A teen psychiatrist who hears your teen, and includes you.
So much changes in the teen years. Dr. McDade gives your teen time to be heard, helps you understand what is happening, and builds the plan with you both, by secure video in Texas.
Opens the booking page. A brief screening confirms fit before the first visit. Ages 11 to 17.
- Every visit with Dr. McDade
- Ages 11 to 17, booked by a parent or guardian
- Secure video in Texas
The answer
Teen psychiatry with Dr. McDade is care by secure video for teens and adolescents ages 11 to 17 in Texas, from a physician trained in child and adolescent psychiatry. A parent or guardian books the first visit, and you can book without a referral. Dr. McDade speaks with you first, then with your teen alone. Life-threatening or serious risk-taking behaviors are discussed with you. In her experience, most teens want a place 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.
Who will your teen see?
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 teen's story.
She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry and in child and adolescent psychiatry. That second certification builds on two extra years of training with children, adolescents, and their families, which she completed at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
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 see a child and adolescent psychiatrist?
Because so much changes at once. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the brain keeps developing into the mid-to-late 20s, and the part that helps with planning and good decisions is one of the last to mature.
Changes in the brain, the body, emotions, and friendships all happen together, which may explain why many conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, emerge during adolescence.
The teen brain is also resilient, and some of these same changes help build that resilience. Most teens go on to become healthy adults.
Dr. McDade's training lets her weigh each concern against what is typical for your teen's age.
Teens are not small adults. Their care should reflect how they think, feel, and grow.
Dr. Allison J. McDade, MDIs it a phase, or something more?
It can be hard to tell. The National Institute of Mental Health recommends contacting a health professional when signs last weeks or months and get in the way of daily life at home, at school, or with friends.
Signs worth a closer look
- Losing interest in things they used to enjoy
- Low energy, or sleeping too much or too little
- Spending more and more time alone, away from friends and family
- Dieting or exercising too much, or fearing weight gain
- Smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs
- Risky or destructive behavior, alone or with friends
- Bursts of very high energy, with much less need for sleep
- Hearing things others cannot hear, or feeling that someone is controlling their mind
A careful evaluation helps you sort out what is typical and what may need care.
Thoughts of suicide or any self-harm need help right away.
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 does care 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.
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 your teen's first visit?
Dr. McDade hears your teen's story and yours, and reviews your teen's history and health, over 60 to 90 minutes. Understanding relies on context, and some stories need more time.
Your teen deserves to be heard, and so do you.
- 01
Before the visit
Booking and intake
A parent or guardian books online. A brief screening first confirms that telepsychiatry fits your teen's needs. You'll complete a few intake forms in the patient portal before the visit.
- 02
Your view
You first
Dr. McDade starts with you, asking about background, family history, and your view of how things have been going.
- 03
Time alone
Your teen's own time
Then she speaks with your teen without a caregiver in the room, so they can bring up what matters to them more comfortably.
- 04
Whole picture
Health and history
She reviews your teen's physical health, sleep, current medications, and past treatment, along with your family's mental health history.
- 05
Plain words
What she finds
She explains what she finds in plain words, to you and to your teen, and what it means for daily life at home and at school.
- 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.
After the first visit, the balance shifts toward your teen.
-
The first visit
- You
- Background, family history, and your view
- Your teen
- Time alone with Dr. McDade
- In short
- Everyone is heard
-
Follow-up visits
- You
- A quick update
- Your teen
- Most of the visit
- In short
- The time is your teen's
What you need
You need a quiet, private space and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet. For your teen's time alone, a room with the door closed helps them talk freely. That is enough to begin.
What is shared with you?
Dr. McDade is straightforward about privacy. She explains it to you and to your teen, so you both know what is shared and why.
When safety is involved
If there are life-threatening or serious risk-taking behaviors, those are discussed with you. Safety concerns or a history of unsafe behavior may also be shared with you to help prevent further harm.
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 if you and your teen see it differently?
In Dr. McDade's experience, parents and teens usually agree on the problem. They describe it differently, or see how serious it is differently.
Each of you describes it in your own words.
She talks it through with each of you, in plain words.
Then the plan starts from a picture you both share.
Is this care right for your teen?
Dr. McDade treats anxiety, depression, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and related concerns in teens, and every condition has its own page in Conditions Dr. McDade treats.
In her experience, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and trouble sleeping are common reasons teens are referred, often from middle school on.
This care fits when
- A change in your teen's mood, sleep, focus, or behavior has lasted weeks or months, and you want a careful look.
- You are not sure what is typical for your teen's age, and you want to understand it.
- You want your teen heard, and you want to be part of the plan.
- Your teen is 11 to 17 and located in Texas at the time of each visit.
Another kind of care fits better when
- Your teen needs emergency care. This practice does not provide emergency services.
- Therapy is the better starting point. Contact us and we will help with referrals.
- Your teen needs intensive outpatient care. Dr. McDade refers to local or virtual IOPs.
For a younger child
If your child is 10 or younger, the child psychiatry page explains how care works for ages 6 to 10.
Questions parents ask
My teen does not want to go. What then?
In Dr. McDade's experience, most teens actually want a place to vent and be heard. She speaks with you first, then gives your teen time alone with her at the first visit.
Will my teen have a say in their care?
Yes. Dr. McDade asks how your teen feels about each option, including medication and where to start, and builds the plan with you both.
How long is the first evaluation?
60 to 90 minutes with Dr. McDade. The length follows your teen's age, symptoms, and history, and it leaves room to connect and consider.
Does my teen have to take medication?
No. Whether to start a medication, and where, is a decision you and Dr. McDade make together, after she explains what she recommends and why.
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.
Does Dr. McDade work with my teen's pediatrician?
Yes. Once you sign a release, she shares her findings and the treatment plan with your teen's pediatrician by fax, note, or phone call.
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.
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.
- The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know, National Institute of Mental Health, revised 2023
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, reviewed March 2024
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, updated September 2023
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
Your teen heard, you included, and a plan built together.
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.
Not for emergencies. If your teen is in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. Ages 11 to 17. A brief screening confirms fit before the first visit.