Sacramento, California
Psychiatric Evaluation in Sacramento
Sacramento's barriers mirror its identity: state employees who fear a record near their career, and valley towns where psychiatric coverage thins fast outside the grid. Both produce the same delay, and session deadlines, commutes, and valley summers do the rest. 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 Sacramento 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 Sacramento chooses shrinkMD
State workers get structural privacy: no insurance billing, so nothing enters CalPERS plans or any database, records only with written authorization, and scheduling that flexes with session calendars.
Elk Grove, Folsom, Davis, and the valley towns get the same appointment as Midtown, within days, by video that runs on modest connections.
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 Sacramento
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
I work for the state. Can this reach my employer or CalPERS?
No. No claims exist in any plan, we report nothing to employers, and records move only with your written authorization.
Do you serve the valley and foothill towns?
Identically, by video with phone backup protocols. Distance is the barrier we remove.
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 Sacramento
Sacramento is California's capital and a center of state government. It's home to about 525,000 residents. The people we see here include state workers, hospital staff, and working families.
Serving Sacramento
Sacramento is California's state capital, where the Sacramento and American rivers meet, and reaching a psychiatrist here shouldn't take a long drive. shrinkMD sees adults across Sacramento by secure video, whether you're near the State Capitol, Midtown, and the Tower Bridge. 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
- the psychiatric evaluation
- what to expect at your first evaluation
- your first appointment, step by step
More from a trusted source: What is psychiatry? - American Psychiatric Association.
Nearby areas
Psychiatric Evaluation 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 psychiatric evaluation in Sacramento
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Sacramento residents, by secure video from home.
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