TMS Therapy in Chicago, IL

What TMS Therapy is, and how it works

TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) uses gentle magnetic pulses to activate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. These are the same regions that tend to underperform in major depressive disorder.

During treatment you sit in a chair, awake and alert, while a cushioned coil rests against your scalp. You can read, listen to music, or just rest. It's FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder and is performed right here in our office. No hospital, no anesthesia. Targeted specifically for a non-drug, non-medication, brain stimulation, as a stand alone treatment or to fit into your existing treatment or alongside your existing medication.

Book A Free TMS Consultation

Is TMS Therapy right for you?

TMS may be a fit if you:

Have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder
Haven't gotten enough relief from antidepressant medication
Want an option without the systemic side effects of medication

TMS isn't for everyone. It's not used if you have metal in or around the head (like aneurysm clips or cochlear implants). A history of seizures doesn't automatically rule it out, but it's something to discuss with your provider. The fastest way to know: book a consultation and we'll review your history together.

What to Expect

A typical course is five sessions a week for four to six weeks. Most providers will recommend about 36 sessions. Each session is about 20 minutes and there's no downtime.

Most patients go straight back to work or continue with their day. The most common side effects are mild scalp discomfort or headache during the first week, which usually fade as treatment continues. Serious side effects are rare. You'll meet with your care team regularly so we can track how you're responding and adjust if needed. A clinician is present in our office throughout treatment.

How TMS for depression compares to other types of treatments

No single treatment is right for everyone. We think TMS is one of the most effective solutions available with up to 82% of patients experiencing significant symptom relief and fewer long-term side effects. And when compared to traditional antidepressants, this medication-free, FDA-approved approach has fewer side effects.

Here’s how they differ on the things patients ask about most.

Compare	TMS	ECT	Medication	Spravato	Talk therapy
Drug-free	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
No anesthesia or sedation	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Drive yourself home after	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
No memory loss	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
No daily pills	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Zero downtime, back to your day	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
FDA-cleared or approved for depression	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
How it works	Focused magnetic pulses stimulate the brain areas that regulate mood. No drugs, no surgery.	Brief, controlled electrical stimulation under anesthesia triggers a short seizure that can reset brain chemistry in severe depression.	Daily pills that adjust brain chemistry body-wide.	Nasal spray that acts on glutamate, a different pathway than standard antidepressants. Given in-clinic with monitoring.	Regular sessions with a therapist to change patterns of thought and behavior driving depression.
Time commitment	5 days a week for 4 to 6 weeks. Sessions run 20 to 40 minutes.	2 to 3 times per week for 2 to 4 weeks. Half-day appointments with prep and recovery.	A pill a day. Each drug takes 4 to 6 weeks to judge; many people try several.	Twice a week for 4 weeks, then weekly. Every visit includes 2-hour monitoring.	Weekly 45 to 60 minute sessions for months, ongoing as needed.
Common side effects	Mild scalp tingling or headache in early sessions. Fades for most people.	Headache, muscle soreness, confusion after treatment. Short-term memory gaps.	Weight gain, sexual side effects, nausea, sleep changes, mental fog. Varies by drug.	Dissociation, dizziness, nausea, blood pressure rise during monitoring.	None physical. Sessions can feel emotionally heavy.
Best for	Depression that has not lifted with medication, or when drug side effects are intolerable.	Severe, urgent, or highly treatment-resistant depression when rapid response matters.	First-line treatment for most people. Often combined with TMS or therapy.	Treatment-resistant depression in adults already taking an antidepressant.	Mild to moderate depression, or paired with TMS or medication.

Compare

TMS

ECT

Medication

Spravato

Talk therapy

Drug-free

Yes

No anesthesia or sedation

Yes

Drive yourself home after

Yes

No memory loss

Yes

No daily pills

Yes

Zero downtime, back to your day

Yes

FDA-cleared or approved for depression

Yes

How it works

Focused magnetic pulses stimulate the brain areas that regulate mood. No drugs, no surgery.

Brief, controlled electrical stimulation under anesthesia triggers a short seizure that can reset brain chemistry in severe depression.

Daily pills that adjust brain chemistry body-wide.

Nasal spray that acts on glutamate, a different pathway than standard antidepressants. Given in-clinic with monitoring.

Regular sessions with a therapist to change patterns of thought and behavior driving depression.

Time commitment

5 days a week for 4 to 6 weeks. Sessions run 20 to 40 minutes.

2 to 3 times per week for 2 to 4 weeks. Half-day appointments with prep and recovery.

A pill a day. Each drug takes 4 to 6 weeks to judge; many people try several.

Twice a week for 4 weeks, then weekly. Every visit includes 2-hour monitoring.

Weekly 45 to 60 minute sessions for months, ongoing as needed.

Common side effects

Mild scalp tingling or headache in early sessions. Fades for most people.

Headache, muscle soreness, confusion after treatment. Short-term memory gaps.

Weight gain, sexual side effects, nausea, sleep changes, mental fog. Varies by drug.

Dissociation, dizziness, nausea, blood pressure rise during monitoring.

None physical. Sessions can feel emotionally heavy.

Best for

Depression that has not lifted with medication, or when drug side effects are intolerable.

Severe, urgent, or highly treatment-resistant depression when rapid response matters.

First-line treatment for most people. Often combined with TMS or therapy.

Treatment-resistant depression in adults already taking an antidepressant.

Mild to moderate depression, or paired with TMS or medication.

Real results

This is not a leap of faith. It is a studied treatment with published results.

In an independent head-to-head study, 59.7% of patients treated with Deep TMS reached remission, meaning their depression symptoms were essentially gone. That is more than five times the remission rate of medication alone (11.1%).

In the large multicenter trial that led to FDA clearance of the Brainsway Deep TMS device, 38.4% of patients responded to treatment and 32.6% reached full remission, significantly higher than the sham group.

The benefits last. In 12-month follow-up data on the accelerated TMS protocol, fewer than 1 in 4 patients needed a medication change or another round of TMS.

Individual results vary, and your provider will walk through what these numbers mean for your situation.

Book My Free TMS Consultation

Filipcic et al., Journal of Psychiatric Research, July 2019; Levkovitz et al., World Psychiatry, 2015; Brainsway SWIFT 12-month durability data, Clinical TMS Society Annual Meeting, 2026.

If you're looking for TMS treatment in the downtown Chicago area I could not recommend a better place. The office is small but not stifling and the staff is incredible: kind, attentive, competent, understanding, and flexible. Any worries you have will be addressed immediately. As someone with social anxiety I was never anxious while there and the office is super easy to get to. I received treatment specifically for my long-term medication resistant depression and never left feeling overwhelmed or exhausted like I would have on any other outing. Please give this place a chance, I'm so glad I did.

Kylee Rather

Apr 4, 2025 · via Google

Scholarly sources estimate that the Milky Way galaxy has approximately 100 billion to 400 billion stars, but Google says the highest is 5 stars, so I'm leaving a 5 star review instead of a 400 billion star review. From the beginning, I felt that Dr. Rao immediately saw my deep suffering, listened to my own experience and analysis of my symptoms then used her expertise, experience and training to identify the root cause and, with my TMS tech Evelyn's help, provide effective treatment. Who knew that medicine can be transformative when you check your ego and your biases at the door and work WITH your patient to relieve their suffering? (The Mindful TMS staff knows this which is why I had a wonderful experience from beginning to end). While it hasn't been the miraculous, night and day treatment it can be for many, TMS helped kickstart the healing process after months of pain and hopelessness. TMS can take time to work but the small improvements add up over time in my experience. If you need relief quickly and have the means, consider pursuing the SAINT (Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy) TMS protocol which does 10 sessions per day for a total of 5 days instead of the 5x/week over 6 weeks in the standard rTMS protocol (Read T Kishi et al 2024's paper in Nature). From beginning to end, I was treated with kindness and respect by everyone at Mindful TMS. Evelyn and Dr. Rao are prime examples of professionalism and compassionate care thus Mindful TMS should be your first stop if you are considering pursuing TMS. Evelyn and Dr. Anita Rao need to be cloned, mass produced and deployed to lead every mental health clinic yesterday!

LBD

Aug 4, 2025 · via Google

I have had a wonderful experience at the chicago location of Mindful TMS. Marissa has been amazing - very gentle, attentive and careful. She is always sure to make sure everything is perfect and that you are comfortable before the treatment, during and after. I was nervous to start, but she answered all of my questions and eased my anxiety. I highly dexcom end this location - staff is great, facility is nice and clean. The chair and items are cleaned between use.

Bethany Petersen

Mar 26, 2021 · via Google

I have tried well over 10 medications for my anxiety and depression, and also attend therapy sessions weekly. Some meds were successful in keeping me out of bed during the day, but the side effects were never manageable. I even did GeneSight testing to help narrow down which meds might work best. Nothing seemed to be working for me and I was about to lose all hope until my psychiatrist referred me to Mindful TMS. Now I am nearing treatment number 30 and my mood has never been so stable. That horrible feeling of despair that has been with me every day since I was a child is gone. I am in the final year of my PhD at UChicago and my mental health has never been better! (I dare you to find another grad student who can say that.) My experience at Mindful TMS has been absolutely wonderful, and I owe it all to Aly my TMS therapist. She is incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable about all things TMS, and does a great job of making me feel comfortable and safe at all times. I genuinely look forward to coming in every morning to see Aly before I start the rest of my day. I strongly recommend Mindful TMS to anyone out there who is struggling - there are brighter days ahead of you!

Laura Lenart

Dec 21, 2021 · via Google

I cannot recommend Mindful TMS Chicago highly enough. The facility is pleasant and the staff: welcoming, efficient, accommodating, and professional. TMS has changed my life! I’ve tried many things, for 37 years, to be free of depression; but TMS is the only thing that has worked. Other things may have helped manage the depression, but TMS actually FREED me from it! If you suffer from depression or PTSD, DO try TMS. You owe it to yourself!

Dorothy Jackson

Apr 9, 2021 · via Google

New Jersey Locations

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Chicago at a Glance

Treatments Available

Spravato

Amenities

Languages Spoken

What TMS Therapy is, and how it works

Is TMS Therapy right for you?

What to Expect

How TMS for depression compares to other types of treatments

Meet the team at our Chicago office

Real results

Covered by major insurance providers