The Tamesis
At a health spa in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, a Gwyneth Paltrow video plays quietly on a loop near the reception desk. The Goop mogul lay on a pillow-topped Exomind therapy bed with a fluffy Maltese dog on his chest and a padded tiara on his head.
What is Exomind? Well, Paltrow wants to know more, too. In the video, the 53-year-old said: “I’m very curious about any treatment that doesn’t have too many side effects. [and] This shows potential [for] Helping with the perimenopause I’m going through right now: all this brain fog and anxiety. Paltrow describes the therapy as “a wonderful neuromodulation experience that helps calm the mind, restore clarity, and reconnect with yourself on a deeper level.” After reading about the therapy, she decided to “give Exomind a try.”
Same. When an Exomind representative invited me to attend one of the six hosting conferences hosted by Lume, I thought, ok why no give it a try? This was my experience, which sadly did not include dogs, but had a subtly softening effect on my own emotions. Don’t worry: I’ll supplement my own points (and those of GPs) with the opinions of board-certified professionals.
What is Exomind?
A little about me: I am 45 years old and very familiar with anxiety, but not United NationsBecome familiar with brain fog. Still, I didn’t really know what to expect or what I hoped to get out of treatment. “This is what Gwyneth Paltrow gets for perimenopausal symptoms,” I told my friends with a shrug. “It’s FDA approved!” for one some To get a more nuanced picture, I consulted board-certified psychiatrist Michelle Dees, MD, a TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) expert and principal investigator of the 2024-2025 BTL Exomind Mental Health Study.
“Exomind is a TMS device that works very simply: by placing a magnet on the left side of the head,” explains Dr. Dees. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, located on the left side of the brain’s frontal lobe, plays an important role in emotion regulation, attention, and cognition, and Exomind uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate it during each treatment. “These electromagnetic pulses help promote neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to form new neural connections or strengthen existing ones,” Dr. Dees explains. “It also helps your neurons become more balanced in terms of neurochemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.”
Additionally, this treatment is clinically proven to rebalance brain activity associated with depression, helping curb food cravings and more. Here’s a helpful analogy from double board-certified psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist Dr. Tola T’Sarumi (he’s known as Dr. Tola). “I like to compare Exomind to jump-starting a car battery,” she says. “If your brain circuits stay sluggish, it wakes them up and makes them fire again.” That’s good enough for me. Who couldn’t use a little frontal jump start?
Who is Exomind suitable for and who isn’t?
Like many people, my first treatment started with a small pile of paperwork. In the comfort of the candlelit treatment room, I went through each step to confirm that I didn’t have any contraindications and provided detailed information about my medical background. This part is important: “Exomind is FDA-approved to treat major depressive disorder, particularly in patients who are not relieved by medication or who cannot tolerate its side effects,” says Dr. Tola. “It’s also effective for insomnia, ADHD, ADHD, brain fog, anxiety, addiction, bulimia, smoking cessation, and other conditions. That said, it’s not for everyone.”
She warned that those with pacemakers, bipolar disorder, brain shunts or metal implants near their head should not receive treatment. This is also true for those with unstable medical conditions and certain cardiovascular or neurological problems, and it is not recommended for pregnant women. As always, it’s best to consult your doctor before starting treatment.
What to expect with Exomin treatment
After completing my paperwork and taking off my jewelry, I crawled under a blanket on the comfortable treatment table while the registered nurse (who stayed with me throughout my first treatment) began the “drawing” process. “‘Mapping’ means we find your motor threshold, or the precise location and intensity where the coil should deliver stimulation,” says Dr. Tola. “When we see a slight twitch in your hand or finger, we know we’ve found it. Once identified, treatment begins.”
