Shariq Refai, MD, MBA
Psychiatrist. Founder. Author.
Shariq Refai, MD, MBA is a board-certified psychiatrist, founder of shrinkMD and shrinQ, creator of the Unstuck app, and author of upcoming books on anxiety, overthinking, emotional health, and the patterns that shape how people think, feel, and function.
About Dr. Refai
Dr. Refai is a board-certified psychiatrist based in Jacksonville, Florida, with dual board certifications in psychiatry and sports/performance psychiatry. He founded the multistate telepsychiatry company shrinkMD to expand access to mental health care. He created the wellness app Unstuck. He writes books and educational essays for the people who've already tried the apps, read the books, and still can't quiet the noise in their heads. His professional background includes more than fifteen years of experience in psychiatry and mental health care, with work in professional sports settings, including affiliations involving the NFL Substance Abuse Program and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Your Mind Is Full of Sh*t
A psychiatrist's guide to understanding overthinking, anxiety, and the lies in your head.
The book takes the patterns Dr. Refai has examined over more than fifteen years in psychiatry and lays them out in plain language. Control. Productivity. Positivity. Happiness. Four lies most of us absorbed before we knew we were learning them. The book names them, shows the science underneath them, and gives you tools you can use on a real Tuesday. Not affirmations. Not hacks. Real practices that work in the body the way the body actually works.
What Dr. Refai Writes About
The site covers the topics most modern adults are quietly carrying. Anxiety that gets louder when you finally try to rest. Overthinking that won't shut off. The high-performer pattern that builds careers and quietly costs the people running them. The reasons most popular mental health commentary falls short in the moment a person actually needs it. What modern psychiatry gets right and what the public conversation still gets wrong. The future of digital mental health, and why convenience isn't the same as care.
Every essay is written by a board-certified psychiatrist for an adult audience that's tired of wellness fluff. The tone is human. The science is real. The goal is education, not therapy.
Founder Projects
Independent ventures founded by Shariq Refai in mental health and wellness. These are separate organizations from this educational platform.
Shrink Network
The umbrella of independent editorial mental health publications Dr. Refai founded and medically reviews. ShrinkNetwork.com is the front door for the network and routes visitors to the right property. It sells nothing, runs no ads, and earns no commission.
Visit Shrink Network →
shrinkMD
A multistate telepsychiatry organization founded by Dr. Refai. shrinkMD is an independent clinical entity, separate from shariqrefai.com, and is not operated by, affiliated with, or a service of this educational site. Listed here for informational and disclosure purposes only. Dr. Refai is the founder of, and holds a material ownership interest in, shrinkMD.
Learn about shrinkMD →
shrinQ
An eleven-module self-guided digital mental wellness program built around four phases: understanding the mind, breaking the loops, building durable habits, and burnout and recovery. shrinQ is the educational and coaching arm of Dr. Refai's work, separate from his clinical practice. It isn't therapy, diagnosis, or a substitute for care from a licensed clinician.
Visit shrinQ →
Unstuck
A mental wellness app to support reflection, journaling, reminders, and emotional awareness tools. Available on iOS.
Get the Unstuck App →Recognition and Press
Dr. Refai is a member of the Forbes Business Council and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. His perspective on psychiatry, sports, and digital mental health has been featured in Top Doctor Magazine and the Duval County Medical Society.
- The Epoch Times, "10 Research-Backed, Natural Ways to Counter Depression"
- EatingWell, "Do You Poop When You're Stressed? Experts Explain Why"
- DomesticShelters.org, "Survivors in Isolation: Abusers Separate Victims from Everyone for Power and Control"
- Top Doctor Magazine, "Mental Health Does Not Discriminate: An Interview With Dr. Shariq Refai"
- Duval County Medical Society, "Full Circle Calling: Spotlight on Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA"
- Forbes Business Council Profile
How the Work Is Made
Every essay, book page, and educational piece on shariqrefai.com is authored by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, and editorially reviewed before publication. Each essay carries a published date and a last-reviewed date. Where claims rely on specific research, sources are linked inline or listed in a References section. The site doesn't run ads, take affiliate commissions, or accept sponsored content.
Read the editorial processResources for Specific Conditions
For deeper, condition-specific reading, Dr. Refai serves as medical reviewer for four independent editorial publications. None is a clinical service; all are educational reading sites.
AnxietyResource.org
A clinically reviewed editorial publication on anxiety, with a 50-entry plain-language glossary and a complete state-by-state directory.
DepressionResource.org
A long-form depression library including screening tools, safety plan templates, and crisis resources.
AnxietyResearch.org
An editorial publication translating current anxiety research into plain-language summaries for general readers.
PsychiatryRx.org
Plain-language, psychiatrist-reviewed guides to psychiatric and sleep medications, sourced from FDA labeling and clinical guidelines.
Frequently Asked
- Is shariqrefai.com a clinical service?
- No. This is an educational, author, publishing, media, and founder platform. For clinical care, visit shrinkmd.com, the separate telepsychiatry practice Dr. Refai founded.
- Does Dr. Refai accept new patients through this site?
- No. New patient inquiries should go to shrinkmd.com.
- Can I cite or quote content from this site?
- Yes, up to 200 words with attribution and a link back to the source URL. For full reprints, see the media page.
- How often is content updated?
- Every essay is reviewed at least once per year for clinical accuracy. New essays are added as they're written and edited. Each piece carries a published date and a last-reviewed date.
- How do I book Dr. Refai for media or speaking?
- Use the contact form with "Media & Press" or "Speaking Engagement" selected.