Key Takeaways
- A typical TMS session lasts about 20 to 40 minutes, and most treatment plans involve sessions five days a week for several weeks.
- You'll feel a tapping or clicking sensation on your scalp, not pain, and no anesthesia is required.
- Most patients can drive themselves home and return to work or normal activities immediately after each session.
- TMS fits into a normal weekly schedule better than many people expect, without major disruption to work or daily life.
- Foundation Psychiatry's patients have described feeling supported and back on track after starting TMS therapy.
- If not knowing what to expect has kept you from trying TMS therapy in Atlanta, Foundation Psychiatry can walk you through every step, starting with a simple appointment request.
Before Your First TMS Appointment
Not knowing what to expect is one of the biggest reasons people hesitate before starting Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Understanding what a real session looks like from arrival to departure can make that first appointment feel far less intimidating.
Before your first session, Foundation Psychiatry's team will complete a screening and a brief exam to identify the right placement and setting for your treatment. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you can eat and drink normally beforehand, and it helps to wear comfortable clothing without metal accessories, since jewelry and metal hair clips need to come off before treatment.
What Happens During the Session
Once you're settled in, here's what a typical TMS session involves:
- Getting comfortable: You'll sit in a reclining chair, similar to one you'd find at a dentist's office.
- Coil placement: Your provider places a small magnetic coil against a specific area of your scalp.
- Treatment: The device delivers repeated magnetic pulses. You'll typically wear ear plugs during this part, since the coil produces a clicking sound.
- Sensation: Most patients describe a tapping or light knocking feeling on the scalp. It isn't painful, though some people notice mild scalp discomfort, especially during the first few sessions.
- Wrapping up: Once the session ends, you're free to leave. There's no recovery room and no sedation to wear off.
Each session generally lasts about 20 to 40 minutes, and a full course of treatment is usually done five days a week for four to six weeks, according to Mayo Clinic. Your first appointment may run longer, since your provider needs time to identify the correct coil placement and magnetic dose for your brain before treatment begins.
Can I Drive Myself Home After TMS?
This is one of the most common questions new patients ask, and the answer is reassuring: yes, in almost all cases. Between treatments, you can usually expect to work and drive as normal. TMS doesn't involve anesthesia or sedation, so there's no medication working its way out of your system after you leave the office.
Some providers do recommend having someone drive you to your very first appointment, simply as a precaution while you learn how your body responds. After that, most patients drive themselves to and from every remaining session.
Fitting TMS Into a Normal Work Schedule
Because TMS is typically scheduled five days a week for several weeks, one of the biggest questions patients have is how it fits around work or family responsibilities. The good news is that sessions are short, and since there's no downtime afterward, many patients schedule appointments before work, during a lunch break, or right after their day ends.
Foundation Psychiatry works with patients to build a schedule that fits their routine, since consistency over the full course of treatment matters more than what time of day each session happens.
Real Patients, Real Experiences
Patients who've gone through TMS at Foundation Psychiatry often describe feeling supported throughout the process. One patient shared that his career and personal life had been disrupted by depression, and that traditional treatments hadn't helped, but that TMS therapy became the turning point that helped him regain both stability at work and a sense of optimism. Another longtime patient described the office as a warm, welcoming environment from her very first appointment, with a staff that made the entire experience feel comfortable rather than clinical.
Start Your TMS Therapy Journey in Atlanta
Knowing exactly what to expect, from the tapping sensation to driving yourself home, can take away much of the uncertainty around starting TMS therapy. Foundation Psychiatry's team walks every patient through the process step by step, so you always know what's coming next.
Schedule an appointment with Foundation Psychiatry to find out if TMS therapy is the right next step for your depression treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does TMS therapy feel like?
Most patients describe a tapping or light knocking sensation on the scalp where the magnetic coil is placed. It is not painful, though some people notice mild, temporary scalp discomfort, especially during early sessions.
How long does a TMS session take?
A typical session lasts about 20 to 40 minutes. Your very first appointment may take longer, since your provider needs to determine the correct treatment settings.
Can I drive myself after a TMS session?
Yes, in almost all cases. TMS doesn't involve anesthesia or sedation, so most patients drive themselves to and from every session except possibly the very first one.
How many TMS sessions will I need?
Most treatment plans involve sessions five days a week for four to six weeks, though your provider will tailor the schedule to your response and needs.
Is TMS therapy near me available for teens?
As of late 2025, TMS has FDA clearance as an adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder in patients as young as 15. Ask your provider whether this applies to your family's situation.
