Athens, Georgia
Depression 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. Two weeks or more of that pattern is clinical depression, and it's one of the most treatable conditions in medicine. shrinkMD treats depression in Athens by secure video, with board certified clinicians and 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
shrinkMD in Athens, on your terms
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
Depression care that compounds
Depression maintains itself through a loop, less activity, fewer rewards, lower mood, less activity, and effective treatment attacks the loop from every side at once. Medication lifts the floor, typically within four to six weeks. Behavioral activation restarts momentum in five minute increments. Therapy, where indicated, rebuilds the thinking patterns depression distorts.
We track your PHQ-9 at every follow up so the trend is visible to both of us, and we adjust until the numbers and your life agree. Once recovered, treatment continues for the months that protect against relapse, and you leave maintenance with a written plan: your warning signs, your responses, and exactly when to call. Recovery is the goal; staying recovered is the standard.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Athens
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
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.
Can I keep my clinician after graduation?
Yes, anywhere in Georgia automatically and across our other states if you move. Treatment started at 20 should not end with a diploma.
Can I do treatment if I can barely get off the couch?
That's exactly who video care is for: 15 to 30 minute visits from wherever you are, and a plan built for the energy depression leaves you, not the energy it takes.
What if I'm having thoughts of suicide?
Call or text 988 now, that line exists for this exact moment. Then let treatment start, because depression this heavy is still treatable, and you should not carry it alone.
How do I know it's depression and not burnout?
Burnout lifts with rest and distance from its cause; depression follows you everywhere. The evaluation tells them apart, and the treatments differ.
About Athens
Athens is home to about 127,000 people. It's a college town home to the University of Georgia and a regional medical center for northeast Georgia. Our patients here range across students, university and hospital staff, and working families.
Serving Athens
Care should reach every corner of Athens. As a college town and home to the University of Georgia, Athens stretches from Five Points, Normaltown, and the Milledge Avenue corridor, and shrinkMD brings board-certified telepsychiatry to all of it by secure video, with the same psychiatrist over time.
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.
Learn more
More from a trusted source: Depression - National Institute of Mental Health.
Nearby areas
Depression Treatment in nearby Georgia 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 depression 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.
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