TMS Therapy in the Spotlight: Tranquil TMS on PBHR for Mental Health Awareness Week

Is TMS safe? It’s the question we’re asked most often, and one we answered live on air during Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 (11–17 May), whose theme, set by the Mental Health Foundation, was Action.

Awareness has come a long way. Most of us now feel more comfortable saying the words “depression” or “anxiety” out loud. But for the millions of people in the UK still struggling, especially those who have tried medication, therapy, or both without finding lasting relief, awareness alone isn’t enough. What changes lives is taking the next step.

That’s why the week felt particularly meaningful for us at Tranquil TMS. We spoke live on PBHR (South Durham) on Thursday 14 May about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): a non-invasive, drug-free treatment covered by NICE guidance that many people in the UK still haven’t heard of. The day was also Wear it Green Day, the Mental Health Foundation’s national moment to show solidarity with everyone working towards better mental health.

This article is our contribution to the conversation: a clear, jargon-free guide to what TMS is, who it helps, how it works, and the question we’re asked most often: is TMS safe?

Why we need to talk about treatment-resistant depression and anxiety

Around 1 in 5 adults in the UK lives with a common mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. Antidepressants and talking therapies help many people, but not everyone.

The STAR*D study, one of the largest real-world studies of antidepressant treatment ever conducted, found that only about 28–33% of people reached remission on their first antidepressant. After two or three different medications, a significant proportion of patients still hadn’t fully recovered. This is known as treatment-resistant depression.

If you’ve been there, cycling through different SSRIs, sitting on waiting lists, trying counselling that helped briefly and then faded, you are not failing treatment. Treatment is failing you. And it’s this group of people that TMS is most often used to help.

The action we’d encourage, in Mental Health Awareness Week and beyond, is simple: find out what else exists. Because something else does.

What is TMS therapy?

TMS stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

It’s a non-invasive medical treatment that uses gentle, targeted magnetic pulses, similar in strength to the magnetic field used in an MRI scan, to stimulate specific areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. Most often, this is the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), an area that tends to be underactive in people with depression.

rTMS (repetitive TMS) is the version most commonly used clinically, where pulses are delivered in a repeating pattern over a course of sessions. You can read more in our guide: what is rTMS and how does it treat depression?

A few things to know up front:

• No medication is involved.
• No sedation, no anaesthetic, no surgery.
• You stay fully awake and alert throughout the session.
• You can drive yourself home afterwards and carry on with your day.
• It is FDA-cleared in the US, covered by NICE guidance (the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) for depression, and our clinic is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

In short: it’s a clinically established, non-drug treatment, not an experimental one. TMS has been in mainstream use internationally since 2008.

Who is TMS therapy for?

TMS is most commonly used to help adults living with:

• Treatment-resistant depression (depression that hasn’t responded well to antidepressants)
• Anxiety disorders, including anxious depression
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Other mood-related conditions where traditional treatments haven’t delivered lasting results

It tends to be particularly suitable for people who:

• Have tried medication and felt the side effects weren’t worth the benefit
• Have completed talking therapy but symptoms keep returning
• Don’t want to (or can’t) take antidepressants, for health, lifestyle or personal reasons
• Are tired of being told to “just wait and see”
• Are looking for an evidence-based alternative, not a quick fix

A free 20-minute call with our team will help identify whether you’re likely to be a suitable candidate before any commitment is made. Not everyone is, and we’ll always be honest with you if TMS isn’t the right fit.

How does TMS actually work? (In plain English)

Here’s what a course of treatment looks like in real life:

1. Free initial call

A relaxed 20-minute phone call to understand your story, your symptoms, and what you’ve already tried. No pressure, no obligation.

2. In-depth assessment with a Consultant Psychiatrist

If TMS looks like a potential fit, you’ll have a comprehensive assessment with one of our Senior Consultant Psychiatrists. This is where a tailored treatment plan is built around you.

3. The treatment sessions

You sit in a comfortable chair, fully clothed and fully awake. A small coil is placed gently against your scalp. Through it, mild magnetic pulses are delivered; most people describe the sensation as a light tapping on the head. Our patient guide explains what TMS feels like in more detail.

During the session you can:

• Listen to music
• Chat with our staff
• Read, scroll your phone, or simply rest

We offer two protocols:

• Standard protocol: sessions of around 30 minutes, daily Monday to Friday, over approximately 4 weeks (minimum 20 sessions).
• Theta burst (accelerated) protocol: an FDA-cleared option for depression that compresses each session into just 3–4 minutes, completing the equivalent course in around 2 weeks.

4. Ongoing review and support

Progress is tracked using clinical rating scales and feedback from your treatment team, so your plan can be adjusted. Many patients report meaningful improvements within the first few weeks.

There’s no recovery time after a session: you walk in, you walk out, you carry on with your day.

TMS therapy benefits: what can you expect?

This is where TMS stands apart from many traditional options:

• Non-invasive: no surgery, no sedation, no anaesthetic.
• Drug-free: no daily tablets, and none of the medication side effects such as weight gain, emotional blunting or sexual dysfunction.
• Encouraging clinical results: in our published study, 66.66% of patients responded to treatment and 37.03% reached remission. International studies report broadly similar figures, though results vary from person to person.
• Minimal side effects: usually limited to mild scalp discomfort or a short-lived headache, which typically responds to paracetamol. Serious side effects are very rare.
• No disruption to your routine: you can drive, work, parent and live your normal life around your sessions.
• Feeling more like yourself: as mood lifts, some patients also report better focus and more energy.
• Personalised and monitored: your protocol is reviewed throughout, not set and forgotten.

We are always careful to add the honest caveat: results vary from person to person, and TMS isn’t a guaranteed cure. But for many of our patients, it has been the treatment that finally moved the needle after years of trying everything else.

Is TMS safe?

So, is TMS safe? For most people, yes. NICE guidance found no major safety concerns with rTMS for depression.

• It is not associated with lasting changes to personality, memory or brain structure.
• It is not ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). TMS is fundamentally different: more targeted, with no sedation, no seizure induction and no memory effects.
• Seizures during treatment are very rare, and the risk is reduced further by our thorough screening process.
• Most patients tolerate treatment well from the very first session. The most common TMS side effects are mild scalp discomfort and short-lived headaches in the first few sessions.

If you’re still wondering “is TMS safe for me?”, your consultant psychiatrist will go through your medical history at assessment. Tranquil TMS follows NICE guidance, is regulated by the CQC, and uses FDA-cleared technology. We have been delivering this treatment from our clinic in Cheadle since February 2018, making us one of the longest-established rTMS providers in the North West.

Taking action, beyond Mental Health Awareness Week

This year’s theme was Action, and the Mental Health Foundation was clear: awareness is the beginning, not the destination. Real change happens when knowledge becomes a step.

Here are a few small but meaningful actions you can take at any time of year:

1. Have one honest conversation with a partner, friend, GP or family member about how you’ve really been feeling.
2. Learn about treatment options beyond medication. Knowing what’s out there is empowering, even if you choose not to pursue it. Our guide to alternatives to antidepressants is a good place to start.
3. Read real patient experiences on our testimonials page.
4. Take the next step if you’re ready: book a free 20-minute call with our team. There’s no pressure and no commitment, just a conversation.

Tranquil TMS on PBHR (South Durham)

We were proud to be invited onto PBHR (South Durham) on Thursday 14 May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2026. We talked openly about:

• What TMS therapy is and how it differs from medication and therapy
• Who it tends to help most
• What real treatment looks like, day to day
• How to know if it might be right for you or someone you love

Feel free to share this article with anyone who might benefit from it.

Ready to take action?

If you, or someone you love, has been quietly struggling, especially if traditional treatments haven’t worked, please don’t accept that this is “just how things are.” There is genuine, evidence-based help available, and it doesn’t have to involve another prescription.

Tranquil TMS is based in Cheadle and serves patients from across Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool and the wider UK. You can find details of fees, payment options and insurance on our website.

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, please don’t wait for an appointment. Call 999, contact NHS 111 (choose the mental health option), or call Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night.

Frequently asked questions: is TMS safe?

Tranquil TMS follows NICE guidance, is regulated by the CQC, and uses FDA-cleared TMS technology. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual results from TMS therapy vary, and suitability is determined by a qualified Consultant Psychiatrist during assessment.