The TMS Podcast
The TMS Podcast is a dedicated resource for everything related to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). It explores the science, applications, and clinical use of TMS, offering insights for patients, practitioners, and anyone interested in this non-invasive brain stimulation technique. Produced by Psychofarm, the show accompanies a Substack newsletter and aims to educate listeners on TMS' role in treating conditions like depression. Each episode likely covers practical information, research updates, and expert discussions on TMS.
Episodes
Why is TMS Underused?
Even though TMS is a solid option for treatment-resistant depression, it remains hugely underused across psychiatry. Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg unpack why this gap exists, starting with public skepticism about "magnets" and outdated confusion with higher-risk procedures. They explain how busy doctors often default to routine med adjustments out of habit or lack of time, while deeper issues like p
The TMS "God Helmet" Myth
Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg take a weird detour to look at Persinger’s infamous "God Helmet," a snowmobile helmet wired with weak magnetic coils that supposedly triggered spiritual visions in 80% of wearers. They walk through how 1990s media hype turned it into a pop-science sensation, and how a proper double-blind study in 2005 completely debunked it as pure placebo and suggestibility. They also
Future Shock
In this episode Drs Malzberg and Harvey discuss the recent acceleration of progress in psychiatry, and ponder the future. A bright and sunny future? Or, a dystopian hellscape? Could go either way… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetmspodcast.substack.com
How to Fail in the TMS Business (Part 3)
Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg dive into Part 3 of their guide to running a terrible TMS practice. This episode looks at the major mistakes practices make with referring clinicians, from alienating local colleagues through petty behavior to cutting them completely out of the loop once treatment starts. They also laugh through examples of bad communication, including fake science in update letters, lo
Inside the Clinical TMS Society Annual Meeting in Boston: Highlights, Snacks, and Spelling Bee...
In this episode, Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg dive into the key takeaways from the Annual Meeting of the Clinical TMS Society in Boston. While the conference was packed with groundbreaking research—covering new brain targets like the posterior parietal area, accelerated protocols, d-cycloserine, and expanding TMS applications for conditions like Alzheimer's and schizophrenia—the hosts shift their f
Dr. Colleen Hanlon on Brainsway and the Next Frontier of Brain Stimulation and TMS for Addiction
Neuroscientist Dr. Colleen Hanlon joins The TMS Podcast to discuss whether transcranial magnetic stimulation can meaningfully treat addiction…. and what the future of brain stimulation may look like. She explains the emerging evidence for deep TMS in alcohol and nicotine use disorders, how clinicians should think about seizure risk in patients who are actively drinking, and why abrupt alcohol with
Which TMS Machine Should You Buy? 9 Questions Before Choosing a Device
Which TMS machine should a psychiatry practice buy? In this episode, Dr. Steve Harvey and Dr. Greg Malzberg walk through the real-world factors clinicians should consider before choosing a TMS device. Rather than naming brands, they focus on the practical questions that matter: upfront cost, rental and per-use fees, coil replacement, service responsiveness, portability, cooling systems, exit optio
TMS for OCD: Effectiveness, Protocols, and Patient Selection
TMS for OCD is more than just using the same treatment protocol as depression. In this episode, Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg discuss how transcranial magnetic stimulation is used for obsessive-compulsive disorder, including FDA-cleared protocols, the H7 coil, symptom provocation, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate targets, and what patients can realistically expect. They also cove
Chestnut Lodge: The Psychiatry Case That Still Matters (for TMS)
TMS gets a historical frame in this episode, using the Chestnut Lodge case and Rafael Osheroff’s lawsuit to explore how psychiatry changes when old assumptions fail patients. Dr. Steve Harvey and Dr. Greg Malzberg discuss psychoanalysis, medication, neuromodulation, and the danger of treating any one approach as the only legitimate answer. The conversation connects a famous psychiatry history case
What Are the Safety Risks of TMS? (Seizures, Hearing Loss, and Metal)
TMS safety risks are the focus of this episode, with a balanced look at why transcranial magnetic stimulation is considered very safe while still requiring thoughtful precautions. Psychiatrists explain the rare but serious concerns patients should understand before treatment, including hearing damage without earplugs, seizure risk during stimulation, and metal-related issues near the magnetic fiel
How TMS Works for Depression: Brain Networks, Neuroplasticity, and the Left DLPFC
How TMS works is the focus of this episode, which moves beyond the idea that depression is simply a chemical imbalance. Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg explain why TMS targets the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, how that surface region may influence deeper connected brain networks. They also discuss neuroplasticity with appropriate caution, emphasizing that it is not magical brain fertilizer but
Serotonin Hypothesis of Depression: Why Low Serotonin Is Too Simple
Serotonin hypothesis of depression is the center of this episode, as two psychiatrists unpack why the low serotonin “chemical imbalance” story became so popular and why it falls short. They trace the monoamine hypothesis, discuss serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, and review evidence that challenges a simple serotonin deficiency model. The conversation also explains why this does not mean SS
How to Fail in a TMS Practice (Part 2): When Business Decisions Undermine Patient Care
TMS practice management is the focus of this episode on how clinics fail when business decisions start overriding clinical judgment. The conversation explores patient care vs profit, physician leadership, non-medical managers, clinician autonomy, Spravato pressure, and why treatment quality is also a business strategy. For psychiatrists, TMS providers, and private practice owners, this is a practi
How to Fail in a TMS Practice: The Biggest Mistakes Clinics Make
TMS practice mistakes are at the center of this episode on why TMS clinics fail and what those failures reveal about better care. The conversation covers timid rollout, underestimated demand, remote management, referral boundaries, physician leadership, and the damage that happens when business pressure starts to shape clinical decisions. For psychiatrists, practice owners, and clinicians interest
TMS Greatest Hits: The 5 Most Important Studies That Changed the Field
TMS research has reached a tipping point, and in this episode Dr. Harvey walks through the five studies he believes have most dramatically reshaped the field. From a Dutch randomized trial showing TMS outperforms a third antidepressant by a factor of five, to the theta burst 3D trial that compressed treatment into three minutes, to Stanford’s headline-grabbing SAINT protocol and its 90% remission
How TMS Was Invented And Why It Keeps Getting Better
In this episode, Dr. Harvey and Dr. Malzberg walk through the full history of transcranial magnetic stimulation, from Dr. Tony Barker’s 1985 discovery in a UK engineering lab to the 2008 FDA clearance of the Neurostar system for treatment-resistant depression. They explain how a magnetic field bypasses the skull to induce electrical current in the brain, why early TMS likely underdosed patients, a
TMS 101: What It Is and How It Works
In this foundational episode on transcranial magnetic stimulation, Dr. Malzberg is joined by Dr. Steve Harvey… a TMS specialist and early adopter since 2013… for a clear, hype-free introduction to how TMS works and why it matters. They cover the basic physics of using magnetic pulses to create electrical stimulation in the brain, the evidence behind targeting the prefrontal cortex in depression, a
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