Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Laredo patients by secure video from anywhere in Webb County, in English or Spanish, with one prescriber you keep and a counselor who reads the same chart. 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 Laredo page for?
Trucks line up at the World Trade Bridge before the sun is up, and somewhere behind them a dispatcher, a customs broker, or a warehouse lead on Mines Road has been awake since 3 a.m. and cannot remember the last full night of sleep. The person running that shift is the first reader of this page. You are on an employer plan, you have no time to sit in a clinic lobby, and the one psychiatrist a coworker recommended stopped taking new patients.
The Laredo Morning Times counted eight psychiatrists for about 260,000 residents in 2024. Border Region Behavioral Health Center, the public mental health authority for Webb County, takes people without coverage first, and it cannot absorb every insured adult in the city on top of that. Laredo Medical Center and Doctors Hospital of Laredo run the emergency departments where a crisis lands, and an ER visit does not set up ongoing medication care. Texas A&M International University has a counseling center for enrolled students, which helps until a student needs medication or graduates.
The other readers here are a United ISD or Laredo ISD teacher on TRS-ActiveCare whose card gets declined at cash-only offices, a mother who wants the evaluation in Spanish, and a TAMIU student who was told the next opening was in the fall.
What can Lyte treat for Laredo patients?
Adults, teens, and children, for psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Therapy with licensed professional counselors, using CBT, solution-focused, and trauma-focused work, by the same video link. Combined care, where prescriber and counselor share one record so you do not repeat your history twice. ADHD evaluation and treatment for adults and teens.
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. Clinical letters for work, school, or a commercial driver's medical file are written on request.
Mode for Laredo: video only, no drive. Lyte has no office in Laredo and none anywhere south of Dallas-Fort Worth; the one clinic is in Pantego, inside Arlington, roughly 420 miles up I-35, and we will not pretend that is a reasonable trip for a Webb County patient. Every visit happens on your phone or laptop from wherever in Texas you are, whether that is a house in north Laredo, a cab parked at a Mines Road yard, or a dorm room at TAMIU.
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. Because the drive from Laredo rules out a Pantego visit for nearly everyone, the prescriber will walk you through the non-stimulant options, which for many adults with ADHD work well and start on the first video call.
Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book. Prescriptions are sent electronically to the Laredo pharmacy you choose. If your shift means you need the visit early or late, say so when you book and we will look for a time that fits.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
What the numbers say about Laredo
Laredo adults report more frequent mental distress than McAllen and than Texas as a whole. CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2023) puts frequent mental distress, meaning 14 or more poor mental health days a month, at 17.3% of Laredo adults, compared with 16.3% in McAllen and 16.1% across Texas. Diagnosed depression in Laredo is 19.3%, the same figure as McAllen. With 178,344 adults in Laredo, which sits in Webb County, in the same release, 17.3% works out to about 30,800 people.
Against those 30,800, the Laredo Morning Times reported in 2024 that Laredo had eight psychiatrists for about 260,000 residents. Statewide, Texas DSHS reported that 162 Texas counties had no psychiatrist in 2025.
| Measure | Laredo | McAllen | Texas | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (14+ bad days/month) | 17.3% | 16.3% | 16.1% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adults diagnosed with depression | 19.3% | 19.3% | 19.7% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adult population, Laredo (Webb County) | 178,344 | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 | ||
| Psychiatrists in Laredo | 8 for about 260,000 residents | Laredo Morning Times, 2024 |
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 an online psychiatrist cost in Laredo 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 |
In Laredo the two school districts drive a lot of what we see. United ISD and Laredo ISD employees on TRS-ActiveCare are covered through BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, which administers that plan. Logistics and freight employers along Mines Road and near the World Trade Bridge tend to offer Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, or Humana. Humana and Aetna Medicare Advantage plans are common on the cards of older Laredo adults. Anyone without coverage pays the flat prices in the table, with HSA and FSA cards accepted, and no surprise bill afterward.
Who will you see at Lyte?
Your prescriber is either Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD, medical director and supervisory psychiatrist, board-certified in Adult Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, trained at Johns Hopkins and in Texas since 2012, or Toyin Awe, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 12+ years of experience. Counseling is with NaTascha Jones, LPC, or Prishina Jimenez, LPC. Lyte has served 3,000+ patients and holds a 4.9-star average from 200+ Google reviews.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions from Laredo patients
Can I get a psychiatry appointment in Laredo without a referral and without a long wait?
Yes. Book online and most new Laredo patients are seen by video within 1–2 business days. No referral from Laredo Medical Center, Doctors Hospital of Laredo, or a family doctor is required. With eight psychiatrists in a city of about 260,000, new-patient slots in town are scarce; video removes that line.
Does Lyte have an office in Laredo or anywhere near the World Trade Bridge?
No. Laredo is video only. Our single clinic is in Pantego, inside Arlington, roughly 420 miles north on I-35, and we do not expect anyone from Webb County to drive it. Every visit, including the first evaluation, happens by secure video from your location in Texas.
I work overnight dispatch on Mines Road. Can I get a video visit that fits that schedule?
Yes. Tell us your shift when you book and we will look for a video slot that fits around it, and most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. The visit works from a cab, a break room, or your home, as long as you are in Texas and can speak privately. If you hold a commercial driver's license, tell the prescriber, because some medications affect a DOT medical card and we will pick with that in mind.
How much does a psychiatrist cost in Laredo with a school district plan or with no insurance?
A United ISD or Laredo ISD employee on TRS-ActiveCare, administered by BCBS TX, usually pays a $0–$30 copay per visit. Without insurance, a new-patient evaluation is $250, a medication follow-up is $150, a first therapy session is $150, and a therapy follow-up is $125, paid by card, HSA, or FSA.
Can a TAMIU student use Lyte while enrolled, and after graduation?
Yes to both. A Texas A&M International University student can book by video from campus or from home in Laredo, and stays with the same prescriber after graduation as long as they remain in Texas. If the student is on a parent's BCBS TX, Aetna, or UnitedHealthcare plan, we verify that plan; if not, the $250 self-pay evaluation applies.
¿Atienden a pacientes de Laredo en español?
Sí. La evaluación, el seguimiento y la terapia se pueden hacer en español por video. Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book. Laredo is one of the most Spanish-speaking cities in Texas, and an evaluation in Spanish, with a prescription sent to your Laredo pharmacy afterward, is available within 1–2 business days.
I think I have ADHD. Can I start medication from Laredo without going to Pantego?
You can start a non-stimulant by video. 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. For a Laredo adult, that means the first video evaluation and a non-stimulant if the prescriber agrees, with no 420-mile trip.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across San Antonio & South Texas or all Texas locations.
We also see patients by video from San Antonio, Eagle Pass, Corpus Christi, and McAllen.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Laredo
Border Region Behavioral Health Center is the public mental health authority for Webb County and serves residents without insurance. Call or text 988 any time for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, in English or Spanish. In an emergency, go to the emergency department at Laredo Medical Center or Doctors Hospital of Laredo, or call 911. Texas A&M International University students can use the university counseling services while enrolled.
Book a video 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.