mental health services and products, but I also contribute to the shaping of those services through my work as a therapist, writer, and advocate.

Being a prosumer, especially in a mental health context, means being part of the very systems I critique and help build. It means that I am both the subject and the architect of care. This can be a tricky role to navigate because there’s a certain level of self-scrutiny and vulnerability that comes with it. I need to keep myself in check, recognising when I’m too close to the subject matter or when my personal experiences might colour my objectivity. Self-scrutiny comes with the territory, and it’s something I’ve had to grow comfortable with, even when it’s uncomfortable.

At times, this dual identity can be overwhelming. As a patient advocate, I’m responsible for helping others see the big picture, making sure no one falls through the cracks. But as a prosumer, I’m in the thick of it—I’m not just guiding from the outside; I’m living it, consuming services, contributing to conversations about best practices, and shaping narratives around mental health. This creates a unique sense of responsibility to not only those I serve but to myself. I’m part of the solution, but I’m also constantly being affected by the very problems I’m trying to address.

But this dual role has its benefits. I bring a richer, more empathetic understanding to my advocacy because I’ve been on both sides of the equation. I know what it feels like to be misunderstood as a patient, and I know how challenging it is to balance quality care as a provider. This gives me a perspective that many solely in the provider role may lack. It also drives me to continue pushing for a mental health care system that is not only accessible but also meaningful and deeply human-centred.

The intersection of patient advocacy and prosumerism has helped me build deeper relationships with my clients and community. I’m able to be more open about my own experiences, thus reducing the stigma around mental health struggles. It has also allowed me to influence mental health policies and practices from a place of lived experience, offering insight that is grounded in reality.

As I continue on this path, I find that the lines between patient advocate and prosumer blur more each day. But that’s fine – those of us working in mental health are often tasked with balancing the personal and the professional. In many ways, it’s what makes us effective at what we do. We understand the human side of the work, not just the clinical.

Being a prosumer is about owning your voice, your story, and your place in the system. Being a patient advocate is about making sure others can do the same. Together, these roles allow me to influence change in the mental health field from a place of authenticity and integrity.

And at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? A system that works for everyone, built by those who understand it from the inside out.

Maxwell E. Guttman, LCSW is a psychotherapist and owner of Recovery Now, a mental health private practice in New York City.