Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Depression Treatment in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale's calendar complicates care: yachting seasons that scatter crews across time zones, snowbird months that double the population, and a Broward waitlist that does not care about either. In an industry-town where everyone knows everyone from the docks to Las Olas, plenty of people quietly decide treatment is not worth the exposure, and pay for that decision in sleep, mood, and marriages. Depression is biology, not a failure of will, and biology responds to treatment. shrinkMD treats adults in Fort Lauderdale by video, with board certified clinicians, measured care, and first visits 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
Care built around Fort Lauderdale
We built for exactly this. Visits happen by secure video wherever you are private, a stateroom, a home office in Victoria Park, a parked car near the marina, and scheduling flexes with charter seasons and refit timelines.
Privacy is structural, not promised: no insurance billing means no claims, no diagnosis in any database, and records that move only with your written authorization. For part year residents, care continues in any of the ten states we serve, including New York.
What's included
How we treat depression
Precision first: an evaluation that separates depression from burnout, grief, medical causes, and bipolar lows, because each calls for different treatment. Then the plan runs on evidence: medication chosen against your complete history of past trials with doses and responses, activity scheduling that starts smaller than feels worth it because that's what depression allows, and therapy coordinated when the combination earns it.
Progress is measured, not assumed, validated scores at every visit, follow ups every two to four weeks during the climb, monthly or quarterly once you hold. Most patients feel energy shift before mood, usually inside four to six weeks. The final step is the one most practices skip: a relapse prevention plan with your early warning signs and the playbook for them.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Fort Lauderdale
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
I work on yachts and travel constantly. Can treatment survive my schedule?
Often yes, with one rule: visits happen while you are physically in a state we serve. We map your season against our ten states and plan appointment timing around crossings and charters.
How private is this in an industry where word travels fast?
Structurally private. No waiting rooms, no insurance paper trail, no one to recognize your car. Who knows is entirely your decision.
What if antidepressants have failed me before?
Bring the history, names, doses, durations, responses. Past trials are a map, not a verdict, and structured re evaluation often finds the path earlier prescribers missed.
Will I be on medication forever?
Often no. Many patients treat for a defined period after recovery, then taper with a plan. Some conditions warrant longer treatment, and we're honest about which is which.
How long until depression treatment works?
Typically two to six weeks for medication, with energy improving before mood. We track scores at every visit so neither of us is guessing.
About Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is home to about 185,000 residents. It's the seat of Broward County and a major South Florida metro anchored by a large regional health system. Our patients here range across working families, commuters, hospital staff, and professionals.
Serving Fort Lauderdale
Care should reach every corner of Fort Lauderdale. As a coastal city on the New River and the Atlantic, Fort Lauderdale stretches from the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District, Flagler Village, and the beach, 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 Florida 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 Fort Lauderdale
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Fort Lauderdale residents, by secure video from home.
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