Inside a wellness spa in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, a video of Gwyneth Paltrow plays on a quiet loop near the reception desk. The Goop mogul lies on a pillowed Exomind treatment bed, a fluffy Maltese on her chest, and a cushioned headpiece crowning her head.
What is Exomind? Well, Paltrow wanted to know more, too. In the video, the 53-year-old says, “I’m super curious about any modality where there’s not a lot of side effects [and] which shows potential [for] helping what I’m going through now with perimenopause: All this brain fog and anxiety.” After reading up on the treatment, which Paltrow has described as a “beautiful neuromodulation experience that helps calm the mind, restore clarity, and reconnect with yourself on a deeper level,” she decided to give Exomind “a whirl.”
Same. When an Exomind rep invited me to swing by Lume for six hosted sessions, I thought, well, why not give it a whirl? Here’s a look at my experience, which—sadly—included no dogs, but has had a subtly mellowing effect on my own mood. And don’t worry: I’ll supplement my own takeaways (and GP’s) with input from board-certified pros.
What Is Exomind?
A little bit about me: I’m 45, intimately familiar with anxiety, and not unacquainted with brain fog. Still, I didn’t really know what to expect going in, or what I could hope to get from the treatment. “It’s what Gwyneth Paltrow gets for perimenopause symptoms,” I told friends, shrugging. “It’s FDA-cleared!” For a somewhat more nuanced description, I checked in with board-certified psychiatrist Michelle Dees, MD, a TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) specialist who was a principal investigator for the 2024-2025 BTL Exomind Mental Wellness Study.
“Exomind is a TMS device, and it works pretty simply: by placing a magnet on the left side of the head,” Dr. Dees explained. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays a large role in mood regulation, focus, and cognition, is on the left side of the brain’s frontal lobe, 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 explained. “It will also help your neurons become a bit more balanced as far as neurochemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine go.”
As well, the treatment has been clinically shown to rebalance brain activity associated with depression, help curb food cravings, and more. Here’s a helpful analogy from double board-certified psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist Dr. Tola T’Sarumi, who goes by Dr. Tola. “I like to compare Exomind to jump-starting a car battery,” she says. “If your brain circuits have been sluggish, it wakes them up and gets them firing again.” That was good enough for me. Who couldn’t use a little frontal-lobe jumpstart?
Who Is Exomind For—and Who Is It Not For?
My first treatment started, as many do, with a small pile of paperwork. In the cozy, candlelit treatment room, I checked off box after box to confirm that I didn’t have any contraindications, and provided details on my medical background. This part is important: “Exomind is FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder, especially in people who haven’t found relief with medication or who can’t tolerate its side effects,” says Dr. Tola. “It’s also effective for insomnia, focus, poor concentration, brain fog, anxiety, addiction, binge eating disorder, smoking cessation, and other conditions. That said, it isn’t for everyone.”
She warns that those with pacemakers, bipolar mania, brain shunts, or metal implants near the head should not undergo treatment. The same can be said for those with unstable medical conditions and certain cardiovascular or neurological issues, and it’s not recommended for pregnant women. As always, it’s best to consult with your doctor before beginning treatment.
What to Expect at an Exomind Treatment
After finishing my paperwork and taking off my jewelry, I climbed under a blanket on the cushy treatment bed while the RN—who stayed with me for my entire first treatment—started the “mapping” process. “‘Mapping’ means that we find your motor threshold, or the precise spot and intensity where the coil should deliver stimulation,” Dr. Tola says. “We know we’ve found it when we see a slight twitch in your hand or fingers. Once that’s set, treatment begins.”
Most treatments last for 25 to 30 minutes, and—for me, at least—no sensation ever came close to pain. The magnetic pulses feel no more intense than the snap of an elastic band around the wrist (though, in this case, it’s on the head), and I was able to drift off into a meditative state each time I got my Exomind fix. One Lume nurse told me, anecdotally, that some clients tell her they have childhood memories pop up during treatments. Another RN, who definitely speaks my oracle-card-pulling language, told me each session was a great time to “manifest” by thinking about some pie-in-the-sky goals.
Are There Any Side Effects?
The recommended protocol for Exomind is two treatments a week for three weeks or one a week for six weeks. After each one of my sessions (I opted for the three-week sprint), I felt like I was floating. In my immediate post-Exomind haze, I didn’t want to dive right back into emails, so I made it my tradition to grab a rosewater latte at the Middle Eastern cafe next door. It was a good pairing: The drowsy feeling always dissipated pretty quickly, though the mellow vibes sometimes lingered for hours—even after my laptop was propped back open.
I will note that after my second treatment, I had a slight headache. According to Dr. Tola, this isn’t entirely rare or concerning. “The most common side effects are mild scalp tenderness or a brief headache that passes quickly,” she said. I only had the headache that one time, and—true to Dr. Tola’s word—it didn’t last for long. (Maybe the shawarma helped it pass.)
Does Exomind Work?
Though I had those dreamy, mellow moments after each treatment, the spa-like vibes weren’t unshakable. I remember one specific instance when a slightly inconvenient Teams message raised my pulse and sent me into a mental tailspin just a few hours after I’d been treated. Did that mean Exomind wasn’t working for me? After my penultimate treatment, I asked Dr. Maral Malekzadeh, board-certified dermatologist and co-owner of The Well Westlake, to give me some KPIs.
“Signs of response to Exomind typically include improved mood, better sleep and energy, clearer thinking, and reduced anxiety or obsessive symptoms,” she said. Dr. Tola’s patients have made comments like “it feels like a light just switched on,” or “the heaviness has lifted.” Others tell her their thoughts have stopped racing, that they’re sleeping better, and that they’re generally feeling more alert. Exomind patients also have the option to get maintenance sessions for any symptoms that recur.
Complementary Treatments
Of course—no matter what it does or doesn’t do—Exomind isn’t a bandaid for all mental health issues. Whether you’re dealing with low-grade brain fog or a major depressive episode, what happens off the treatment bed counts, too.
“Brain stimulation, combined with [behavioral or pharmacological] therapy, often works better than either works alone,” Dr. Malekzadeh says. Those taking medications, including antidepressants, can typically continue with their course of treatment while getting Exomind treatments. Malekzadeh also cautions against stopping medication without consulting the prescribing clinician. And as always, leading a well-balanced lifestyle pays off. “Good sleep, regular exercise, alcohol moderation, and stress management also support brain plasticity and recovery,” Dr. Malekzadeh notes.
It’s been about two weeks since my last treatment, and I’ve noticed some subtle instances where I feel relieved of my typical knee-jerk anxiety. I waited in a long line at a coffee shop the other day without silently fuming at those who were still mulling over their order at the register. And just this past Friday, I decided to stay in rather than attend an event I simply didn’t feel like going to. I enjoyed every minute of the Girls reruns I chose to watch instead, without taking my focus off Hannah Horvath to wonder exactly how gauche my no-show had been. Is this a change, though? I needed a witness.
When I paused a Hannah-and-Adam scene to ask my husband if he had noticed any difference in me since my sessions, he thoughtfully considered the question. “Does caring less count?” he asked. I’ll take it!
