Treatment-resistant depression, how TMS therapy actually works, how to verify your insurance, what to expect during your first session. Written for patients and families.
Why intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) and standard 10 Hz rTMS produce equivalent response and remission rates in major depression — the THREE-D non-inferiority trial, a decade of supporting evidence, and why iTBS runs about a third as long per session.
A step-by-step walkthrough of prior authorization for TMS — the clinical criteria payers review, the documentation packet the clinic assembles, and the typical 5-to-15-business-day timeline for commercial and Medicare Advantage plans.
How long a full TMS course takes for major depression — roughly six to nine weeks of weekday sessions, about 20 minutes per visit for iTBS or 40 for standard 10 Hz rTMS — plus what makes a course shorter or longer and how the taper works.
A clinical guide to who qualifies for TMS therapy for depression: the three conditions that establish candidacy, the absolute and relative contraindications a psychiatrist screens before treatment, and the common worries — tattoos, dental fillings, current SSRI use — that are not disqualifying.
The FDA-cleared Deep TMS option for OCD when SSRIs and Exposure and Response Prevention haven't brought enough relief — how the H7 coil targets the medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex, the standard protocol, and the response rates patients can expect.
A concrete walkthrough of your first TMS therapy session — the paperwork, the one-time motor-threshold mapping that sets your dose, what the treatment feels and sounds like, and what a normal next 24 hours looks like.
How psychiatrists define treatment-resistant depression when one or two antidepressants haven't worked, what the evidence shows about remission after sequential medication trials, and where FDA-cleared neuromodulation options like TMS fit in the treatment pathway.
For most patients considering TMS therapy, the financial question — *will my insurance pay for this?* — needs to be answered before the clinical conversation can move forward.
Patients considering transcranial magnetic stimulation routinely ask two questions: *what does the device actually do to my brain?* and *why does that change my depression?* Both have clear, well-studied answers.
Insurance verification takes about two minutes. We'll tell you whether your plan covers TMS for treatment-resistant depression and what your cost will be — before you book anything.
Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM