True You Always offers online psychiatric evaluations to patients located throughout Florida. A psychiatric evaluation is a dedicated appointment where, by secure video, your psychiatric provider gets to know you and your history, helps you understand what may be happening, and talks through next steps with you.
Ages 12+ · Secure telehealth · Across Florida
Clinically Reviewed by Sheena Varghese, PA-C,
NCCPA Certified Physician Assistant
Last Reviewed: November 2, 2026
You might consider a psychiatric evaluation when you want a clearer understanding of what you’re experiencing or a fresh look at care you’ve received before.
You may recognize yourself in one of these.
Whatever brings you in, we want you to feel heard and understood and to leave with clarity about what may be happening and what comes next. You don’t need to already know what the problem is. Figuring that out is part of the work.
Centered on You
An evaluation that considers your symptoms, history, everyday life, and what you’re hoping to understand.
Online Across Florida
Psychiatric evaluations through secure video appointments for people physically located in Florida.
Ages 12+ and Adults
Evaluation for tweens, teens, and adults, with room for parent or caregiver input when appropriate.
Your symptoms matter, but they’re only part of the picture. We also want to understand when they began, what was happening in your life at the time, how they affect you now, what makes them better or worse, and what you’ve already tried.
Your goals are an essential part of that process, and you may want to:
If you believe ADHD or another diagnosis may fit, your provider can explore what you’ve noticed, what led you to that question, how long those patterns have been present, and what else may need to be considered.
Your observations are valuable and are a starting point for exploration.
Your evaluation usually lasts 60 to 90 minutes, by secure video. Your psychiatric provider guides the conversation, with room for your questions and what matters to you.
Screening or rating tools may add information, but they’re only one part of understanding the full picture. The conversation may touch on several parts of your life.
Your symptoms, when they began, and how they’ve changed
How you’re functioning at home, school, work, or in relationships
Physical health, sleep, other medications, hormonal or developmental changes, and substance use when relevant
Previous diagnoses, therapy, and medications you’ve tried
Family mental health history, stress, significant life experiences, and trauma when relevant
What you hope to understand or change through treatment
A diagnosis can help identify patterns in your symptoms, give you and your provider a shared language for discussing them, and guide treatment. It’s a tool for understanding—not a definition of who you are.
Symptoms can overlap, and very few people look exactly like a textbook description of a psychiatric condition. As NAMI points out in its article “Understanding Your Diagnosis,” a diagnosis can be refined over time as your provider gathers more information. A diagnosis may not be clear after one appointment.
Your provider may need to:
If questions remain, the evaluation can continue into another session rather than rushing to a diagnosis.
“A diagnosis gives us parameters and guidelines to help guide your care, but it doesn’t define who you are. Diagnoses can change over time. Someone might meet the criteria for depression at one point, and six months later they don’t, because their symptoms have changed.”
Amber Hartnett, MSW, LCSW-QS, MCAP, CEDS-C
Get started with a psychiatric evaluation today.
You and your psychiatric provider decide together whether medication is appropriate. You don’t need to arrive with a preference, and scheduling an evaluation doesn’t mean you’ll receive a prescription.
| What you bring to the evaluation | What you and your provider can explore |
|---|---|
| You’re wondering whether medication could help | Whether medication is appropriate for your symptoms and goals |
| You’re hesitant about medication | Your concerns, treatment preferences, and other possible next steps |
| You’ve tried medications without enough relief | What helped, what didn’t, side effects, and how long treatments were tried |
| You’re hoping for a particular medication | Why you’re interested in it and whether it’s clinically appropriate |
If medication becomes part of your plan, ongoing care can continue through psychiatric medication management, where treatment is monitored over time.
After the evaluation, your psychiatric provider recommends next steps based on what was learned, what may be contributing to your symptoms, whether there’s enough information to identify a diagnosis, and what questions remain unanswered.
Recommendations may include treatment, further assessment, coordination with other healthcare providers, and monitoring:
We want you to leave knowing more than you knew when you arrived. Your psychiatric provider will explain what they’re considering, why they’re recommending certain next steps, and what questions remain unanswered. Together, you’ll discuss how to move forward.
A psychiatric evaluation gives you time to talk through what you’re experiencing, explore what may be contributing to your symptoms, and discuss next steps—including whether medication makes sense for you.
Virtual appointments are available for tweens and teens (12+) and adults physically located in Florida.
PA-C, NCCPA-Certified Physician Assistant
Psychiatric Evaluations & Medication Management
“We’re not just one thing. We’re multifaceted. I like to take the time to understand the whole person, including your relationships, your stressors, and how you’re sleeping.”
— Sheena Varghese
Specialties: Anxiety and panic disorders, depression, ADHD, and trauma-related symptoms.
Additional focus: Women’s mental health, including PMDD, perimenopause-related mood concerns, and possible overlooked ADHD in women. (Adolescents ages 12+ and adults)
Sheena brings more than 20 years of clinical experience to psychiatric care, including pharmaceutical drug-safety and adverse-event assessment work with Pfizer and Schering-Plough/Merck. She holds the Neuroscience Education Institute’s Master Psychopharmacology Program Certificate. Based in Orlando, she sees patients by telehealth throughout Florida. Her approach emphasizes thoughtful assessment, shared decision-making, and making sure each medication serves a clear purpose.
Do I need to know what’s wrong before scheduling?
No. You can come in with a specific diagnosis you want to explore, a previous diagnosis you want to understand better, several possible explanations you’ve been wondering about, or simply the feeling that something has changed and you want help making sense of it. Understanding what’s happening is part of the evaluation.
How long does a psychiatric evaluation take?
Initial psychiatric evaluations are generally 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the clinical situation and information that needs to be reviewed. If more time is needed, the evaluation can continue into the next session.
Will I receive a diagnosis during my first appointment?
Sometimes there’s enough information to discuss a diagnosis during the initial evaluation, but not every diagnostic question can or should be answered immediately. Your provider may also recommend gathering previous records, information from other providers when authorized, medical information, or another type of assessment before reaching a clearer conclusion.
Do I have to take medication if I schedule an evaluation?
No. A psychiatric evaluation is a chance to better understand what may be contributing to your symptoms and discuss appropriate next steps. Medication may be one option, but it isn’t automatic. Depending on your situation, the next step may include therapy, medical follow-up, changes to sleep or stress support, medication, or a combination of approaches.
What if I’ve tried several medications and none of them worked?
Tell your provider about those experiences. Which medications you tried, what they were intended to help with, whether anything improved, which side effects occurred, and why treatment was stopped or changed can all provide useful information.
Can my therapist contribute information to my psychiatric evaluation?
Yes, when clinically appropriate and with your authorization. A therapist who has worked with you over time may have useful information about symptom patterns, functioning, progress, or areas that remain difficult. If your therapist is at True You Always, your providers may collaborate within their individual clinical roles, and your psychiatric provider may also coordinate with an outside therapist or another healthcare provider when appropriate and authorized.
What if I’m looking for continuation of a controlled medication?
True You Always does not accept transfers for the continuation of controlled medications. Controlled medications may sometimes be considered within an established psychiatric treatment relationship when clinically appropriate, but they are not guaranteed and are not a focus of our psychiatric services.
Are psychiatric evaluations at True You Always online only?
Yes. All psychiatric care at True You Always is provided by telehealth, and you must be physically located in Florida during your appointment. Depending on your situation, your provider may also recommend vital signs, lab work, an in-person visit with another provider, or another level of care.
How much does a psychiatric evaluation cost, and do you accept insurance?
Self-pay rates and insurance participation vary by psychiatric provider. Each provider’s profile on the True You Always website lists their current self-pay rates and the insurance plans they accept. Currently, an initial psychiatric evaluation is $175, and a medication-management follow-up appointment is $100. Coverage, copays, deductibles, and eligibility should be verified before treatment begins.
This page is for general information and is not crisis care. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For urgent mental-health, substance-use, or suicide-related support, call, text, or chat 988. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach Crisis Text Line.
160 Island Beach Blvd
Merritt Island, FL 32952
(321) 613-8685
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