Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Paris and Lamar County patients by secure video from home or a break room at the plant. Most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. If we are in network with your plan, you usually pay a $0–$30 copay per visit. Without insurance, a new-patient psychiatric evaluation is $250.
Who in Paris is this page for?
Shift change at the Campbell Soup plant on the northeast side of Paris comes at odd hours, and a rotating schedule at Kimberly-Clark off Loop 286 is no easier to plan around. If you work one of those lines, you cannot take a half day to drive to Plano or Dallas for a 2 p.m. psychiatry appointment, and the drive is the reason you have put it off. You have a plan through work, you are sleeping four hours a night, and the panic at the start of a shift is getting worse. This page is written for you.
It is also written for the Paris ISD teacher on TRS-ActiveCare who has been waiting on a referral, the Paris Junior College student whose campus does not have a psychiatrist, and the Lamar County retiree on Medicare whose primary care doctor at Paris Regional Health has already tried two antidepressants and wants a specialist to take over. Lakes Regional Community Center is the public mental health authority for Lamar County, and its first priority is people with no insurance and the most serious diagnoses. If you have a BCBS TX card and moderate depression, we can see you this week.
What kind of care can Paris patients get by video?
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, teens, and children, all by video. Dr. Akintola is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as adult psychiatry, so a Paris ISD student and a parent can both be seen in the same practice. Therapy is with licensed professional counselors who use CBT, solution-focused, and trauma-focused approaches. When you use both, the prescriber and the counselor write in one shared chart.
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. We evaluate and treat ADHD in adults and teens with stimulant and non-stimulant medication. Dr. Akintola is a licensed Suboxone prescriber for opioid use disorder, which matters in a rural county with few prescribers. We write clinical letters for school and work on request.
Every Paris visit is by secure video. There is no Lyte office in Paris or anywhere in Lamar County, and we are not going to suggest that Pantego, roughly 120 miles southwest of the Paris Eiffel Tower, is a reasonable drive for a routine follow-up. You see the same provider at every visit, and prescriptions go electronically to your Paris pharmacy after the appointment.
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 most Paris patients that means we start with a non-stimulant option like atomoxetine or guanfacine by video and revisit the question of a stimulant later if the non-stimulant does not do enough. Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book.
What the numbers say about Paris
Frequent mental distress is the figure that stands out. CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2023) reports that 20.1% of Paris adults have 14 or more poor mental health days a month. That is higher than Greenville, the next city of any size down US-82 and SH-34, at 18.5%, and four points above Texas at 16.1%. Diagnosed depression in Paris is 24.5% of adults, against 22.5% in Greenville and 19.7% for the state. The same CDC release counts 18,683 adults in Paris, so about one in four has a depression diagnosis and roughly one in five is in frequent distress.
The supply side is thin. Texas DSHS reported that 162 Texas counties had no psychiatrist in 2025. Lamar County has a hospital and a junior college; the nearest large pool of psychiatrists who take commercial insurance is in the Dallas suburbs, about 100 miles down US-82 and US-75.
| Measure | Paris | Greenville | Texas | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults diagnosed with depression | 24.5% | 22.5% | 19.7% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress (14+ bad days/month) | 20.1% | 18.5% | 16.1% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adult population, Paris | 18,683 | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 | ||
| Texas counties with no psychiatrist | 162 | Texas DSHS, 2025 |
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.
What will a psychiatrist cost in Paris 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 |
The self-pay prices are flat, and HSA and FSA cards are accepted. In Paris the cards we expect to see most are TRS-ActiveCare from Paris ISD and the other Lamar County districts, which BCBS TX administers, and Medicare for Lamar County retirees. Campbell Soup and Kimberly-Clark each run their own employer plans, and the carrier on your card is what matters, so tell us the carrier when you book and we will confirm the copay before you are seen. If your plan turns out to be one we do not take, the $250 evaluation is the fallback, and you will know that before the appointment.
Who will you see
Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD, is the medical director and supervisory psychiatrist. He is board-certified in Adult Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, trained at Johns Hopkins, stayed on the faculty there, and moved to Texas in 2012. Toyin Awe, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with more than 12 years of experience. Counseling is with NaTascha Jones, LPC, and Prishina Jimenez, LPC. Lyte has served 3,000+ patients and holds a 4.9-star average across 200+ Google reviews.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions from Paris patients
Is there a psychiatrist taking new patients in Paris, Texas right now?
Yes, by video. Lyte Psychiatry is accepting new patients from Paris and the rest of Lamar County, including Reno, Blossom, and Powderly, and most are seen within 1–2 business days. You do not need a referral from Paris Regional Health or from your primary care doctor to book.
Does Lyte have an office in Paris or anywhere in Lamar County?
No. Every Paris visit is by secure video. Our only office is in Pantego, next to Arlington, about 120 miles southwest of Paris by way of US-82 and either US-75 or SH-34, and we do not expect anyone in Lamar County to make that drive for a routine visit. The one exception is a first stimulant evaluation for ADHD, which by our policy happens in person.
How soon can someone in Paris get a first appointment?
Most new Paris patients are seen within 1–2 business days of booking. The booking calendar is open around the clock, so a Kimberly-Clark employee coming off a night shift can book at 6 a.m. and be seen the same week. A specialist referral out of Paris usually means a drive to Sherman or Plano first.
What does a psychiatrist visit cost in Paris with insurance and without?
With an in-network plan such as BCBS TX, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, or Medicare, most patients pay a $0–$30 copay. Without insurance, a new-patient evaluation is $250, a medication follow-up is $150, and a first therapy session is $150. For a Paris Junior College student without coverage, $250 for the first visit and $150 after is the whole price list, and HSA and FSA cards work.
I work rotating shifts at the Campbell Soup or Kimberly-Clark plant in Paris. Can appointments fit that?
Yes. Video visits do not require you to leave Paris or take a half day, and when you book you can tell us your shift pattern so the follow-ups land on your off days. If you need a work letter for a plant supervisor or HR, we write those on request.
Can I start ADHD medication from Paris without driving 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. You can begin with atomoxetine or a similar non-stimulant from home in Paris and decide about a one-time trip to Pantego later, once you know whether the first medication is enough.
I live across the Red River in Oklahoma but work in Paris. Can you see me?
No. Our providers are licensed in Texas, and Texas telehealth rules require you to be physically in Texas during the visit. Someone who lives in Hugo or Idabel and commutes to a Paris plant can only be seen if they are on the Texas side of the river at the time of the appointment, and we do not recommend building care around that. A Lamar County resident who occasionally travels to Oklahoma can schedule visits for days at home.
When should I call Lakes Regional Community Center in Paris instead of Lyte?
Call Lakes Regional first if you have no insurance and cannot pay the $250, or if you or a family member is in a crisis right now. Lakes Regional is the public mental health authority for Lamar County and runs the county's crisis response. Call or text 988 for immediate help at any hour. If you have an in-network plan or can pay self-pay, and you need an evaluation or medication management this week rather than a crisis service, Lyte is the faster door.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across East Texas or all Texas locations.
We also see patients from Greenville, Sherman and Denison, Texarkana, Tyler, and Longview.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Paris
Lakes Regional Community Center is the public mental health authority for Lamar County and is the right call for someone with no insurance or in crisis. Call or text 988 at any hour for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Paris Regional Health has an emergency department for anyone in immediate danger. Paris Junior College students can ask student services what counseling the college offers before paying for care elsewhere.
Book a video visit at book.lytepsych.com and we will verify your benefits before your first appointment. Or call 469-733-0848.
Find the public mental health authority for your county through the Texas HHS local authority directory.