Alexandria, Virginia
Psychiatric Evaluation in Alexandria
Alexandria's brick sidewalks lead to federal grade pressure: Pentagon staff, contractors, and Hill commuters whose calendars have no slot for a clinic with a three month wait. Northern Virginia psychiatry quietly closed its panels years ago; the demand never closed. A psychiatric evaluation is how the guessing ends: one structured hour with a board certified clinician that produces a real diagnosis and a real plan. shrinkMD brings that hour to Alexandria by secure video, as clinician 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 Alexandria chooses shrinkMD
From Old Town to the West End to Mount Vernon, visits happen by video from rowhouse, office, or parked car, with early and evening slots for Pentagon and Hill schedules.
We bill no insurance, so no diagnosis or prescription enters insurer databases, which matters to the many Alexandrians who hold or pursue security clearances.
What's included
What your evaluation includes
Plan for 45 to 60 minutes of real clinical work, two to four times the length of a rushed intake. Your clinician maps your symptoms and their timeline, screens the conditions that imitate one another, including bipolar patterns hiding behind depression and anxiety masking trauma, reviews medical contributors like thyroid problems and sleep loss, and documents every psychiatric medication you've tried with its dose, duration, and response.
You leave with a working diagnosis explained in plain language, validated baseline scores so progress can be measured, and a concrete plan covering medication and therapy options. Prescriptions reach your local pharmacy the same day when medication is part of the plan, and your follow up is booked before you sign off. If we aren't the right level of care, we say so and point you to what is.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Alexandria
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Will psychiatric care affect my security clearance?
For the overwhelming majority, no: adjudicative guidelines explicitly treat seeking care as favorable, and our cash pay model keeps records out of insurance databases. We treat clearance holders weekly.
Can appointments fit Pentagon hours?
Yes: early morning and evening slots exist for exactly those calendars, with 15 to 30 minute follow ups between obligations.
Do I need a referral to book an evaluation?
No. You book directly, and with your permission we coordinate with your primary care clinician afterward so the whole picture stays connected.
Is a video evaluation as accurate as in person?
Yes. Psychiatric evaluation is history, conversation, and structured screening, all fully intact over secure video, and the research consistently shows equivalence.
What happens after the evaluation?
Treatment starts: same day prescriptions when appropriate, a booked follow up, therapy coordination when it belongs in the plan, and measured progress from visit one.
About Alexandria
Alexandria is home to about 159,000 people. It's a historic Washington DC commuter suburb in Northern Virginia, just across the Potomac from the District. Our patients here range across federal workers, government contractors, and DC-area commuters.
Serving Alexandria
Care should reach every corner of Alexandria. As a historic riverfront city just south of Washington, DC, Alexandria stretches from King Street, the Potomac waterfront, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 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: What is psychiatry? - American Psychiatric Association.
Nearby areas
Psychiatric Evaluation in nearby Virginia 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 psychiatric evaluation in Alexandria
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Alexandria residents, by secure video from home.
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