Known For: One of three flagship Pacific Mind Health locations, founded in 2018 by board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Joshua Flatow as a full-service group offering TMS plus in-house ketamine and pharmacogenomic testing; in-network with 15+ major insurers and offering Express and Accelerated TMS protocols.
Most major commercial plans, Medicare Part B, and Tricare typically cover TMS for treatment-resistant depression after prior authorization — verify with this clinic.
HealingMaps Take: iTBS (intermittent theta burst stimulation) compresses a TMS session to 3 minutes — same evidence base as standard 10 Hz rTMS per the THREE-D trial. For patients with tight schedules, this is a meaningful logistical advantage at no efficacy cost.
Market Position: Among Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA-area TMS clinics offering the 3-minute iTBS protocol — the same FDA-cleared evidence base as standard rTMS, with substantially shorter daily visits.
Is Pacific Mind Health Los Angeles Right for You?
✓ Choose Pacific Mind Health Los Angeles if:
You want the 3-minute iTBS protocol — same FDA-cleared evidence base as standard rTMS, faster daily visits
✗ Look elsewhere if:
You specifically need Deep TMS for OCD — only the BrainsWay H7 coil is FDA-cleared for that indication
You need accelerated SAINT-style TMS (5-day course) — ask the clinic to confirm whether they’re Magnus-credentialed
You need rapid relief within days — TMS takes 2–4 weeks to start working. Consider ketamine or Spravato for acute stabilization
TMS protocols at this clinic
The TMS device a clinic operates determines which conditions can be treated on-label. The protocols offered here:
Protocol
Session length
FDA-cleared for
Standard rTMS (10 Hz)
19–37 min
TRD, anxious depression, adolescent MDD (15–21)
iTBS / theta burst (3-min)
3 min
TRD
For a full breakdown of TMS devices (NeuroStar, BrainsWay, MagVenture, Magstim, Nexstim) and how protocols differ, see our complete guide to TMS therapy.
What to expect at your first appointment
Insurance pre-authorization (1–3 weeks). Before treatment begins, the clinic submits a prior-authorization request to your insurer. The request typically requires: a confirmed DSM-5 major depressive disorder diagnosis from a psychiatrist, documented failure of 2 to 4 adequate antidepressant trials (most carriers require at least 6 weeks at therapeutic dose for each), a baseline depression rating scale (PHQ-9, HAM-D, or BDI), and evidence of inadequate response to or contraindication for psychotherapy. About 30–50% of initial requests are denied; the highest-yield appeal is a peer-to-peer review between the clinic’s psychiatrist and the insurer’s medical reviewer (success rate exceeds 60% with full prior-trial documentation).
Motor threshold mapping (first session, 30–60 minutes added). The clinician delivers single magnetic pulses to the motor cortex and finds the minimum stimulation intensity that elicits a thumb or finger twitch. This motor threshold value sets dosing for every subsequent session — typically 110 to 120 percent of motor threshold. Re-mapping is non-routine.
Daily treatment sessions (5x/week, 19–37 min each for standard rTMS or 3 min for iTBS). You sit in a recliner with hearing protection (the magnetic pulses are loud). The coil is positioned against the scalp; you feel a tapping sensation during stimulation. There is no medication, no IV, no need to fast. Patients commonly read, listen to music, or scroll their phone during the session.
Drive home, return to work. No anesthesia means you drive yourself to and from each session. You return to work, school, or your normal day immediately afterward — no chaperone, no recovery period, no integration block. Many patients schedule sessions during a lunch break.
Questions to ask on your consult call
Which TMS device do you operate? NeuroStar, BrainsWay, MagVenture, Magstim, or Nexstim — the answer determines what conditions can be treated on-label. For OCD, only BrainsWay Deep TMS H7 has standalone FDA clearance. For adolescents (15–21), only NeuroStar (since 2024) and BrainsWay (since 2025) hold the relevant clearances.
Which protocols are available? Standard 10 Hz rTMS is universal. Ask about iTBS (3-minute sessions, FDA-cleared 2018), Deep TMS (BrainsWay H-coil, FDA-cleared 2013–2025 across multiple indications), and accelerated TMS — particularly SAINT (Magnus-credentialed Stanford protocol, 50 sessions in 5 days, $19,703 CMS hospital reimbursement effective July 2025).
Do you handle prior authorization in-house? Ask about the clinic’s peer-to-peer review process and what their success rate is when the initial PA is denied.
Are you in-network with my insurer? Verify network status with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Humana, Medicare Part B, or Tricare — and ask about cash-pay package discounts (typically 10–25% off rack rate).
What does maintenance look like after the acute course? Ask about tapering boosters (weekly × 3 → biweekly × 3 → monthly), PRN booster sessions for early symptom return, and whether they recommend continued antidepressant maintenance during and after TMS.
Frequently asked questions
How much does TMS cost at this clinic?
Cash-pay TMS sessions in Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA typically run $300 to $500 per session, with the full 36-session course costing $7,200 to $15,000. Premium-metro clinics (NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston) charge 30 to 50 percent more. With insurance, copays typically run $0 to $250 per session depending on your deductible status; most patients with employer-sponsored PPO plans pay $500 to $3,000 out-of-pocket for a full course. Many independent clinics offer 10 to 25 percent package discounts for cash-pay patients. TMS is HSA- and FSA-eligible. Contact this clinic directly for their specific cash-pay rates and in-network status with your insurer.
Does insurance cover TMS at this clinic?
Most major commercial insurance plans (BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Humana), Medicare Part B, and Tricare cover TMS for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. UnitedHealthcare typically requires 3 failed antidepressant trials; most other carriers require 2. Pre-authorization is mandatory across all major carriers. Coverage for off-label conditions (PTSD, fibromyalgia, bipolar depression, migraine) is rarely approved. Contact this clinic to verify in-network status with your specific insurer and to learn about their prior-authorization handling.
What is the “TMS dip” and will I experience it at this clinic?
The “TMS dip” is a patient-coined term for temporary worsening of mood or symptom intensification that some patients experience roughly mid-course (commonly between sessions 10 and 20) before clinical improvement begins. It’s not a sign that TMS is failing — it usually resolves with continued treatment. If you experience the dip, tell your clinician immediately. They may adjust intensity, frequency, or coil position. Importantly, dropping out before session 20 substantially reduces overall response rate. Patients who push through the mid-course dip generally have better outcomes than those who quit early.
Can I drive myself to and from sessions? Can I work the same day?
Yes. TMS requires no anesthesia, no sedation, and no IV access. Patients drive themselves to sessions, return to work, school, or normal activities immediately afterward, and need no chaperone or recovery period. This is the single largest patient-experience advantage TMS holds over ketamine therapy and ECT. Many patients schedule sessions on lunch breaks. The only post-session sensation is mild scalp tenderness for the first few sessions, which decreases substantially as scalp nerves desensitize.
Which TMS device does this clinic use, and why does it matter?
Devices vary across TMS clinics — common options include NeuroStar (figure-8 coil, market leader), BrainsWay Deep TMS (H-coil family, only standalone FDA OCD clearance), MagVenture (Cool-B65, supports the 3-min iTBS protocol marketed as Express TMS), Magstim (Horizon with StimGuide navigation), and Nexstim (MRI-guided NBT). The device determines what conditions can be treated on-label. For OCD, only BrainsWay Deep TMS H7 has a standalone FDA clearance. For adolescents 15–21, only NeuroStar (since March 2024) and BrainsWay (since November 2025) hold the relevant indications. Ask the clinic which device they operate before booking.
People with chronic and treatment-resistant mood disorders can find relief from their symptoms at Pacific Mind Health Los Angeles. The mental health clinic provides various treatment options such as TMS therapy to people with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and more.
Pacific Mind Health specializes in theta burst stimulation. Which is also known as Express TMS, as it can be completed as quickly as three minutes per session.
The staff at Pacific Mind Health Los Angeles is led by Dr. Joshua Flatow, a board-certified psychiatrist. He and his team take pride in offering the latest and greatest in mental health treatments.
The Healing Maps Editorial Team has decades of experience across all facets of the psychedelic industry. From assessing studies and clinic research, to working with clinician's and clinics, we help provide data-backed information to psychedelic-curious individuals across the globe.
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