Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Beaumont patients by secure video from a dorm room at Lamar or a truck in the ExxonMobil parking lot before shift. Most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. Insured patients usually pay a $0–$30 copay per visit; a self-pay psychiatric evaluation is $250.
Who is this Beaumont page for?
The counseling office at Lamar University is a good place to start and a hard place to stay. A student on the campus off MLK Parkway can get a handful of sessions there, and then the counselor says the words "you should see a psychiatrist about medication." The student searches, finds a few names in Beaumont, and learns the openings are weeks out or cash only. Their parents' BCBS plan is fine, and there is nobody in network to use it on.
The other person reading this works turnarounds at the ExxonMobil refinery and chemical plant on the east side of town, or drives to a plant in Port Arthur or Port Neches every day on US-69. Twelve-hour rotations wreck sleep, and the marriage has been under strain since Harvey flooded the house and Imelda flooded it again. A clinic that opens at 8 and closes at 5 on Dowlen Road does not fit that life.
Beaumont has two full hospitals, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas on College Street and CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth on Calder, and Spindletop Center is the public mental health authority for Jefferson County. Spindletop rightly serves people without coverage first. A Beaumont ISD teacher on TRS-ActiveCare or a Lamar student on a parent's PPO usually waits behind that line. We take those plans, and we can see you this week.
What can Lyte treat for Beaumont patients by video?
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, teens, and children. Therapy with licensed professional counselors using CBT, solution-focused, and trauma-focused work. Combined care, where the prescriber and the therapist share one chart and read each other's notes. ADHD evaluation and treatment for adults and teens, with stimulant and non-stimulant options.
Conditions we treat: depression, anxiety, panic, social anxiety, PTSD and trauma, OCD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, insomnia, postpartum and perinatal mood problems, grief, and stress and burnout. Dr. Akintola is a licensed Suboxone prescriber for opioid use disorder. We write clinical letters for school and work on request, including letters for Lamar's disability office and for plant employers.
Mode for Beaumont is video only, with no drive. Our single clinic is in Pantego, in the Arlington area, roughly 290 miles up US-69 and US-287 from Beaumont. We are not going to suggest you make that trip. You see the same provider at every video visit, and your prescription goes to the Beaumont pharmacy you name.
If you are starting a stimulant for ADHD, our policy is that the first evaluation happens in person at our Pantego clinic; follow-ups can be by video. Non-stimulant ADHD medication and everything else can start by video. For a Beaumont patient that usually means starting a non-stimulant by video, and we tell you at the first visit whether that route fits your case. Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book.
Tell us your rotation when you book. If you want therapy as well, the first counselor session can be booked at the same time, and the counselor sees the same chart.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
What the numbers say about Beaumont
Beaumont reports more depression and more days of distress than the state average, and Port Arthur next door is higher still. CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2023) puts diagnosed depression among Beaumont adults at 21%, compared with 21.1% in Port Arthur and 19.7% across Texas. Frequent mental distress, meaning 14 or more poor mental health days in a month, is 18.9% in Beaumont, against 20.4% in Port Arthur and 16.1% for Texas. Beaumont (Jefferson County) has 87,148 adults in the same release, so the distress figure covers roughly 16,000 people in the city alone.
| Measure | Beaumont | Port Arthur | Texas | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults diagnosed with depression | 21% | 21.1% | 19.7% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress (14+ bad days/month) | 18.9% | 20.4% | 16.1% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adult population, Beaumont (Jefferson County) | 87,148 | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
The depression and frequent mental distress figures are model-based estimates. Read the CDC PLACES methodology for the survey years, population basis, and estimation limits.
How much does an online psychiatrist cost in Beaumont with insurance?
In network: BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, Cigna and Evernorth, Aetna, Humana, Ambetter, Medicare, Tricare, and more (see the full list). Benefits are verified before the first visit. Most insured patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit.
| Visit | Self-pay |
|---|---|
| Psychiatric evaluation (new patient) | $250 |
| Medication follow-up | $150 |
| Therapy, first session | $150 |
| Therapy, follow-up | $125 |
| QbCheck ADHD test | $150 |
| Late cancellation / no-show | $100 |
Self-pay is a flat price, and HSA and FSA cards are accepted. The plans we see from Beaumont fall into a few groups. Refinery and chemical plant employees and their families often carry BCBS TX or UnitedHealthcare through the employer or the union. Beaumont ISD staff are usually on TRS-ActiveCare, administered by BCBS TX and in network here. Lamar students are often still on a parent's plan from wherever home is, and we can bill an out-of-town BCBS, Aetna, or Cigna plan as long as you are physically in Texas for the visit. Hospital staff at Baptist and CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth can send us a photo of the card and we will confirm the network before the visit. Medicare covers our visits for retirees.
Who will you see at Lyte?
Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD, is our medical director and supervisory psychiatrist, board-certified in Adult Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He trained at Johns Hopkins, stayed on faculty there, and moved to Texas in 2012. Toyin Awe, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 12+ years' experience. Therapy is with NaTascha Jones, LPC, and Prishina Jimenez, LPC. Lyte has served 3,000+ patients with a 4.9-star average from 200+ Google reviews.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions from Beaumont patients
Can Beaumont patients see a Lyte psychiatrist by video if there is no office in Jefferson County?
Yes, and video is the only way we see Beaumont. Our one clinic is in Pantego, in the Arlington area, about 290 miles away by US-69 and US-287, which is a full day of driving from the Golden Triangle. The only reason to make that trip is an in-person stimulant evaluation, and a non-stimulant started by video is the usual alternative.
How soon can a Lamar University student get a psychiatry appointment?
Usually within 1–2 business days. If Lamar's counseling office has referred you out for medication, you do not need a referral letter to book here. Pick a slot between classes, do the visit from your room or a car on campus, and any prescription goes to a pharmacy near the university. If you go home for the summer, video follow-ups continue as long as you are anywhere in Texas.
Can I do the visit from Beaumont if I work turnarounds at ExxonMobil?
Yes. Video visits work around a rotation, and a turnaround schedule is easier to plan around than a swing shift. Tell us your days off when you book. If you need a clinical letter for the plant, a fitness-for-duty note, or documentation for a leave, ask at the visit and we will write it.
Can Beaumont ISD families get a child seen without going to Houston?
Yes. Dr. Akintola is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, and a child anywhere in Beaumont ISD can be seen by video within 1–2 business days. You do not have to drive I-10 to Texas Children's or wait for a pediatric specialist to come through Beaumont. Bring the school's notes, and we will write letters for the campus counselor or a 504 meeting on request.
What does a Beaumont visit cost with insurance versus paying cash?
With an in-network plan such as BCBS TX, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, or Cigna, most Beaumont patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit. Without insurance, a new-patient psychiatric evaluation is $250, a medication follow-up is $150, and a first therapy session is $150. A plant contractor between jobs can pay the flat $250 and switch to insurance later without starting over.
Can I get ADHD medication by video from Beaumont?
Non-stimulant ADHD medication, yes, starting at the first video visit. If you are starting a stimulant for ADHD, our policy is that the first evaluation happens in person at our Pantego clinic; follow-ups can be by video. For a Beaumont patient that usually means starting a non-stimulant instead, which works for many adults and Lamar-age students.
Should I go to Spindletop Center instead of booking here?
If you have no insurance and cannot pay $250, yes; Spindletop Center is the public mental health authority for Jefferson County and serves people in that situation. If you have a commercial plan, Medicare, or Tricare, or you can afford self-pay, you do not need to go through Spindletop's intake first, and we can see you within 1–2 business days.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across East Texas or all Texas locations.
We also see patients from Port Arthur, Baytown, Humble and Kingwood, Houston, and Lufkin.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Beaumont
Spindletop Center is the public mental health authority for Jefferson County and serves residents without insurance or with limited income. Call or text 988 any time for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas and CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth both run emergency departments in Beaumont for a psychiatric crisis that cannot wait. Lamar University students can also use the campus counseling office for short-term sessions.
Book a video visit at book.lytepsych.com and we will verify your benefits before you are seen. Or call 469-733-0848.
Find the public mental health authority for your county through the Texas HHS local authority directory.