rTMS treatment – what to expect when you’re starting therapy

Thinking about booking your rTMS treatment course? Read our step-by-step outline on how to book and what to expect, or just give us a call.

Before your first appointment:

1. Visit your doctor for a referral to Sydney TMS
2. Call Sydney TMS on 1300 177 144 to book an rTMS treatment assessment with one of our TMS psychiatrists.
3. Email your referral to info@sydneytms.com.au.

What to bring to your first assessment:

1. Bring along your referral, any information from your treating doctor and your Medicare card to your first assessment.
2. If our psychiatrist advises that TMS is suitable for you and you are happy to proceed to treatment, a mapping session will be organised for another day.
3. If you’d like, you can also bring a support person with you.

The Mapping Session:

Our psychiatrist will take measurements of your head to tailor the rTMS treatment to your individual specifications. The treatment will target the part of the brain that requires the neurons to be stimulated. You will also be given a series of questionnaires to complete so that we have a baseline of numerical data that can be used to make comparisons with during your treatment. Our psychiatrist will then prescribe your personal rTMS treatment course.

Treatment Courses:

1. A  course of TMS with us is made up of 35 standard sessions. Each session takes up to 30 minutes. We recommend a minimum of 3 sessions per week to ensure the effectiveness of TMS treatment, in line with the current research findings.
2. We will also send a letter to your referring doctor to inform them that we have commenced TMS therapy.
3. You book in a series of appointments with our TMS technician and start your rTMS treatment journey.

Reviews:

1. During your treatment with us, our psychiatrists will see you for your psychiatric reviews. A treatment review is booked in for the halfway mark, and another is booked in for the end of the course. You will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires at the halfway point and the end of the course.
2. At the end of your course, a letter will be forwarded to your treating doctor.

Medicare and Billing:

1. TMS assessment with our psychiatrist will be bulk-billed for your initial consultation, provided you have your referral and Medicare card.
2. TMS mapping session and treatment sessions will be charged per session. If you should meet the medicare criteria, you will benefit from a Medicare rebate, but please note an out-of-pocket amount will be payable per treatment as you go.

Medicare criteria:

1. Over 18 years of age.
2. Have not received rTMS treatment prior to 1 November 2021.
3. Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, Chronic Depression.
4. Have tried 2 or more medications for depression with no success.
5. Please note that a diagnosis other than Depression is not covered by Medicare (e.g., OCD)

Side Effects:

1. Side effects are uncommon but can include headaches, scalp irritation, and fatigue.
2. There is also the rare possibility of seizure (less than 1%), comparable to that of most antidepressant medications. (as published on Dec 7, 2020, “Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Safety with Respect to Seizures: A Literature Review by  Debra J Stultz,¹ Savanna Osburn,¹ Tyler Burns,¹ Sylvia Pawlowska-Wajswol,¹ and Robin Walton¹ ).

Effectiveness:

1. TMS has been approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. Studies have shown a 50-70% response rate to TMS for those with Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Updated: 31 July 2025