Austin, Texas
Medication Management in Austin
Austin reads the papers on SSRIs, meditates between standups, and still cannot get a psychiatric appointment, because the city doubled its people without doubling its prescribers. Founders white knuckle panic between rounds, creatives manage mood on tour calendars, and transplants arrive holding prescriptions with no one to manage them. Medication that affects your brain should be managed, not merely refilled. shrinkMD brings board certified medication management to Austin by video, with appointments as soon as availability allows and progress tracked at every visit.
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
Made to fit life in Austin
We pick all of it up within days, by video from East Austin, Round Rock, or a focus room at the office, with measured follow up that treats your symptom scores like the metrics you already think in.
Travel and moves do not break care: we serve ten states, so tours, off sites, and relocations keep one clinician. No insurance billing keeps everything out of every database.
What's included
From handoff to dialed in
Many patients arrive mid treatment, a prescriber retired, moved, or simply stopped paying attention. After an evaluation and records review we can usually continue your non controlled medications without missing a refill, then begin actually optimizing: one change at a time, tracked with validated scores until the numbers and your life agree.
Visits run 15 to 30 minutes by video on a cadence your treatment sets, every two to four weeks while tuning, stretching to quarterly once stable. Side effects, interactions, and the question of whether you still need each medication all stay on the table at every visit. Labs are coordinated locally when needed, and nothing here ever touches an insurance database.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Austin
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Can treatment survive startup travel and tour schedules?
Usually. Visits happen while you are in any of our ten states, and follow up timing plans around your calendar.
Will you give me real data on my own progress?
Yes, validated symptom scores at every visit. You will see the trend line, not just hear an impression.
Can you take over prescriptions from my previous provider?
Usually yes, for non controlled medications, after an evaluation and records review. Switching shouldn't mean starting over or missing a refill.
Do you prescribe stimulants or benzodiazepines?
No, anywhere. We're upfront about it before you book, and skilled with the non controlled options the evidence supports.
How do labs work with a telehealth practice?
We coordinate orders through your local clinic or lab, lithium levels, metabolic panels, thyroid checks, and review results together. Telehealth changes the visit, not the monitoring standard.
About Austin
Austin is Texas's capital and a major tech hub home to the University of Texas at Austin. It's home to about 1.05 million people, the fourth-most-populous city in Texas. The people we see here include tech and professional workers, state government employees, and a large student population.
Serving Austin
Austin is Texas's capital and a live-music city on the Colorado River, and reaching a psychiatrist here shouldn't take a long drive. shrinkMD sees adults across Austin by secure video, whether you're near South Congress, Zilker Park, and Lady Bird Lake. You keep the same clinician each visit, with no commute and no waiting room.
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.
Related reading
More from a trusted source: Mental health medications - MedlinePlus.
Nearby areas
Medication Management in nearby Texas 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 medication management in Austin
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Austin residents, by secure video from home.
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