San Diego, California
Anxiety Treatment in San Diego
San Diego layers the west coast's largest military community over a tight psychiatric market and a beach culture where struggling feels off brand. Navy families watch TRICARE visibility, biotech runs demanding benches, and everyone agrees the sunshine should be enough, while the worry and the flat stretches quietly disagree. Anxiety that persistent isn't a personality trait, it's the most treatable condition in psychiatry. shrinkMD treats anxiety in San Diego 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
Why San Diego chooses shrinkMD
Nothing here touches TRICARE or military systems: no insurance billing, records only with written authorization, and adult family members, veterans, and civilians seen within days by video from North Park to Carlsbad to Chula Vista.
Biotech and hospital schedules get early, evening, and post shift slots, with one consistent clinician and validated scores tracked at every visit.
What's included
What anxiety treatment includes
Treatment starts with a real evaluation, because generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, and health anxiety each respond to a tuned version of care, and medical mimics like thyroid disease get screened out first. The plan then runs the two engines with the deepest evidence: SSRI or SNRI medication when indicated, typically effective within two to six weeks, and cognitive behavioral skills that dismantle the avoidance loop anxiety feeds on.
Validated anxiety scores at every follow up show whether you're actually improving, with visits every two to four weeks during the climb and further apart once you hold. Practical tools arrive from session one, paced breathing, scheduled worry, attention redeployment. We don't prescribe benzodiazepines, and we'll show you why the durable treatments beat the fast ones.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in San Diego
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Do you serve North County and the South Bay?
All of the county identically, Oceanside to Chula Vista to El Cajon.
Is this safe for a Navy or Marine Corps family worried about visibility?
Yes, structurally: nothing bills to TRICARE, no claims exist, and records release only with your written authorization.
Can I do anxiety treatment alongside my current therapist?
Yes, and we encourage it. We handle evaluation and medication, coordinate with your therapist with your permission, and the combination outperforms either alone.
How fast does anxiety treatment start working?
Skills help immediately, and medication typically begins working within two to six weeks. We measure scores at every visit so progress is visible, not guessed.
Do you treat panic attacks specifically?
Yes. Panic disorder gets targeted care: medication that lowers the baseline plus breathing and interoceptive skills that take the terror out of the attacks themselves.
About San Diego
San Diego is a major metro with strong biotech and military communities. It's home to about 1.3 million residents, the second-largest city in California. The people we see here include military families, biotech and healthcare workers, and students.
Serving San Diego
San Diego is a coastal city in the far south of California, and reaching a psychiatrist here shouldn't take a long drive. shrinkMD sees adults across San Diego by secure video, whether you're near La Jolla, the downtown waterfront, and the harbor. 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 San Diego
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for San Diego residents, by secure video from home.
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