Palo Alto, California
Depression Treatment in Palo Alto
Palo Alto concentrates more pressure per square mile than almost anywhere: founders against runway, researchers against tenure clocks, students against impossible baselines. Stanford's clinics overflow, private practices quote months and four figures, and the mid-Peninsula keeps performing instead of healing. 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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto, on your terms
From Crescent Park to Sand Hill Road to Mountain View, visits happen by video from home or office at published flat fees, with discretion built into the structure rather than promised.
We bill no insurance, so no diagnosis exists in any database a board, investor, or diligence process could reach, and records stay between you and your clinician.
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 Palo Alto
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
I'm a founder; can treatment stay invisible to investors?
Structurally yes: no insurance claims, no codes, no insurer records. Care happens behind your own door at published fees.
Can you coordinate with my existing therapist?
Yes, with your permission, and therapist plus psychiatrist is often the strongest configuration.
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 Palo Alto
With about 68,000 residents, Palo Alto is a community we're glad to serve. It's a Silicon Valley city next to Stanford University. We care for tech and professional workers, students, and families.
Serving Palo Alto
Across Palo Alto, from College Terrace, Stanford University, and University Avenue, residents can meet a board-certified psychiatrist by secure video with shrinkMD. Palo Alto is a Silicon Valley city and home to Stanford University, so virtual care means no drive and no waiting room, just steady follow-up with one clinician.
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.
Helpful guides to read next
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 Palo Alto
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Palo Alto residents, by secure video from home.
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