A psychiatric evaluation that starts with your story.
Your first visit needs time, space, and connection. Dr. McDade sets that time aside for your whole story. Then you build the plan together, by secure video in Texas.
Opens the booking page. A brief screening confirms fit before your first visit.
- Every visit with Dr. McDade
- 60 to 90 minutes to be understood
- Ages 6 to 70, by secure video in Texas
The answer
A psychiatric evaluation with Dr. McDade is an unhurried first visit by secure video that starts with what brought you here and ends with a plan you build together. Dr. McDade completes every first evaluation herself. The physician who hears your story is the one who builds your plan with you. Care is for ages 6 to 70 in Texas, and you can book without a referral. There is time to be heard.
If you need help now
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service or dial 711, then 988. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This practice does not provide emergency services.
What do patients hope for from a first evaluation?
Many of my patients hope to see someone who will listen, who lets them fully discuss their symptoms and the context around them, and who applies years of medical training to help them reach their goals. Many times, at the end of a first evaluation, a patient breathes a sigh of relief and tells me it was easier than they expected, even when we went over painful things from their past.
Dr. Allison J. McDade, MD
Who will you see at your evaluation?
Dr. McDade, at every visit. Health & Harmony Psychiatry is a physician-only practice, so every follow-up is with the physician who already knows your story.
The practice provides psychiatric evaluation, medication management, follow-up, and coordination with the patient's other clinicians. Full recovery is the goal, even if the best path is a referral.
Why does Dr. McDade see every patient herself?
I see every patient myself because that is what I trained to do. It is what I went to school for. I prefer medicine where the emphasis is on the patient and the doctor-patient relationship, built on trust and continuity of care, and I want to use my clinical skills to help each person reach their goals.
What does the evaluation cost?
The practice does not take insurance, and fees are due at the time of your visit.
- $465New evaluation with Dr. McDade, 60 to 90 minutes
- $275Follow-up visit with Dr. McDade
Current self-pay fees from the practice.
Major credit cards and HSA/FSA cards are accepted; checks are not. You receive a good faith estimate before your first visit, and the Good Faith Estimate page explains your right to an estimate.
Follow-up visits run 15 to 30 minutes by secure video. If more than 8 months pass without a visit, the next appointment is booked as a new evaluation at the new-evaluation fee.
What happens at a psychiatric evaluation?
Dr. McDade hears your story and reviews your history and your health, over 60 to 90 minutes. Understanding relies on context, and some stories need more time.
You deserve the time to be understood.
The American Psychiatric Association's practice guideline for adults recommends that a first evaluation review your mood and thinking, past treatment, trauma, substance use, current medications, physical health, and safety.
- 01
Before the visit
Booking and intake
Book online. A brief screening first confirms that telepsychiatry fits your needs. You'll complete a few intake forms in the patient portal, then meet with Dr. McDade for a full evaluation.
- 02
Unhurried
Your story
It starts with what brought you here, when it began, and how it shows up at work, at home, and in your relationships.
- 03
Past treatment
Your history
She asks about past diagnoses and treatment, and about the medications you have tried, how they worked, and any side effects.
- 04
Whole person
Your health
She reviews your physical health, current medications, sleep, recent labs, and any hormonal changes, along with your family's mental health history.
- 05
Plain words
What she finds
She looks at what is happening in your life before she considers a diagnosis. Then she explains her findings and what they mean for your daily life.
- 06
Collaborative
A plan built with you
You and Dr. McDade discuss each option in depth. When therapy is the better starting point, she refers to therapists she knows well.
What you need
You need a quiet, private space and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet. Bring a list of any medications you take, a sense of your history, and what you are hoping to work on. That is enough to begin.
What does Dr. McDade look for at a first evaluation?
We go through your medical history and your current stressors, because something outside your focus may be adding to your symptoms. Many times, a detailed history has uncovered high blood pressure, a thyroid problem, or anemia. Then we piece together a timeline of your symptoms and triggers. I explain what I find, and we talk through why one medication might be considered over another. We make the decisions that are right for you, together.
Dr. Allison J. McDade, MDWho is this evaluation right for?
Dr. McDade treats anxiety, depression, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, and related concerns for patients ages 6 to 70, including women's mental health concerns around PMDD, the postpartum period, and perimenopause. Each one starts with this evaluation, and every condition has its own page in Conditions Dr. McDade treats.
This evaluation fits when
- A change in your mood, focus, sleep, or patience has lasted, and you want a careful look.
- You were diagnosed or treated before and want a fresh look at where things stand.
- You want a psychiatrist who listens first, explains what she finds, and builds a plan with you.
- You or your child are 6 to 70 and located in Texas at the time of each visit.
Another kind of care fits better when
- You need emergency care. This practice does not provide emergency services.
- Therapy is the better starting point. Contact us and we will help with referrals.
- You need intensive outpatient care. Dr. McDade refers to local or virtual IOPs.
- Care begins at age 6. If your child is younger, contact us and we will help with referrals.
For a child or teen
Dr. McDade is trained in child and adolescent psychiatry, and she sees children from age 6. A parent or guardian books for anyone under 18, and the child and adolescent psychiatry page explains how a teen's care works.
Questions about the psychiatric evaluation
How long is the first evaluation?
60 to 90 minutes with Dr. McDade. The length follows your age, your symptoms, and your history, and it leaves room to connect and consider.
What if I am not sure which concern fits?
You can start without a name for it. The first evaluation begins with when your symptoms began and how long they have lasted, and Dr. McDade explains what she finds.
Do I need a referral to see Dr. McDade?
No. You can book a first visit without a referral, and a parent or guardian books for anyone under 18. Clinicians who want to refer a patient can use the refer a patient page.
How much does care cost?
Care is cash pay. A new evaluation with Dr. McDade is $465, and follow-up visits with Dr. McDade are $275. You receive a good faith estimate before your first visit.
Does Dr. McDade take insurance?
No. Care is cash pay, with rates set in advance and shared up front. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
What if telepsychiatry is not the right fit for me?
A brief screening first confirms that telepsychiatry fits your needs. A doctor-patient relationship begins only after the first visit, once Dr. McDade confirms telepsychiatry can meet the patient's needs. Dr. McDade may decline to form the relationship; if that happens, any prepaid amount is refunded in full and referrals are provided.
What ages does Dr. McDade see, and where?
Patients ages 6 to 70. Health & Harmony Psychiatry provides care by secure video to patients physically located in Texas at the time of their appointment. Telepsychiatry may not be appropriate for everyone; a brief screening determines fit. Certain medications, including some controlled substances, may only be prescribed to patients residing in Texas.
Sources for the facts on this page.
- Practice Guidelines for the Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults, Third Edition, American Psychiatric Association, 2016
The information on this website is for general education and does not constitute medical advice or create a physician-patient relationship. For care, please schedule an appointment.
Care Through Connection
Bring your story, and leave with a plan you agree with.
Book the first visit online, or call 832.387.6088 with questions. A parent or guardian books for anyone under 18, and a brief screening confirms fit before your first visit.
Health & Harmony Psychiatry does not provide emergency care. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911. Ages 6 to 70. Health & Harmony Psychiatry provides care by secure video to patients physically located in Texas at the time of their appointment.