Honolulu, Hawaii
Anxiety Treatment in Honolulu
Hawaii carries one of the worst psychiatric shortages in the nation, and Oahu feels it as months long waits and providers leaving for the mainland, while local culture keeps struggles inside the house and military families add visibility worries on top. Paradise weather never treated anyone's depression. Anxiety that persistent isn't a personality trait, it's the most treatable condition in psychiatry. shrinkMD treats anxiety in Honolulu by secure video, with board certified clinicians and first appointments as soon as availability allows.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Published June 7, 2026 · Last reviewed July 7, 2026 · Editorial policy
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Why shrinkMD
Made to fit life in Honolulu
Mainland supply on island schedules: board certified clinicians within days, early island mornings and evenings set in your time zone, from Kaimuki to Kapolei to Mililani, with family and cultural context honored in planning.
Nothing bills to TRICARE or any insurer, records move only with written authorization, and one clinician stays with you visit after visit.
What's included
From spiral to skills
The work begins by mapping your specific pattern, when the worry spikes, what it costs your sleep and your decisions, and whether panic, social fear, or constant background dread leads the picture. That map decides the plan: medication when it earns its place, typically helping within two to six weeks, and skills training matched to your pattern, exposure for avoidance, interoceptive work for panic, containment for rumination.
Every follow up measures your progress on validated scales, every two to four weeks while we tune, then monthly or quarterly as you stabilize. You learn tools that work in real time, in traffic, before meetings, at 3 a.m., and the plan keeps adjusting until the numbers and your life both say better. No controlled substances, stated before you book.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Honolulu
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
How do appointments work with the time difference?
Set in your time zone: early island mornings and evenings are core scheduling blocks for Hawaii patients.
Do you honor local and family culture in treatment?
Yes, family context and cultural considerations shape matching and planning. Tell us what fits your household when booking.
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.
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.
About Honolulu
With about 350,000 people, Honolulu is a community we're glad to serve. It's the capital and largest city in Hawaii, on Oahu's southeast coast. We care for longtime island residents, military families, students, and healthcare and service workers.
Serving Honolulu
Across Honolulu, from Ala Moana, Manoa, and the Diamond Head area, residents can meet a board-certified psychiatrist by secure video with shrinkMD. Honolulu is Hawaii's state capital, on the south shore of Oahu, 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.
Nearby areas
Anxiety Treatment in nearby Hawaii cities
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 Honolulu
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Honolulu residents, by secure video from home.
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