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How we help

Anxiety

When worry won’t let go, there’s another way.

Everyone feels anxious sometimes, before a test or a big decision. But when the worry is constant, doesn’t go away or keeps getting worse, everyday life can start to feel unbearable.

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What it can feel like

Everyone’s experience is different. These are some of the things people tell us.

  • Worry you can’t control
  • Nervousness
  • Feeling restless, wound up or on edge
  • Irritability
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Racing heart
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Headaches

Dr. Mark Liker, neurosurgeon and founder

    What treatment looks like

    Short sessions while you’re awake and comfortable. No anesthesia, no medication, and you drive yourself home.

    Paying for it

    Questions people ask

    How does TMS help anxiety?

    TMS calms overactive areas of the brain linked to anxious thoughts and physical symptoms, like rumination, nervousness and poor sleep. As that activity settles, anxiety eases.

    Will insurance cover treatment for anxiety?

    Many plans cover TMS for major depression, which often comes with anxiety. We’ll ask your insurer what your plan covers in your case and what you’d pay, before anything is booked. If it isn’t covered, there’s a self-pay option and payment plans.

    Is TMS safe?

    TMS has been studied extensively and used in clinics for nearly 20 years, and it’s generally well tolerated. Scalp discomfort and headache can occur, and seizures are rare. Before you start, we do a thorough intake, go over the risks with you and check whether it’s suitable for you.

    What are the side effects?

    The most common are scalp discomfort where the coil sits and a mild headache, usually in the first sessions. Some people have none. Seizures are rare. Your clinician will go over the risks with you before you start.

    What does a session look like?

    Most sessions take up to about 30 minutes, including setup. We place a small tracker on your face and a coil on your head, and you’ll feel light tapping that people often compare to a woodpecker. You can get back to your day right after.

    When will I start to feel better?

    Everyone is different. Some people feel better right away, and others after a few weeks. Your technician will walk you through what’s normal along the way.

    Can I keep seeing my therapist?

    Yes, and we encourage it. Talk therapy works well alongside TMS, and we can recommend a therapist if you don’t have one.

    Everyone feels anxious sometimes, before a test or a big decision. But when the worry is constant, doesn’t go away or keeps getting worse, everyday life can start to feel unbearable.

    Maybe you’ve tried therapy, medication or stress management and seen little change. That doesn’t mean you have to live with it forever.

    We use alpha peak frequency guided TMS, a gentle magnetic treatment that helps balance brain activity, guided by brain imaging and brain-wave testing. It’s non-invasive and drug-free, and we’ve used it successfully for anxiety, especially when medication hasn’t helped or has caused side effects.

    In your mind

    In your body

    At night

    How we treat anxiety

    We read your brain’s rhythm

    Brain imaging shows your brain’s structure, and a qEEG records its electrical rhythm, including your own alpha peak frequency.

    We calm what’s overactive

    Anxiety is linked to overactive areas of the brain that drive racing thoughts, nervousness and poor sleep. TMS helps settle that activity.

    Balance, without medication

    As brain activity comes back into balance, worry and restlessness ease, with no medication side effects.

    Why people choose TMS here

    Treatment plans

    Standard TMS

    36 sessions, once a day, Monday to Friday. About 30 minutes a day for 6 weeks, then 3 weeks of tapering for the last 6 sessions. If your plan approves treatment for depression, we can treat both. Otherwise it’s cash pay.

    Accelerated TMS

    50 sessions, 10 a day, Monday to Friday. 10-minute sessions, ten times a day, for one week. Cash pay.

    Paying for treatment

    May be covered when you also have major depression

    Many plans cover TMS for major depression when you meet their criteria, and anxiety often comes with depression. We’ll ask your insurer what your plan covers in your case and what you’d pay, before anything is booked. A benefits check isn’t a guarantee of payment, and we’ll tell you before you start about anything your plan may not cover, such as imaging or a brain map.

    If you don’t meet insurance requirements, cash pay lets you start quickly. We offer payment plans. Financing may also be available through CareCredit, subject to credit approval and the lender’s terms.

    The numbers

    A patient’s story

    Jonathan: Jonathan flew in from another country for relief from PTSD and anxiety, and says treatment changed his life.

    Dr. Liker explains: How Does TMS Work (Scientifically)?