San Francisco packs a lot of mental health care into 49 square miles. Our directory lists 6 TMS clinic locations in the city, many of them near Union Square, the Financial District, and SoMa. Patients come in from the Mission, Pacific Heights, the Sunset, and across the Bay from Oakland and Daly City. For adults whose depression has not responded to medication, TMS offers a non-surgical, outpatient treatment option.
Research has linked depression to lower activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. TMS uses magnetic pulses, delivered through a coil placed on the scalp, to stimulate that area and help restore more normal activity over time. Because nothing enters the bloodstream, patients do not deal with the whole-body side effects that can come with some medications.
Each course is ordered and supervised by a licensed psychiatrist. The first visit includes mapping to find the right coil position and setting the pulse strength based on your motor threshold. Throughout treatment, clinic staff check in on your symptoms, and the plan is adjusted if your response is slower than expected.
Parking downtown can be expensive and hard to find, which is why many San Francisco patients take public transit to their sessions. Clinics near Montgomery, Powell, and Civic Center BART stations, or close to Muni lines, make daily visits easier. Because there is no sedation, you can head back to work or home on your own right after.
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