A New Way of Healing
TMS Therapy in Arlington, MA
If you have lived with depression that has not responded to antidepressants, TMS Therapy may offer a different way forward. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. No anesthesia, no IV, no recovery time. At Cambridge Biotherapies, Arlington patients receive TMS Therapy at our treatment center in Central Square, Cambridge, a straight run down Massachusetts Avenue from Arlington Center. Care is delivered by our team, led by Harvard-trained Medical Director Dr. Daniel A. Brenner, a board-certified psychiatrist. Sessions take 20 to 40 minutes, which allows most patients to drive themselves home and return to work the same day.
The Benefits of TMS Therapy in Arlington
In the following video, learn how TMS Therapy works and what to expect from treatment.
The clinical evidence behind TMS has grown substantially over the past two decades. In a 2023 meta-analysis of 19 randomized sham-controlled trials published in BMC Psychiatry, repetitive TMS used as an add-on therapy after two antidepressant failures more than doubled the likelihood of both response and remission compared with standard pharmacotherapy alone (Vida et al., BMC Psychiatry, 2023). Those findings pool results across multiple devices and study populations rather than describing any single system or treatment center. For Arlington patients searching for a non-invasive option when medication has not worked, TMS offers a different mechanism of action and an established evidence base. Individual results vary.
TMS: An Advanced, Non-Invasive Treatment Option
TMS Therapy uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain regions involved in mood regulation, with no anesthesia, no medication and no recovery time required. For Arlington patients who have not responded to antidepressants or who cannot tolerate their side effects, TMS offers an evidence-based, FDA-cleared alternative delivered entirely in our outpatient treatment center, about four and a half miles down Massachusetts Avenue.
What to Expect from TMS Therapy in Arlington
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, first developed in 1985 and FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder in 2008, has become one of the most clinically established non-invasive treatments in modern psychiatry. In the years since, TMS has earned additional FDA clearances for obsessive-compulsive disorder as an adjunct treatment, for anxious depression, and most recently for adolescent depression in patients ages 15 to 21.
Its role in mental health care deserves emphasis, particularly for adults living with depression, including those with anxious depression, who have not found relief through traditional antidepressants or who cannot tolerate medication side effects.
Receiving TMS Therapy is a structured outpatient process. Patients sit comfortably in our Cambridge treatment center while a small coil delivers gentle magnetic pulses to targeted areas of the brain. Each session takes approximately 20 to 40 minutes, requires no anesthesia or sedation, and allows patients to drive themselves home and return to work or daily activities the same day. A full course is typically delivered over several weeks, and our treatment center uses FDA-cleared BrainsWay Deep TMS and MagVenture systems.
TMS works by stimulating specific brain regions involved in mood regulation, gradually restoring healthy neural activity in areas that can become underactive in depression. For Arlington patients who have spent years searching for an effective treatment, TMS offers an evidence-based path forward, supported by two decades of clinical research in adults with treatment-resistant depression.
TMS Therapy for Depression and OCD
For Arlington patients living with treatment-resistant depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder, the question is rarely whether another option exists, but whether it actually works. TMS has been studied extensively over the past two decades, and the evidence base is strongest for patients who have not responded to one or more antidepressant trials.
The BMC Psychiatry meta-analysis cited above supports TMS as an add-on option for depression that has not improved with medication alone. For OCD, TMS is FDA-cleared as an adjunct alongside therapy and medication rather than as a stand-alone treatment. Many patients maintain improvement after completing a course of care, though individual results vary based on each patient’s condition and circumstances. Every treatment plan begins with a full psychiatric evaluation so we can tell you honestly whether TMS is a reasonable fit.
Advantages of TMS in Treating Depression and OCD
Beyond the strength of the evidence, TMS offers Arlington patients several practical advantages over medication and over other advanced treatments:
- It does not circulate through the bloodstream, so it is not associated with the systemic side effects common to oral antidepressants. Side effects such as scalp discomfort or headache can occur, and your provider will discuss them with you.
- It requires no anesthesia, no sedation and no downtime, so patients keep their work and family routines throughout treatment.
- It can be combined with ongoing therapy or medication when that is clinically appropriate.
- Progress is tracked using validated clinical rating scales at every stage of care, so improvement is measured rather than assumed.
- For patients who need a shorter overall timeline, we also offer Accelerated TMS, a compressed-schedule transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol delivered at the same location.
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Our Location Serving Arlington
We provide TMS Therapy to Arlington patients from our Cambridge treatment center, a straight trip down Massachusetts Avenue. If you are exploring other options, we also offer SPRAVATO therapy and ketamine therapy in Arlington at the same location. TMS for major depressive disorder is covered by many insurance plans, and coverage depends on your specific plan and diagnosis, so you can review our insurance and coverage options before you begin.
Cambridge Biotherapies
6 Bigelow Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Transportation
- Route 77 bus from Arlington Heights and Arlington Center to Harvard Station along Massachusetts Avenue, then one Red Line stop to Central Square
- Route 78 bus from Arlmont Village to Harvard Station via Park Circle
- Route 350 along Massachusetts Avenue to Alewife Station, the Red Line terminus just over the Arlington line
- Red Line from Alewife to Central Square, four stops, with a large parking garage at Alewife for patients who prefer to drive part of the way
- Roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car, about four and a half miles straight down Massachusetts Avenue
- Metered street parking and several nearby garages near the treatment center
Massachusetts Avenue runs from Arlington Heights through Arlington Center and East Arlington and continues without interruption into Central Square, where our treatment center sits just off it on Bigelow Street. That makes the trip about as simple as it gets: one road, no transfers, roughly four and a half miles and 15 to 20 minutes by car from Arlington Center. The 77 bus follows the same street to Harvard Station, and Central Square is a single Red Line stop from there. Patients coming from Arlmont Village can take the 78 to Harvard instead. If you would rather drive part of the way, Alewife Station sits just over the Arlington line with a large parking garage, and Central Square is four stops down the Red Line. We also provide TMS Therapy in Boston and across Greater Boston from the same location.
Learn more about TMS therapy in Boston.
Emergency Information
Our team is available during staffed hours only. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please seek help immediately:
- Call 911 for any life-threatening emergency
- Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7)
- Text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line
- Call 833-773-2445 to reach the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (24/7)
- Call 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) for additional mental health support
- Or contact your psychiatrist, therapist, or primary care provider
Take the First Step Now
Embark on a transformative journey with TMS Therapy in Boston, MA. Cambridge Biotherapies is your partner in carving pathways to mental peace and holistic well-being.