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Looking for a Brightside Health alternative?
A factual look at how shrinkMD compares to Brightside Health, and who each one suits.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Last reviewed July 17, 2026 · Editorial policy
Brightside Health focuses on online treatment for depression and anxiety, through insurance and self pay. shrinkMD is a cash pay, physician led general adult psychiatry practice. Here's a neutral comparison.
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Brightside Health and shrinkMD, side by side
| Brightside Health | shrinkMD | |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Accepts many insurance plans, plus some Medicare and Medicaid. Self pay psychiatry around $95. | Cash pay only. We don't bill insurance; a superbill is available on request for possible out-of-network reimbursement. |
| Controlled substances | Does not prescribe controlled substances. | Never. No stimulants, benzodiazepines, or other controlled substances. |
| Focus | Focus on depression and anxiety, plus related conditions. | General adult psychiatry, including mood, anxiety, women's mental health, and psychotic disorders. |
| Who you see | Psychiatric providers and therapists. | Board certified psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. |
| Model | Medication management, therapy, and monitoring. | Full initial evaluation, then the same clinician for follow-ups. |
Is shrinkMD a fit?
Who shrinkMD is, and isn't, for
A good fit if: you want broad general adult psychiatry, a physician led evaluation, the same clinician over time, and cash pricing.
Not the right fit if: you want to use insurance. Neither Brightside nor shrinkMD prescribes controlled substances.
Making the switch
When to consider shrinkMD instead of Brightside
Brightside Health is built specifically around online treatment for depression and anxiety, using its own care model and measurement based approach. That focus is a real strength if depression or anxiety is clearly the whole picture and you want a service optimized around those two conditions with insurance in-network coverage.
The gap opens when the clinical picture is broader: mood instability that isn't classic depression, symptoms that don't fit unipolar depression cleanly, women's mental health concerns, sleep issues, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or overlapping conditions that need a general adult psychiatrist to sort out. shrinkMD is a general adult psychiatry practice, so the evaluation isn't shaped around a specific condition category from the start.
The other common reason patients look at shrinkMD instead is wanting a full physician led evaluation rather than a structured intake, and wanting the same clinician over time. Brightside can be excellent for focused depression and anxiety care; shrinkMD is designed for broader psychiatric care and continuity.
How shrinkMD differs
How shrinkMD's approach differs from Brightside's
shrinkMD's initial evaluation isn't optimized for any single diagnosis. Your clinician takes a full history and considers the whole differential, from mood disorders and anxiety spectrum to attention issues, sleep disorders, women's mental health, trauma related symptoms, and psychotic spectrum conditions. That matters when symptoms overlap or when the label a prior provider gave doesn't quite fit.
Because shrinkMD is cash pay, we can also spend the time the diagnosis actually needs, without an insurance based intake structure that pushes the visit to a fixed length regardless of complexity. Follow-ups then stay with the same clinician, so the plan can be adjusted based on your response rather than restarting each time.
“My visits are always very transparent with Dr. Refai. He is receptive to what my needs are and helps me understand my own mental health and how it works.”
Individual experiences. Outcomes vary. Care is personalized to each patient.
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Is shrinkMD only for depression like Brightside?
No. shrinkMD is a general adult psychiatry practice. We evaluate and treat mood disorders including depression and bipolar spectrum, anxiety disorders including OCD and PTSD, women's mental health, sleep concerns, and psychotic spectrum conditions, with medication management and coordinated therapy.
Does Brightside take insurance and shrinkMD doesn't?
Yes. Brightside contracts with many insurance plans; shrinkMD is cash pay. If you have out-of-network mental health coverage, we provide a superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement. Reimbursement depends on your plan.
How much does shrinkMD cost compared to Brightside's cash pay option?
Brightside's self pay psychiatry is priced around $95 per follow-up. shrinkMD initial evaluations start at $295 with follow-ups at $110 to $215. shrinkMD costs more per visit because the visits are longer and physician led, with a full initial evaluation and continuity by design.
Can shrinkMD treat depression and anxiety as well as Brightside?
Yes, and it's a common reason patients start with us. The difference is scope and depth: Brightside's model is optimized for those two conditions specifically; shrinkMD provides depression and anxiety care within a general adult psychiatry practice with longer visits and one clinician throughout.
Ready to start with shrinkMD?
shrinkMD is physician led, cash pay online psychiatry for adults, with no controlled substances and the same clinician over time. See if it's the right fit, then join the waitlist for your state.
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