Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Richardson patients by secure video from your apartment near UT Dallas or your desk in the Telecom Corridor, or in person at our clinic in Pantego, about 30 miles southwest via US-75 and I-30. Most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. Most insured patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit. A self-pay psychiatric evaluation is $250.
Who this page is for in Richardson
You are in Richardson and you need a psychiatrist who can see you before the semester or the quarter is over. If you are a UT Dallas student, the campus counseling center on Campbell Rd is built for short-term help. You want someone who can do a full evaluation, prescribe if needed, and keep seeing you through finals and over the summer, whether you spend that summer in Richardson or back home in Houston. Your parent's BlueCross BlueShield of Texas plan works with us, and if you are on a student plan, we verify it before your first visit.
If you work in the Telecom Corridor, you are somewhere along US-75 or the Bush Turnpike at State Farm's CityLine campus, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas on E Lookout Dr, at Fujitsu, or at one of the Texas Instruments sites just over the Dallas line. You have a PPO and you have no time. You also probably want a psychiatrist who does not share a parking garage with your team. Video from home fixes that. When layoffs hit a Telecom Corridor employer, and they do every few years, Richardson bookings rise, and 1–2 business days still holds.
Richardson straddles Dallas and Collin counties. The public mental health authority is Metrocare Services on the Dallas County side and LifePath Systems on the Collin County side. Both prioritize the most serious cases. Methodist Richardson Medical Center on the Bush Turnpike has an emergency room, and Richardson ISD has counselors, but for a working adult or a student with insurance, a private psychiatrist who can see you this week is usually the missing piece. That is what we are.
What can Lyte treat for Richardson patients?
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, teens, and children. Dr. Akintola is board-certified in both adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry, so a Richardson ISD family can bring a struggling fifth-grader and a burned-out parent to the same practice.
Therapy with a licensed professional counselor, using CBT, solution-focused, and trauma-focused approaches. Combined care is the version most Richardson patients choose: the prescriber and the therapist share one chart, so a medication change on Tuesday is already in your therapist's notes on Thursday.
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. ADHD evaluation for adults and teens can include QbCheck objective testing, which gives a UT Dallas engineering student an objective measure alongside the interview. Dr. Akintola also prescribes Suboxone for opioid use disorder.
You choose the mode. Most Richardson patients use secure video for every visit and never see our front door. If you want the first meeting in person, our clinic is at 2900 W Park Row Dr, Suite 111 in Pantego, about 30 miles southwest of Richardson: US-75 south to I-30 west, through downtown Dallas and Grand Prairie. Many people do visit one in person and everything after by video. Same provider every time either way.
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.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
What the numbers say about Richardson
Richardson has 95,775 adults, according to CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2023). In that dataset, 20.5% of Richardson adults have been told they have depression, above the Texas rate of 19.7% and below the U.S. rate of 21.8%. Frequent mental distress, meaning 14 or more poor mental health days a month, is 16.1% in Richardson, level with Texas and above the U.S. figure of 15.4%.
| Measure | Richardson | Texas | U.S. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with diagnosed depression | 20.5% | 19.7% | 21.8% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress (14+ bad days/month) | 16.1% | 16.1% | 15.4% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adult population | 95,775 | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
Richardson's depression rate is higher than many people expect from a city with this many engineers and insurance analysts. About one adult in five here has a depression diagnosis. Our own bookings from Richardson rise with Telecom Corridor layoff cycles.
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 Richardson with insurance?
We are in network with BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, Cigna and Evernorth, Aetna, Humana, Ambetter, Medicare, Tricare, and more (see the full list). We verify your benefits before the first visit and tell you the number. Most insured patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit.
If you are paying yourself, the prices are flat and published:
| 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 |
HSA and FSA cards are accepted.
In Richardson, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas is the plan we see most, which makes sense in the city where BCBS TX is headquartered. BCBS TX also administers TRS-ActiveCare for Richardson ISD teachers and staff, and we are in network with that. State Farm employees at CityLine and Texas Instruments employees tend to carry UnitedHealthcare or Aetna PPOs. UT Dallas students are usually on a parent's plan or the university-sponsored student health plan; bring your card and we will check it before your first visit. The neighborhoods west of US-75 near Arapaho Rd and Belt Line Rd bring a steady number of Medicare patients, which we also accept.
Who will you see at Lyte Psychiatry?
Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD, is our medical director. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Adult Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, trained at Johns Hopkins, stayed on faculty there, and moved to Texas in 2012. Toyin Awe, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner with more than 12 years of experience. Therapy is provided by NaTascha Jones, LPC, and Prishina Jimenez, LPC. Lyte Psychiatry has served more than 3,000 patients and holds a 4.9-star average across 200+ Google reviews.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions: Richardson
Is there a psychiatrist taking new patients in Richardson right now?
Yes. We take new Richardson patients every week and most are seen within 1–2 business days by secure video. You do not have to drive down US-75 for the first visit unless you want to, and you do not have to wait for a campus or corporate referral. Book online any time and pick the slot.
Where is your nearest in-person office, and how far is it from Richardson?
Our clinic is at 2900 W Park Row Dr, Suite 111, Pantego, TX 76013. Pantego is a small town enclosed by Arlington. From Richardson it is about 30 miles: US-75 south to I-30, then I-30 west past downtown Dallas and Grand Prairie, exit toward Fielder Rd or Bowen Rd. Plan 45 minutes outside rush hour and more in it. Most Richardson patients use video for every visit; the ones who come in person usually come once.
How fast can I get a first appointment from Richardson?
Within 1–2 business days for most people, including UT Dallas students in the first weeks of a semester when the campus counseling center is busiest. The one exception is a stimulant start for ADHD, which needs an in-person first visit in Pantego, so that depends on when you can make the drive from Richardson.
What does it cost in Richardson with insurance, and without?
With an in-network plan, most patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit. That includes BCBS TX plans, which dominate Richardson, and TRS-ActiveCare for Richardson ISD staff. Without insurance, a new-patient psychiatric evaluation is $250, medication follow-ups are $150, a first therapy session is $150, and therapy follow-ups are $125. A QbCheck ADHD test is $150. HSA and FSA cards work.
I am a UT Dallas student. Can I keep seeing you over the summer or after I graduate?
Yes, as long as you are in Texas. If you go home to Houston, Austin, or the Valley for the summer, your video visits continue with the same provider. If you graduate and take a job in the Telecom Corridor or anywhere else in the state, nothing changes. If you leave Texas, we will write a summary for your next psychiatrist. Bring your student ID and insurance card; we verify a UT Dallas student plan or a parent's plan before the first visit.
I work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas or State Farm in Richardson. Is it awkward to use my own company's plan, and will HR find out?
Not awkward, and no. We are in network with BCBS TX, and a good share of our Richardson patients work at the E Lookout Dr headquarters or at CityLine. Your employer does not see your visit notes or your diagnosis. Claims go through the health plan, not through HR, and HIPAA prohibits us from sharing anything with your manager. An employee assistance program, if you use one, is a separate system from ours.
Do I have to come to Pantego for ADHD treatment if I live in Richardson?
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. Many Richardson adults do the one drive down US-75, get the QbCheck done during that visit, and never come back in person.
If I drive from Richardson, where do I park?
Parking is on site at 2900 W Park Row Dr, next to the Suite 111 entrance. The drive back up I-30 and US-75 to Richardson runs 45 minutes to an hour depending on downtown Dallas traffic, so book a time that keeps you out of the 5 p.m. crawl through downtown.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across Dallas-Fort Worth & North Texas or all Texas locations.
We also see patients in Plano, Garland, Allen, Murphy, and Dallas.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Richardson
Metrocare Services is the public mental health authority for Dallas County, and LifePath Systems covers the Collin County part of Richardson north of the Bush Turnpike; both offer low-cost care for residents who qualify. If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and open 24/7, or go to the emergency room at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 gives free treatment referrals around the clock. NAMI Texas runs free peer support groups and family education across the state. UT Dallas students can also start with the Student Counseling Center on campus.
Schedule online at book.lytepsych.com and pick a video or in-person time. Or call 469-733-0848 and we will get you on the calendar within 1–2 business days.
Find the public mental health authority for your county through the Texas HHS local authority directory.