Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Dallas patients by secure video from anywhere in the city, or in person at our clinic in Pantego, about 18 miles west of downtown on I-30. 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 Dallas page for?
Two kinds of Dallas readers land here. The first is an insured professional in Uptown, Oak Lawn, or Lakewood with a BCBS TX or UnitedHealthcare PPO who has called four practices, been told "new patients in October," and wants an appointment this week without paying a concierge cash rate. The second is a parent in Oak Cliff or Pleasant Grove who was told the child psychiatry wait at Children's Health runs months, whose pediatrician is out of ideas, and who needs someone board-certified to see a kid this week.
Dallas has strong institutions and long lines. UT Southwestern runs a large academic psychiatry department, and its clinics carry waits. Parkland's behavioral health clinics serve Dallas County residents, mainly those without coverage. Metrocare Services, the public mental health authority for Dallas County, also serves people without coverage first. A Dallas ISD teacher or a Baylor University Medical Center nurse with a commercial plan is usually better served by a private practice that takes the plan. If you have insurance or can pay $250, we can usually see you this week.
What can Lyte treat for Dallas patients?
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, meaning your prescriber and your therapist write in one chart and can see each other's notes. ADHD evaluation for adults and teens, with QbCheck objective testing at the Pantego office.
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.
Mode: video anywhere in Dallas, or in person at 2900 W Park Row Dr, Suite 111, Pantego, about 18 miles west of downtown via I-30. From Oak Cliff or west Dallas the drive is closer to 15 miles. From Far North Dallas, Lake Highlands, or the Garland side it is 30 miles or more, and most of those patients choose video after the first visit or for every visit. You keep the same provider either way. If you ride DART rather than drive, plan on video: no rail line reaches W Park Row Dr in Pantego, and the TRE from Union Station stops at CentrePort, still about 12 miles from the office.
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. Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book.
A first video visit runs about an hour. You meet the prescriber at that first visit, and any prescription goes to your Dallas pharmacy that day. If therapy makes sense, you can book the first session with a counselor before you log off, and the counselor reads the same chart. If your Uptown employer offers an EAP, you can still use it; it is separate from care here. If you work nights at Parkland or Baylor University Medical Center, tell us your shift when you book and we will find a slot that fits it.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
What the numbers say about Dallas
Dallas adults report more mental distress than the state average. CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2023) puts diagnosed depression among Dallas adults at 20.1%, slightly above Texas at 19.7% and below the U.S. at 21.8%. Frequent mental distress, defined as 14 or more poor mental health days in a month, is 17.8% in Dallas, against 16.1% for Texas and 15.4% for the U.S. Dallas (Dallas County) has 999,705 adults per the same release, so the distress figure alone works out to roughly 178,000 people.
| Measure | Dallas | Texas | U.S. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults diagnosed with depression | 20.1% | 19.7% | 21.8% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress (14+ bad days/month) | 17.8% | 16.1% | 15.4% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adult population, Dallas (Dallas County) | 999,705 | 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 a psychiatrist cost in Dallas 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. In Dallas the plans we see most are BCBS TX PPOs from the downtown and Uptown employers, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna from the hospital systems, and UT SELECT, the BCBS TX plan for UT Southwestern staff. Dallas ISD runs its own employee health plan rather than TRS-ActiveCare, so tell us which carrier is on your card and we will confirm the copay before your first visit. Medicare covers our visits for older patients in Lake Highlands and Preston Hollow.
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 or more years of 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: Dallas
Can I get a psychiatry appointment in Dallas this week?
Yes. Most new Dallas patients are seen within 1–2 business days by video, and in-person slots at the Pantego office fill on the same timeline. Book online at any hour. If UT Southwestern or a private Uptown practice has quoted you a wait of weeks or months, you do not need a referral to come here instead.
Where is your nearest in-person office to Dallas and how far is it?
Our clinic is at 2900 W Park Row Dr, Suite 111, Pantego, TX 76013, inside Arlington's footprint. From downtown Dallas it is about 18 miles west on I-30, then south on Fielder Rd. From Oak Cliff or west Dallas, take I-30 or I-20 and figure about 15 miles. From Far North Dallas or Lake Highlands it is 30 miles or more, so most of those patients use video.
Is there parking at the Pantego office, and is the drive worth it?
There is parking on site at the building, with no garage fee. Most Dallas patients make the drive once for the first visit, or for the in-person stimulant evaluation, and then switch to video. A Lakewood patient can be in and out in a morning.
How much will I pay in Dallas with insurance versus cash?
With an in-network plan such as BCBS TX, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, or Cigna, most 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. Cash-only practices in Uptown and the Park Cities do not take your plan; here you can use it.
My child is on a waitlist at Children's Health. Can you see them sooner?
Usually yes. Dr. Akintola is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, and we can typically see a child from Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, or anywhere in Dallas within 1–2 business days by video, or in person in Pantego. You do not have to leave the Children's Health waitlist to start care here. Bring any school reports, and we will write letters for Dallas ISD on request.
Can I see a child psychiatrist and get my child therapy in the same place?
Yes. Dr. Akintola handles the evaluation and medication, and a licensed counselor handles therapy, and they share one chart. A parent does not have to carry information between two offices on opposite sides of Dallas.
Do I have to come to Pantego to start ADHD medication?
Only for a stimulant. 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 from your Dallas home or office. For an Uptown professional that is one I-30 drive, then video.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across Dallas-Fort Worth & North Texas or all Texas locations.
We also see patients from Irving, Grand Prairie, Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, and Arlington.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Dallas
Metrocare Services is the public mental health authority for Dallas County and serves residents without insurance. Call or text 988 any time for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Parkland Health's behavioral health clinics serve Dallas County residents on a sliding scale, and UT Southwestern Psychiatry offers specialty and academic clinics for complex cases. Texas Health Resources lists mental health crisis services at its Dallas hospitals.
Book a video or in-person 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.