El Paso, Texas
Psychiatric Evaluation in El Paso
El Paso sits hundreds of desert miles from the next major metro, with a fraction of the psychiatrists its 700,000 people need and a waitlist that treats the Borderland as an afterthought. Soldiers, medical workers, and families all queue for the same short list of local providers. 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 El Paso 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 El Paso, on your terms
From the Westside to Horizon City to the Fort Bliss area, visits happen by video from home or a parked car, with veterans mental health as a core specialty and bilingual-city realities respected.
We bill no insurance including TRICARE, but fees are flat and published, superbills are provided, and evaluations happen within days rather than months.
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 El Paso
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Do you work with soldiers and veterans from Fort Bliss?
Yes. Transition stress, deployment cycles, and PTSD are core territory. We do not bill TRICARE, but flat fees and superbills keep it simple and private.
Is telepsychiatry reliable this far from other Texas cities?
It is exactly where it matters most: your clinician is licensed in Texas and the distance to Dallas becomes irrelevant.
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 El Paso
El Paso is home to about 680,000 people. It's a West Texas border city on the Rio Grande across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Our patients here range across working families, a large Hispanic community, and military families connected to Fort Bliss.
Serving El Paso
Care should reach every corner of El Paso. As a West Texas border city at the foot of the Franklin Mountains, El Paso stretches from Franklin Mountains State Park, Scenic Drive, and El Segundo Barrio, 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 Texas cities
Your next step in The Shrink Network
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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 El Paso
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for El Paso residents, by secure video from home.
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