Los Angeles, California
Depression Treatment in Los Angeles
LA has a coach for everything and a psychiatrist for almost no one: the medication level care is booked, cash only, and ninety minutes away on the 405. Meanwhile production calls, restaurant doubles, and the city's particular brand of ambient pressure keep collecting from your sleep, your focus, and your patience. 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 Los Angeles 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
Why Los Angeles chooses shrinkMD
Visits happen by video from Echo Park, Culver City, the Valley, or a parked car between setups, with early and late slots for call sheets and clinic shifts, and zero crosstown driving.
Industry privacy is structural: no insurance claims, no databases, records only with your written authorization. One flat fee, published first, same clinician throughout.
What's included
What depression treatment includes
Treatment begins with a full evaluation, because depression has imitators, thyroid disease, sleep apnea, anemia, and the bipolar low that makes antidepressants alone risky, and each one redirects the plan. We confirm what this is, then combine what the evidence ranks highest: antidepressant medication matched to your trial history, behavioral activation scaled to the energy you actually have, and structured therapy where it multiplies results.
Your PHQ-9 score is tracked at every visit, so improvement shows on paper within weeks. Follow ups run every two to four weeks while we tune, then space out. Expect energy to return before mood, that's the normal sequence, and expect a written relapse prevention plan once you're well, because staying well is the actual goal.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Los Angeles
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Can treatment fit production schedules?
Yes, call sheets are scheduling inputs: early, late, and between setup visits are normal, and plans flex around shoots and hiatuses.
How private is this in an industry that talks?
Structurally private: no claims data anywhere, no waiting rooms, records that move only with your authorization.
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 Los Angeles
Los Angeles is home to about 3.8 million residents, the largest city in California. It's the anchor of a major Southern California metropolitan area. Our patients here range across working families, professionals, immigrants, and students.
Serving Los Angeles
Care should reach every corner of Los Angeles. As the largest city in California, Los Angeles stretches from downtown, the Getty Center, and Hollywood, 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 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 depression treatment in Los Angeles
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Los Angeles residents, by secure video from home.
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