Palo Alto, California
Anxiety Treatment in Palo Alto
Palo Alto concentrates more pressure per square mile than almost anywhere: founders against runway, researchers against tenure clocks, students against impossible baselines. Stanford's clinics overflow, private practices quote months and four figures, and the mid-Peninsula keeps performing instead of healing. That pattern has a name and a well proven treatment. shrinkMD treats anxiety across Palo Alto 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
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Why shrinkMD
Care built around Palo Alto
From Crescent Park to Sand Hill Road to Mountain View, visits happen by video from home or office at published flat fees, with discretion built into the structure rather than promised.
We bill no insurance, so no diagnosis exists in any database a board, investor, or diligence process could reach, and records stay between you and your clinician.
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 Palo Alto
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Do you cover Menlo Park and Mountain View?
The whole mid-Peninsula, identically: Atherton, Portola Valley, Los Altos, and beyond, by video.
I'm a founder; can treatment stay invisible to investors?
Structurally yes: no insurance claims, no codes, no insurer records. Care happens behind your own door at published fees.
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 Palo Alto
Palo Alto is a Silicon Valley city next to Stanford University. It's home to about 68,000 residents. The people we see here include tech and professional workers, students, and families.
Serving Palo Alto
Palo Alto is a Silicon Valley city and home to Stanford University, and reaching a psychiatrist here shouldn't take a long drive. shrinkMD sees adults across Palo Alto by secure video, whether you're near Stanford University, University Avenue, and downtown. You keep the same clinician each visit, with no commute and no waiting room.
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.
Related reading
More from a trusted source: Anxiety Disorders - National Institute of Mental Health.
Nearby areas
Anxiety Treatment in nearby California 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 Palo Alto
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Palo Alto residents, by secure video from home.
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