Services / Telepsychiatry
Telepsychiatry
Telepsychiatry is psychiatric care delivered by secure video, from wherever you are. It's the same clinical care you'd get in an office, evaluation, diagnosis, medication management, and follow up, without the commute, the waiting room, or the long wait for an appointment.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Published June 7, 2026 · Last reviewed June 8, 2026 · Editorial policy
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What is telepsychiatry?
A short explainer on how secure, online psychiatric care actually works.
How it works
Care that fits real life
You complete a simple intake, schedule a near term appointment, and meet your clinician by video from home, work, or anywhere private. From there, care continues with the same clinician for continuity.
Telepsychiatry removes the barriers that keep people from care: travel, time off work, waiting rooms, and months long waitlists. For many people, that's the difference between getting help and putting it off.
Why it works
Just as effective, and more accessible
Telepsychiatry isn't a lesser version of care. For most conditions, it matches in person treatment, and it often improves consistency.
- You're seen sooner, often as soon as availability allows.
- You keep follow ups without travel, which improves outcomes.
- You get care in a private, comfortable space.
- You stay with the same clinician over time.
Every visit happens on a HIPAA compliant platform built to protect your privacy and confidentiality.
A rendition of the traditional waiting room. With telepsychiatry, you skip it entirely and meet your clinician from the comfort of your own home, no crowded lobby, no strangers, no commute.
Good to know
When in person care is the better fit
Telepsychiatry suits most outpatient mental health care. It isn't right for everyone in every moment. People in acute crisis, experiencing severe symptoms, or needing emergency care should seek in person or emergency services.
If you're ever in danger, call or text 988 or call 911. shrinkMD provides scheduled outpatient care and will always help you find the right level of support.
The evidence
Video care holds up to scrutiny
Telepsychiatry is one of the best studied forms of telemedicine. Across anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, research consistently finds that diagnosis by video is as reliable as in person assessment and outcomes are comparable. Psychiatry translates unusually well to video because the exam is conversation, observation, and history rather than hands on procedures.
Virtual care also fixes the quiet failure point of psychiatric treatment: missed appointments. When follow up takes fifteen minutes from your kitchen instead of half a day with travel, people actually keep their appointments, and consistent follow up is what makes treatment work.
Honest limits
Who telepsychiatry fits, and who it does not
Most adults with outpatient conditions are excellent candidates: anxiety, depression, bipolar spectrum disorders, OCD, insomnia, PMDD, and stable psychotic disorders among them.
- A good fit: ongoing medication management, evaluations, second opinions, therapy coordination, busy schedules, rural areas, and anyone who has been putting care off
- Not the right level of care: active suicidal crisis, severe substance withdrawal, or situations needing frequent labs, injections, or hospital level monitoring
- If your needs change, we say so directly and help arrange the right setting rather than stretching virtual care past what is safe
Keep exploring
Related care and next steps
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
Is telepsychiatry as effective as in person care?
For most conditions, yes. Research consistently shows virtual psychiatric care matches in person treatment for evaluation, medication management, therapy coordination, and follow up.
What do I need for a visit?
A private space and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet. We use a secure, HIPAA compliant video platform.
Is it private and secure?
Yes. All visits take place on a HIPAA compliant platform designed to protect your privacy and confidentiality.
What if I'm in crisis?
If you're in danger, call or text 988 or call 911. Telepsychiatry is for scheduled outpatient care, not emergencies.
Is telepsychiatry as effective as seeing a psychiatrist in person?
For most adult conditions, yes. Years of research show video based psychiatric care produces outcomes comparable to in person treatment for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and more, with better attendance and faster access.
What technology do I need for telepsychiatry?
A smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera, a private space, and a reliable internet connection. We send a secure link before your visit, and appointments run on a HIPAA compliant video platform.
Can I do telepsychiatry from work or while traveling?
Yes, as long as you are physically located in a state where your clinician is licensed at the time of your visit and you have privacy. Many patients take appointments from a parked car, an office, or home.
Is telepsychiatry private and secure?
Yes. Visits use encrypted, HIPAA compliant video, and your records receive the same legal protection as any medical record. Because we do not bill insurance, your diagnosis also stays out of insurer databases.
Get started with telepsychiatry
Real psychiatric care, delivered where you actually are. Choose your state, complete the intake, and book your evaluation online.
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