Now accepting new patients
Now accepting new patients
The thought arrives uninvited. You know it does not make sense, and you check anyway. Then you check again. OCD is not about being tidy. It is a loop you cannot talk yourself out of. TMS therapy for OCD is an FDA cleared way to turn down the volume on that loop when medication and therapy have not been enough.
FDA cleared in 2018
for obsessive compulsive disorder
About 58 percent
of OCD patients in studies responded to TMS treatment
Around 18 to 19 minutes
per OCD session in many protocols
Noninvasive,
no sedation and no recovery time
No systemic side effects,
nothing circulates in your bloodstream
OCD has two parts that feed each other: obsessions, the intrusive thoughts and fears, and compulsions, the actions you do to make the anxiety stop for a moment. The relief never lasts, so the loop repeats.
Symptom domain
Intrusive thoughts
Checking
Washing or cleaning
Ordering
Mental rituals
Avoidance
Time lost
Shame
Common impact on daily life
Unwanted fears about harm, contamination, or doubt that will not leave
Returning again and again to locks, the stove, or messages
Hand washing or cleaning routines that eat up hours
A need for symmetry or exactness before you can move on
Silent counting, repeating, or reviewing to neutralize a thought
Steering around places or situations that trigger the fear
Routines that swallow large parts of the day
Hiding the rituals from people you love
When OCD persists despite adequate medication and therapy trials, TMS becomes a medically appropriate next step.
OCD involves an overactive brain loop connecting the cortex, deeper structures, and the regions that drive the urge to repeat. Medication spreads through the whole body to try to settle this, often with side effects. TMS for OCD targets the specific circuits involved more directly, using focused magnetic pulses to help quiet the overactive loop. Many OCD protocols briefly bring up a personal trigger right before stimulation so the treatment reaches the circuit while it is active.
It works like retraining an overactive pathway, one session at a time. No sedation, no anesthesia, nothing in your bloodstream, and you drive yourself home.
Learn more about TMS therapy
OCD courses commonly run daily over about 6 weeks, with each session around 18 to 19 minutes. Dr. McGaugh will set the exact protocol for you. Weekend appointments help keep the schedule on track.
Step 1
Reach out by phone at (501) 794.6037 or request a consultation online. We answer the simple questions first, including what your insurance covers, at no cost to you.
Step 2
Dr. Janette McGaugh reviews your history, your past treatments, and your goals to confirm that TMS is a medically appropriate next step for you.
Step 3
On your first treatment visit we find the precise spot on your head and set the right dose for you. This mapping visit takes about 1.5 hours.
Step 4
You recline in the chair, feel a gentle tapping, wear earplugs for the clicking sound, and stay awake. Read, listen to music, or just rest. Sessions run 19 to 37 minutes, 5 days per week, for about 6 to 7 weeks.
Step 5
There is no sedation and no downtime, so you drive yourself home and return to normal life immediately.
About the TMS dip: some people feel a little worse around week 3 or 4. It is temporary. It passes, and it is often a sign that change is underway.
Maintenance sessions: after your acute course, some people benefit from occasional weekly or monthly follow up sessions to protect their progress.
Start your free consultation
Feature
How it works
Invasiveness
Common side effects
Works when meds fail
Treatment time
Recovery time
Insurance coverage
TMS
Magnetic pulses target a specific mood circuit
Noninvasive
Mild scalp discomfort that fades
Yes, this is its main use
19 to 37 minutes per session
None, drive yourself home
Widely covered for resistant depression
SSRIs and SNRIs
Medication changes brain chemistry body wide
Oral medication
Weight, sleep, sexual, and energy effects
Often the thing that already failed
Daily pill
None
Widely covered
CBT
Talk therapy reshapes thoughts and behavior
Noninvasive
None physical
Sometimes, varies by person
Weekly sessions
None
Often covered
ECT
Electrical current induces a brief seizure
Requires anesthesia
Memory effects, recovery time
Yes, but more intensive
Multiple sessions with recovery
Needs recovery after each session
Covered, used for severe cases
See if TMS is right for you
Dr. McGaugh was great. Their office is warm and inviting. They don’t make you feel like a “patient” and they will sit and listen to you. My first visit I was so broken…crying…down and uninterested…I was giving up…but the treatments took affect by week 2…they have helped me to back to me that’s been gone for years from dealing with life and tragedies…I can’t thank them enough🩷
Highly recommend Dr. McGaugh! Very knowledgeable, understanding, and reliable. I love working with a smaller practice because you feel more like family rather than just another patient. Also highly recommend her TMS treatment, as someone who has suffered anxiety most of my life but not a big fan of antidepressants and their side effects, TMS has worked wonders!!
Absolutely love Dr. McGaugh and her lovely office staff. Super kind, understanding, and always ready to try something different or make adjustments to find the right fit. If I could leave more stars I would! If you are in Arkansas looking for a psychiatrist look no further! Helpful and up to date on recent research and methods. Thank you Best Life Psychiatry for helping me live my best life!
I suffer from depression and anxiety and the TMS treatment has been working wonders for me.
My mind is not foggy and I can sleep better.
It’s a cozy little clinic and Doctor McGaugh knows what she’s doing.
I’m looking forward to continuing with the treatment!
Coverage for TMS has expanded a great deal. Most commercial insurers and Medicare cover TMS for treatment resistant major depressive disorder, and OCD is generally covered when it is documented under that umbrella. NeuroStar reports that more than 300 million people have insurance plans that include TMS coverage.
Our team handles the prior authorization paperwork and verifies your benefits for you before you begin, so there are no surprises.
Get a free benefits check today
Yes. TMS was FDA cleared for obsessive compulsive disorder in 2018, as an option for adults whose OCD has not responded well enough to other treatments.
The targeted brain area and protocol differ, and some OCD protocols briefly activate a personal trigger before stimulation. Sessions are often slightly shorter.
Yes, and it is encouraged. TMS works well alongside exposure and response prevention therapy and medication.
Some people feel a temporary dip early on. It usually passes as treatment continues.
Many people see gradual improvement over the course, with continued gains after finishing.
Dr. McGaugh will review other options with you, and TMS can be combined with ongoing therapy and medication.
Not always. We check your plan during your free benefits check.
Coverage for OCD TMS is growing. We verify your specific benefits before you begin.
Click here for a free NeuroStar TMS consultation
