Media & Press Resources for Shariq Refai, MD, MBA

Biographies, credentials, downloadable assets, past media coverage, and topics Dr. Refai is available to comment on.

This page is a media resource for journalists, producers, and event organizers. It is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a clinical service.

Dr. Refai appears in interviews and writes as an educator, author, and commentator. He does not provide individualized medical guidance through media appearances or this website, and viewing or contacting this page does not establish a physician-patient relationship.

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Short Bio

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, is a board-certified psychiatrist, founder of shrinkMD and shrinQ, creator of the Unstuck app, author, and mental health educator based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Extended Bio

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than fifteen years of experience in psychiatry and mental health care. He holds dual board certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry, and he's a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Refai is the founder and CEO of shrinkMD, an independent multistate telepsychiatry company expanding access to psychiatric care. He's the creator of Unstuck, a mental wellness app for reflection, journaling, and emotional awareness. He's the author of three upcoming books on anxiety, overthinking, and the patterns that keep people mentally stuck, published through shrinkMD Publishing.

His professional experience in sports and performance psychiatry includes affiliations involving the NFL Substance Abuse Program and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He earned his MD from St. George's University School of Medicine, completed psychiatry residency at the University of Hawaii and at John Peter Smith Hospital, and holds an MBA from Duke University and certificates in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Obesity Medicine from Columbia University.

Dr. Refai is a member of the Forbes Business Council, an active voice in digital mental health, and a frequent commentator on psychiatry and emotional health. He's based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Boilerplate

For press releases

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, is a board-certified psychiatrist, founder and CEO of shrinkMD, founder of shrinQ, creator of the Unstuck app, and author. He holds dual board certifications in psychiatry and sports/performance psychiatry, an MBA from Duke, and certificates from Columbia. He's a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a member of the Forbes Business Council. Based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Areas of Commentary

Educational topics, not individualized medical advice

  • Anxiety, overthinking, and emotional health as cultural and educational topics
  • The high-performer pattern, pressure, and burnout in modern work
  • Sports and performance psychiatry as a field, including general experience working with elite environments
  • The state of telepsychiatry and digital mental health platforms
  • Public understanding of psychiatry and the limits of popular mental health commentary
  • Workplace mental health culture and psychological safety
  • Mental health policy and access to care in the United States
  • The intersection of psychiatry, technology, and consumer wellness products

Approved Credentials

  • Board-Certified, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Board-Certified, American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry
  • Fellow, American Psychiatric Association (FAPA)
  • Founder & CEO, shrinkMD
  • Creator & Developer, Unstuck App
  • MBA, Duke University
  • MD, St. George's University School of Medicine
  • Certificate in Electroconvulsive Therapy, Columbia University
  • Certificate in Obesity Medicine, Columbia University
  • Member, Forbes Business Council

Press & Professional Links

Downloadable Assets

High-resolution photos and approved promotional assets are available for press use. Please credit "Shariq Refai, MD, MBA" with link to shariqrefai.com when used.

Headshot of Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, available for download.
Download Headshot
On-stage photo of Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, available for download.
Download Stage Photo
Cover image of Your Mind Is Full of Sh*t for press use.
Download Book Cover

Media Inquiries

For interview requests, podcast appearances, expert commentary, or background quotes, use the Media & Press Inquiries page or email support@shariqrefai.com. Inquiries are reviewed within three business days.

Submit Inquiry

Featured In

Selected press features where Dr. Refai has appeared as an expert source. See the full press archive for additional coverage, or use the Media & Press Inquiries page for interview requests.

Quote Library

Pre-approved pull quotes for press use. Each is available for direct attribution to Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. Please credit the source URL when quoting.

"The brain isn't getting louder at night. It's getting audible. All day, work and motion drown out the noise the nervous system has been making in the background. The second you stop moving, that signal finally reaches you."

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA · On bedtime anxiety

"High performers don't feel anxious despite their success. They often feel anxious because of the same wiring that produced it. The same nervous system that scans for threat, anticipates outcomes, and refuses to rest until the work is done is a powerful engine for output and a difficult engine to live inside."

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA · On high-functioning anxiety

"Thinking harder about anxiety almost never reduces it. The brain treats analytical thinking as a form of safety seeking, which means the more you analyze an anxious thought, the more reliable analyzing becomes as a coping pattern."

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA · On overthinking

"Most popular mental health advice is calm-brain advice given to a panicked brain. The principle is correct. The execution most people are taught is wrong."

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA · On the limits of popular advice

"Modern psychiatry isn't what most people think. The field has changed enormously over the last twenty years, and most of the change is good. The public conversation hasn't caught up."

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA · On the state of modern psychiatry

"Convenience matters, and the access problem in psychiatry was real. Convenience isn't care."

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA · On digital mental health

Editorial Reviewer Credentials

Beyond his work at shariqrefai.com, Dr. Refai serves as the medical editor and clinical reviewer for four independent editorial publications:

  • AnxietyResource.org, a clinically reviewed editorial publication on anxiety with a 50-entry plain-language glossary and complete state-by-state directories.
  • DepressionResource.org, a long-form patient education site on depression 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, a plain-language reference site publishing psychiatrist-reviewed guides to psychiatric and sleep medications, sourced from FDA labeling and clinical guidelines.

Every article on all four sites carries Dr. Refai's "Authored and editorially reviewed by" credit with a publish and last-reviewed date. His role is editorial review for clinical accuracy. See the Medical Review Board page for reviewer roles and standards.

Identifiers (for press attribution)

Authoritative identifiers journalists and editors can use to verify authorship and credentials when citing or attributing Dr. Refai.

Asset Use and Credit Lines

For headshots and other approved press images, please credit:

Photo courtesy of Shariq Refai, MD, MBA / shariqrefai.com

For quoted material, please credit:

Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, board-certified psychiatrist and founder of shrinkMD. Source: [URL of the article you're quoting]

For book references, please credit:

From [Book Title] by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, shrinkMD Publishing.

Reprint and Syndication

Article reprints, syndication, and translation requests should go through the contact form with "Media & Press" selected. Republication of full articles requires written permission. Quoting up to 200 words with attribution and a link is permitted under fair use.

Press Desk Hours

Media inquiries are reviewed Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern. For deadline-sensitive requests, please mark "URGENT" in the subject line. Same-day responses aren't guaranteed but are attempted where possible.