Austin, Texas
Psychiatric Evaluation 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. 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 Austin 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
shrinkMD in Austin, on your terms
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
What a thorough evaluation looks like
We treat the evaluation as the highest leverage hour in psychiatry, because everything downstream depends on it. Yours runs 45 to 60 minutes and works through symptoms, sleep, substances and caffeine, medical history, family patterns, and the full record of prior treatment, what helped, what didn't, and at what dose and duration.
Differential diagnosis is the discipline most often skipped in shorter intakes, and the one we refuse to skip: unipolar versus bipolar, anxiety versus trauma, attention deficit versus exhaustion. The visit closes with a plain language diagnosis, measured baselines, a stepwise plan, same day prescriptions when appropriate, and an honest answer about whether outpatient telehealth is the right level of care for you.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Austin
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
I moved here with a prescription and no doctor. Can you take over?
Yes, for non controlled medications, after an evaluation and records review. Half of Austin arrived recently; handoffs are routine.
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.
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 Austin
With about 1.05 million people, the fourth-most-populous city in Texas, Austin is a community we're glad to serve. It's Texas's capital and a major tech hub home to the University of Texas at Austin. We care for tech and professional workers, state government employees, and a large student population.
Serving Austin
Across Austin, from downtown, South Congress, and Zilker Park, residents can meet a board-certified psychiatrist by secure video with shrinkMD. Austin is Texas's capital and a live-music city on the Colorado River, 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
- which mental health professional is right for you
- is online psychiatry effective
- what to expect at your first evaluation
More from a trusted source: What is psychiatry? - American Psychiatric Association.
Nearby areas
Psychiatric Evaluation 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 psychiatric evaluation 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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