Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

TMS has been shown to be safe and effective in treating depression and other mental health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved TMS in 2008 for the treatment of major depressive disorder (2). Since then, FDA approvals have expanded to include:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Depression with anxious distress
• Migraine headaches
• Short-term smoking cessation

Researchers are studying TMS to see if it can help with other conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and substance use disorder.

TMS has been shown to have great success rates. Controlled clinical trials applying TMS on patients who had failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from one prior antidepressant medications showed that approximately 1 out of 2 patients experienced significant improvement in depression symptoms, and approximately 1 out of 3 patients experienced complete symptom relief after the full TMS therapy (1).

After each session, clients can immediately return to their normal daily activities, including driving and working. Some individuals may experience mild side effects, such as a temporary headache, though these symptoms usually fade quickly. Many people begin noticing improvement with their mental health condition within a few weeks of starting treatment.

HopeWay is committed to expanding access to innovative mental health treatments that support healing and recovery. For individuals who have struggled to find relief through traditional approaches alone, TMS may provide another path forward.

TMS is a pain-free, noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. It works by using a small magnetic coil placed against the scalp. The coil sends magnetic pulses into the brain, which pass through the skull and create electrical signals in the nerve cells underneath. 

Depending on the pulse pattern used, TMS can help activate underactive areas of the brain or calm areas that may be overactive. By stimulating these targeted areas, TMS promotes neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to create and strengthen new neural pathways associated with healthier mood regulation and functioning.

For the past century, mental health conditions have primarily been treated through psychotherapy and psychiatric medications. While these treatment approaches have proven effective for many individuals, a significant number of people do not experience meaningful improvement with therapy and medication alone.

What is interventional psychiatry?

Interventional psychiatry is emerging as an innovative and promising area within the field. Many experts believe these advanced treatment approaches represent the future of psychiatric care.

Interventional psychiatry is the umbrella term for different treatment approaches that use rapid-acting medications and neuromodulatory techniques to improve symptoms of mental illness. Neuromodulation is technology that acts directly upon nerves. It is the alteration, or modulation, of nerve activity by delivering electrical or pharmaceutical agents directly to a target area (3). Treatment approaches can include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), deep brain stimulation (DBS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) (4).

Sources

1. Apollo TMS Therapy. (2018, September). Patient information on transcranial magnetic stimulation [Patient handout]. Apollo TMS Therapy.
2. American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). What is TMS? American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-tms
3. International Neuromodulation Society. (n.d.). About neuromodulation. https://www.neuromodulation.com/about-neuromodulation
4. Yale School of Medicine. (2025, December 1). The rise of interventional psychiatry: How novel treatments target the neurobiology of depression. Yale Medicine Magazine. https://medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/the-rise-of-interventional-psychiatry/