San Diego, California
Psychiatric Evaluation 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. The way out starts with an accurate diagnosis. shrinkMD provides full psychiatric evaluations to San Diego by secure video, with a board certified clinician and a first appointment withwithout the typical months-long wait.
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 San Diego, on your terms
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
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 San Diego
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Is this safe for a Navy or Marine Corps family worried about visibility?
Yes, structurally: nothing bills to TRICARE, no claims exist, and records release only with your written authorization.
Can lab and hospital schedules fit appointments?
Yes, early, evening, and post shift slots are standard, and care stays entirely outside employer systems.
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.
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.
About San Diego
San Diego is home to about 1.3 million residents, the second-largest city in California. It's a major metro with strong biotech and military communities. Our patients here range across military families, biotech and healthcare workers, and students.
Serving San Diego
Care should reach every corner of San Diego. As a coastal city in the far south of California, San Diego stretches from the harbor, Balboa Park, and the Gaslamp Quarter, 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 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 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.
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