Financial disclosure. Dr. Refai founded and holds a material ownership interest in shrinkMD Health Inc., the entity that operates shrinkMD. Content on shariqrefai.com is educational, but linking readers to shrinkMD is a route to a clinical practice he owns, and that relationship is disclosed here plainly. See Relationships & Financial Disclosure for the full picture.
What shrinkMD is
shrinkMD is an independent multistate telepsychiatry practice. Its clinicians provide psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, medication management, and ongoing outpatient care by video visit. It's not a wellness app, not a coaching service, and not a life-coaching platform. It's a licensed clinical practice.
States shrinkMD currently serves
As of 2026, shrinkMD sees patients in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, New York, Texas, and Virginia. State coverage can change over time. The current list, insurance participation, and self-pay options are maintained on shrinkmd.com.
What shrinkMD covers
- Psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis.
- Medication management and ongoing prescribing.
- Follow-up visits and treatment adjustments over time.
- Care for adult psychiatric conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, panic, PTSD, bipolar patterns, and adult ADHD as appropriate.
Who's a good fit
- Adults seeking psychiatric care in one of the states above.
- People who want continuity with a licensed psychiatrist rather than rotating clinicians.
- People whose situation is appropriate for outpatient telepsychiatry (video visits, remote medication management, ongoing follow-up).
Who's not a good fit
- Anyone in crisis. If you're thinking about suicide or in immediate danger, call or text 988 in the United States, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. shrinkMD is outpatient care, not a crisis service.
- Children and adolescents. shrinkMD's clinicians focus on adult care. Kids and teens need a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
- Anyone who needs in-person care first. Some conditions and some medication regimens are best started in-person. If a shrinkMD clinician thinks that describes you, they'll say so and help you find the right setting.
- Anyone outside the states above. shrinkMD's clinicians can only see patients where they're licensed.
How to start
The clinical intake, insurance verification, and appointment scheduling all happen at shrinkmd.com. You don't need to contact shariqrefai.com to become a patient. Go directly to shrinkmd.com/start-care and start the intake there.
If shrinkMD isn't right for you
The goal is that you get appropriate care, not that you get care from shrinkMD specifically. Reasonable places to find another psychiatrist:
- Your insurance carrier's in-network psychiatrist directory (usually the most current source on who's actually taking patients).
- Psychology Today's psychiatrist directory, which is filterable by insurance, state, specialty, and video availability.
- The SAMHSA behavioral health treatment locator (findtreatment.gov), the federal directory for mental health and substance use care, including sliding-scale and public options.
- Your primary care physician, who can refer to a psychiatrist locally and coordinate care.
What this page is and isn't
This page is informational. It explains how to become a patient at shrinkMD if you've decided you want to. It's not medical advice, it's not a recommendation that you specifically need psychiatric care, and it's not an endorsement that shrinkMD is objectively the best psychiatric practice. It's transparent plumbing between an educational site and the founder's clinical practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is shariqrefai.com the same as shrinkMD?
No. shariqrefai.com is Dr. Refai's educational and media platform. It doesn't provide clinical care and doesn't accept patients. shrinkMD is the separate multistate telepsychiatry practice he founded and where he sees patients. They're intentionally kept separate for legal, editorial, and regulatory reasons.
Which states does shrinkMD currently serve?
As of 2026, shrinkMD is licensed in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, New York, Texas, and Virginia. States served can change; the current list is maintained on shrinkmd.com.
How do I become a patient at shrinkMD?
Visit shrinkmd.com and start an evaluation. The clinical intake, insurance verification, appointment scheduling, and clinical care all happen on shrinkmd.com, not here.
Does shrinkMD accept insurance?
Insurance participation changes over time and by state. See shrinkmd.com for the current list of accepted insurance plans and self-pay options.
Is Dr. Refai personally seeing patients, or does shrinkMD have other psychiatrists?
shrinkMD is a multi-clinician practice. Dr. Refai founded and leads it, and he sees a limited caseload. Most patients see one of the other licensed psychiatrists on the team. Every clinician follows the same clinical standards.
What if I'm in a state shrinkMD doesn't cover?
shrinkMD can only see patients in states where its clinicians are licensed. If you're outside those states, Psychology Today's psychiatrist directory, your insurance's provider directory, or the SAMHSA behavioral health treatment locator (findtreatment.gov) are reasonable places to find a psychiatrist near you.
Can shrinkMD help in a psychiatric emergency or crisis?
No. shrinkMD is an outpatient telepsychiatry practice, not a crisis service. If you're in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 in the United States for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. Those are the right resources for an emergency.
Does shrinkMD see children or adolescents?
shrinkMD's clinicians focus on adult psychiatric care. Children and adolescents typically need care from a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Ask your pediatrician for a referral or use the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's finder at aacap.org.
shariqrefai.com is an educational author and media platform. It does not provide clinical care, treatment, diagnosis, or a physician-patient relationship. Reading this page does not establish a physician-patient relationship with Dr. Refai or shrinkMD. Clinical care is provided at shrinkmd.com under its own terms and clinical protocols.