Athens, Georgia
Anxiety Treatment in Athens
Athens concentrates the highest risk age window for first psychiatric episodes by the tens of thousands, then offers a counseling center at capacity and local practices quoting next semester. Between exams, downtown service shifts, and the counties around Athens with no coverage at all, treatable conditions get a full academic year to dig in. That pattern has a name and a well proven treatment. shrinkMD treats anxiety across Athens by video, with board certified clinicians, measured care, and appointments as soon as availability allows instead of months.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Published June 7, 2026 · Last reviewed July 7, 2026 · Editorial policy
Already know your state is active? Skip to the waitlist.
Why shrinkMD
Care built around Athens
Students 18 and older are seen within days, from a dorm or an apartment off Milledge, with continuity through summers anywhere in Georgia and across our other states after graduation. Nothing touches campus systems or family insurance.
Townies get the same speed: musicians on tour calendars, service workers on downtown hours, and the surrounding counties by video that does not care about county lines.
What's included
How we treat anxiety
First, precision: an evaluation that pins down which anxiety this is and what it's riding on, sleep debt, caffeine, thyroid, trauma, because precision up front is what makes treatment fast. Then a two track plan: medication from the SSRI and SNRI families when indicated, which calms the baseline within two to six weeks, and structured skills that retrain the alarm itself.
The skills aren't platitudes, they're clinical tools: breathing with an extended exhale that engages your braking system, graded exposure that shrinks avoidance, worry containment that gives rumination a schedule instead of a kingdom. Progress is measured with validated scales at every visit, so the plan adjusts to results. No benzodiazepines, ever, and an honest explanation of why.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Athens
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
What about the rural counties around Athens?
Covered identically by video, which matters in a region where the nearest psychiatrist can be an hour away.
Will my parents or UGA ever see anything about my care?
No. At 18 your care is legally yours, no claim appears on a family plan because we bill no insurance, and nothing reaches university systems.
Why do you not prescribe Xanax or other benzodiazepines?
Because they relieve an hour and reinforce the disorder, with real dependence risk. The durable path, SSRIs or SNRIs plus skills, actually shrinks anxiety, and that's what we practice.
What if it's anxiety and depression together?
Common, and treatable together. The evaluation maps both, and first line treatments overlap enough that one coherent plan usually covers the pair.
My anxiety is mostly physical symptoms. Is that normal?
Extremely. Racing heart, chest tightness, stomach trouble, and dizziness are anxiety's most common costumes, and we screen carefully in both directions before treating.
About Athens
With about 127,000 people, Athens is a community we're glad to serve. It's a college town home to the University of Georgia and a regional medical center for northeast Georgia. We care for students, university and hospital staff, and working families.
Serving Athens
Across Athens, from Normaltown, the Milledge Avenue corridor, and downtown, residents can meet a board-certified psychiatrist by secure video with shrinkMD. Athens is a college town and home to the University of Georgia, so virtual care means no drive and no waiting room, just steady follow-up with one clinician.
What it costs
Transparent, published pricing
Our self-pay prices are the same in every state where we practice. No insurance billing, and no surprise statement later.
| Service | Self-pay price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Initial evaluation | From $295 | A full 50 to 60 minute evaluation, diagnosis, and written plan. |
| Follow-up visits | $110 to $215 | Per visit, depending on length and complexity. Member rates are lower. |
| Membership (optional) | $49 per month | Priority scheduling, member rates, and the Unstuck and QuitScrolling apps. First month free. |
Your care team
Who you will see
Your care is delivered by shrinkMD clinicians, and you keep the same one over time. You meet by secure video with a clinician licensed in your state.
- Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, founder and board certified psychiatrist (ABPN), dual board certified in psychiatry and in sports and performance psychiatry.
- Matthew George, PMHNP-BC, ANP-BC, dual board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with more than two decades of clinical experience.
Helpful guides to read next
More from a trusted source: Anxiety Disorders - National Institute of Mental Health.
Your next step in The Shrink Network
You are here: shrinkMD, the clinical care layer of The Shrink Network.
Each site in the network has one job. No matter where you enter, we help you find the next step that makes sense.
Get clinical care with shrinkMD
Want to understand more first?
Start anxiety treatment in Athens
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Athens residents, by secure video from home.
Get StartedAlready know your state is active? Skip to the waitlist.