San Diego, California
Medication Management in San Diego
San Diego layers the west coast's largest military community over a tight psychiatric market and a beach culture where struggling feels off brand. Navy families watch TRICARE visibility, biotech runs demanding benches, and everyone agrees the sunshine should be enough, while the worry and the flat stretches quietly disagree. That's what unmanaged medication looks like, and it's fixable. shrinkMD delivers real medication stewardship to San Diego: board certified clinicians, measured follow up, and visits that fit your actual schedule.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Published June 7, 2026 · Last reviewed July 7, 2026 · Editorial policy
Already know your state is active? Skip to the waitlist.
Why shrinkMD
Made to fit life in San Diego
Nothing here touches TRICARE or military systems: no insurance billing, records only with written authorization, and adult family members, veterans, and civilians seen within days by video from North Park to Carlsbad to Chula Vista.
Biotech and hospital schedules get early, evening, and post shift slots, with one consistent clinician and validated scores tracked at every visit.
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 San Diego
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Can lab and hospital schedules fit appointments?
Yes, early, evening, and post shift slots are standard, and care stays entirely outside employer systems.
Do you serve North County and the South Bay?
All of the county identically, Oceanside to Chula Vista to El Cajon.
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.
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.
About San Diego
With about 1.3 million residents, the second-largest city in California, San Diego is a community we're glad to serve. It's a major metro with strong biotech and military communities. We care for military families, biotech and healthcare workers, and students.
Serving San Diego
Across San Diego, from the downtown waterfront, the harbor, and Balboa Park, residents can meet a board-certified psychiatrist by secure video with shrinkMD. San Diego is a coastal city in the far south of California, 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: Mental health medications - MedlinePlus.
Nearby areas
Medication Management 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 medication management in San Diego
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for San Diego residents, by secure video from home.
Get StartedAlready know your state is active? Skip to the waitlist.