BrainsWay Deep TMS in central Phoenix

TMS Therapy in Phoenix, AZ

Medically reviewed by Dr. Robbie Westerman, DNP, PMHNP, Chief Medical Officer. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS) is an FDA-cleared, drug-free treatment for depression and OCD. It uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain areas that regulate mood.

Each standard session takes about 20 minutes. You stay awake the whole time and drive yourself home afterward.

Our psychiatric nurse practitioners oversee your TMS and your medication together, so one team manages your whole plan.

Calls answered Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm. 4527 N 16th St, Suite 201, Phoenix, AZ 85016.

Patient talking with a clinician beside a BrainsWay Deep TMS system

About 20 minutes

per standard depression session

No sedation

so you can drive yourself home or back to work

H1 and H7 coils

for depression and OCD protocols

FDA-cleared

for depression, anxious depression and OCD

How Deep TMS works

Magnetic pulses that reach the brain’s mood networks

TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. A coil placed against your scalp sends brief magnetic pulses through the skull, which create small electrical currents in the nerve cells underneath.

Delivered over a full course of sessions, that stimulation changes activity in the brain circuits linked to depression and OCD.

BrainsWay Deep TMS houses its H-coil inside a cushioned helmet. The H-coil reaches a broader and deeper area of the brain than the figure-8 coils used in first-generation TMS (BrainsWay).

Diagram of a TMS coil over the motor cortex, showing the magnetic and electric fields and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex treatment target

At your first session, your clinician finds your motor threshold: the lowest strength that makes your thumb twitch. That number sets your treatment dose for every session after it.

How TMS compares with other options

Antidepressants

Medication circulates through your whole body. TMS acts on a targeted brain area, so it does not cause the systemic side effects tied to antidepressants, such as weight gain or sexual side effects.

Electroconvulsive therapy

ECT is performed under general anesthesia and can cause short-term memory loss. TMS uses no anesthesia, and you stay alert through every session.

Implanted stimulators

Deep brain stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation require surgery to place a device. Nothing is implanted with TMS.

Man sitting with his head in his hand, reflecting on depression symptoms

When medication has not been enough

Who Deep TMS is for

Most people who start TMS have already tried antidepressants. In the NIMH-funded STAR*D study, 36.8% of adults with depression reached remission on their first medication step, which left most needing another option (Rush et al., 2006).

BrainsWay Deep TMS is FDA-cleared for:

  • Adults with major depressive disorder whose current episode has not improved enough with antidepressant medication
  • Anxiety symptoms that come with depression (anxious depression) in those same adults
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults, as an add-on to other treatment
  • Depression in teens and young adults ages 15 to 21, as an add-on treatment
  • Late-life depression, with labeling that extends to age 86

A consultation is how we decide if TMS fits you. We review your diagnosis, past medications, therapy history and safety factors before recommending it.

Clear about the evidence

What TMS is cleared to treat, and what is still research

FDA clearance means a device met the agency’s requirements for a specific use. We keep the line between cleared uses and research clear, so you can make an informed decision.

Woman wrapped in a blanket, looking out a window

FDA-cleared with Deep TMS

  • Major depressive disorder
  • Anxious depression
  • Late-life depression
  • Depression in ages 15 to 21, as an add-on
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder

BrainsWay also holds clearance for short-term smoking cessation. That protocol uses a different coil than the two we offer.

Investigational, not FDA-cleared

  • Substance use disorders and cravings
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Generalized anxiety without depression
  • Dementia and cognitive decline
  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Gambling and other process addictions

We discuss these only as investigational options after a full evaluation. Read more on TMS in addiction recovery, process addictions and cognitive decline.

Two coils, two targets

The H1 and H7 coils

BrainsWay builds different H-coils for different conditions. We use two of them, and your diagnosis decides which one you receive.

BrainsWay H1 coil helmet with highlighted prefrontal treatment areas on a brain model

H1 coil: depression

Targets the prefrontal cortex, with emphasis on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area tied to mood, motivation and decision-making.

Used for major depression, anxious depression and late-life depression.

BrainsWay H7 coil with highlighted medial prefrontal and cingulate treatment areas on a brain model

H7 coil: OCD

Targets the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, circuits involved in intrusive thoughts and compulsive urges.

Each OCD session opens with a short, personalized prompt that brings up your symptoms, followed by about 18 minutes of stimulation.

The research behind it

What the studies show

Deep TMS has been tested in sham-controlled trials and tracked across everyday clinics. These are the headline findings. Individual results vary.

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4 in 5

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adults with depression who completed 30 sessions responded to treatment, in a real-world analysis of 1,351 patients at 21 sites. About 2 in 3 reached remission.

Source: Tendler et al., Psychiatry Research, 2023. Counts only patients who completed 30 sessions.

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57.9%

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of OCD patients with scores after 29 sessions responded to treatment, across 22 clinics. 52.4% kept that response for at least a month.

Source: Roth et al., Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2021. Response means at least a 30% drop in Y-BOCS score.

Bar chart of response and remission rates after 30 Deep TMS sessions for major depressive disorder, by rating scale

Depression response and remission by rating scale. Tendler et al., 2023. Patients who completed treatment; individual results vary.

Bar chart of OCD response and sustained response rates with Deep TMS

OCD response and sustained response. Roth et al., 2021. Individual results vary.

Controlled trials. In the pivotal depression trial of 212 adults, 32.6% reached remission with Deep TMS compared with 14.6% on sham treatment (Levkovitz et al., World Psychiatry, 2015).

OCD results followed the same pattern: 38.1% of the 99 adults in the pivotal trial responded to Deep TMS, against 11.1% on sham (Carmi et al., American Journal of Psychiatry, 2019).

Your treatment, step by step

What to expect at Camelback Integrated Health and Wellness

1

Consultation

A psychiatric nurse practitioner reviews your symptoms, diagnosis, medications and medical history. We also screen for metal or implanted devices near your head and for seizure risk.

2

Insurance approval

Our team gathers the records your plan requires and submits prior authorization before your first session.

3

Mapping session

We fit the helmet and measure your motor threshold to set your dose. Plan on about 60 minutes for this first visit.

4

Treatment sessions

You sit in a reclining chair with earplugs in while the helmet delivers pulses. Depression courses start with sessions five days a week for about four weeks, then taper. OCD courses run daily for about six weeks.

5

Progress checks

Your provider tracks symptoms with standard rating scales and adjusts your plan, including any medication, as you go.

Older man outdoors holding an open book, eyes closed in a calm moment

Safety first

Side effects and who should not have TMS

Headache at the treatment site is the most common side effect. It is most noticeable in the first few sessions, and over-the-counter pain relievers can help (BrainsWay).

Other reported side effects:

  • Scalp discomfort or tingling during stimulation
  • Jaw pain or facial muscle twitching
  • Hearing changes if earplugs are skipped, which is why you wear them every session

Seizures are the most serious known risk, and they are rare. A 2021 survey of U.S. TMS practices found 5.6 seizures per 1,000 patients treated with H-coils, a higher rate than with figure-8 coils (Taylor et al., Brain Stimulation, 2021).

Woman with eyes closed in warm sunlight

TMS is not safe if you have

  • Metal in or near the head, such as aneurysm clips, coils, stents or shrapnel (standard dental fillings are fine)
  • An implanted device such as a cochlear implant, deep brain stimulator or vagus nerve stimulator

Tell us about any history of seizures, epilepsy, head injury or bipolar disorder. These shape how we plan your care, and we review them before recommending TMS.

Woman smiling at her reflection in a mirror

Care that connects

TMS inside a complete psychiatric plan

You do not have to choose between TMS, medication and therapy. Your nurse practitioner adjusts medication, orders GeneSight testing when it adds useful information, and connects you with therapy or our outpatient mental health programs when you need more support.

Depression and substance use overlap: 35% of U.S. adults with a mental disorder also have a substance use disorder (NIDA). For patients in recovery, treating depression with TMS adds no medication with misuse potential.

TMS is not FDA-cleared to treat addiction itself. For that, we offer medication-assisted treatment and substance use treatment programs at the same clinic.

Insurance and cost

Is TMS covered by insurance?

Each insurance plan sets its own criteria for TMS. These are the requirements we see most:

  • A diagnosis of major depressive disorder, or OCD on plans that cover it
  • Records of antidepressant trials that did not help enough in the current episode
  • Symptom scores from a standard rating scale, plus your therapy history
  • Prior authorization approved before your first session

We check your benefits and handle the authorization paperwork with you before treatment begins. CareCredit financing is available for costs your plan does not cover.

Accepted plans include Aetna, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare. TMS coverage depends on your specific plan, which is why we verify your benefits first.

FAQ

TMS questions, answered

Anything not covered here, our care team can answer at (480) 631-9623.

Most people describe a tapping feeling on the scalp and a clicking sound. Some feel scalp discomfort or a headache during the first few sessions. Your clinician can adjust the helmet position if it bothers you.

In a real-world analysis of 1,351 patients, those who reached a sustained response did so after a median of 16 sessions, about three weeks into treatment (Tendler et al., 2023). Read more in how long TMS takes to work.

Yes. TMS is commonly added to an existing antidepressant. Your nurse practitioner reviews every medication you take, because a few can raise seizure risk and may need an adjustment.

No. ECT uses general anesthesia and an intentionally induced seizure. TMS uses magnetic pulses while you are awake, with no anesthesia.

You can. TMS involves no sedation, so you can drive yourself home or go straight back to work.

BrainsWay Deep TMS is FDA-cleared as an add-on treatment for depression in patients ages 15 to 21 (BrainsWay, 2025). Call our care team to ask about age requirements at our clinic.

Next step

Start with a conversation

Call our care team to ask questions, check your coverage and book a consultation with a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Calling commits you to nothing.

References

  1. BrainsWay. Our TMS treatments: FDA-cleared indications. Source
  2. BrainsWay receives FDA clearance of Deep TMS as adjunct therapy for MDD in adolescents aged 15 to 21. November 2025. Source
  3. Levkovitz Y, et al. Efficacy and safety of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. World Psychiatry. 2015;14(1):64-73. Source
  4. Carmi L, et al. Efficacy and safety of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2019;176(11):931-938. Source
  5. Tendler A, et al. Deep TMS H1 coil treatment for depression: results from a large post marketing data analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2023;324:115179. Source
  6. Roth Y, et al. Real-world efficacy of deep TMS for obsessive-compulsive disorder: post-marketing data collected from twenty-two clinical sites. J Psychiatr Res. 2021;137:667-672. Source
  7. Taylor JJ, et al. Seizure risk with repetitive TMS: survey results from over a half-million treatment sessions. Brain Stimul. 2021;14(4):965-973. Source
  8. Rush AJ, et al. Acute and longer-term outcomes in depressed outpatients requiring one or several treatment steps: a STAR*D report. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(11):1905-1917. Source
  9. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Co-occurring disorders and health conditions. Source

If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.