Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Stephenville and Erath County patients by secure video from home or a dorm room. Most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. With an in-network plan you usually pay a $0–$30 copay per visit; without insurance a psychiatric evaluation is $250.
Who this page is for in Stephenville
Picture a Tarleton State University sophomore in the middle of October. The Student Counseling Services office on campus has helped, but the counselor has said the word "medication" twice now, and the nearest psychiatrist who takes the family's BlueCross plan is 70 miles away in Fort Worth. That student can be seen by video this week without a drive up US-377 and without telling anyone in the residence hall why.
This page is also for the dairy hand outside Dublin who milks before sunrise and cannot take a weekday off, the Stephenville ISD teacher on TRS-ActiveCare who has run out of what the school counselor can offer, and the nurse at Texas Health Stephenville who spends the shift caring for other people and has not slept properly since spring. Erath County is the top dairy county in Texas, and that work does not stop for a doctor's appointment 85 miles away.
Pecan Valley Centers is the public mental health authority for Erath County. It is the right door if you have no insurance or are in crisis. If you have BCBS TX, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Humana, Tricare, or Medicare, or can pay $250, we can usually see you within 1–2 business days.
What can Lyte treat for Stephenville patients?
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, teens, and children. Therapy with licensed professional counselors trained in CBT, solution-focused, and trauma-focused work. Combined care, where your prescriber and your therapist write in one shared chart, so a Tarleton student does not have to repeat the story to two strangers. ADHD evaluation and treatment for adults and teens, with stimulant and non-stimulant options.
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, which matters in a rural county where the nearest program is a long drive. We write clinical letters for Tarleton, Stephenville ISD, or an employer on request.
Everything for Stephenville is by secure video. There is no Lyte office in Stephenville or anywhere in Erath County, and our Pantego clinic is roughly 85 miles east via US-377 through Granbury, which is not a reasonable drive for a follow-up. Plan on video for every visit. You see the same provider each time, and prescriptions go to your Stephenville pharmacy after the visit.
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 Erath County patients that means starting on a non-stimulant by video and revisiting the stimulant question if you are ever in the Fort Worth area for a day. Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book.
For the first video visit, bring a list of what you have tried, and if you are a student, bring any accommodation paperwork from Tarleton so we can write to the right office. Semester breaks are not a problem: as long as you are physically in Texas at the time of the visit, you can be seen from your parents' house in Abilene or your summer job in Granbury.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
What the numbers say about Stephenville
Stephenville is small and the county around it is smaller than the student body would suggest. The 2020 Census counted 20,897 people in the city and 42,545 in Erath County, so the city holds a little under half the county. Tarleton State University enrolls more than 14,000 students, and most of them are in town from late August through May.
Supply has not followed. Texas DSHS reported that 162 Texas counties had no psychiatrist in 2025. Erath County residents who want a psychiatrist who takes their insurance most often end up looking to Fort Worth, Granbury, or Abilene, each a round trip of two to three hours.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stephenville population | 20,897 | U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census |
| Erath County population | 42,545 | U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census |
| Texas counties with no psychiatrist | 162 | Texas DSHS, 2025 |
How much does an online psychiatrist cost in Stephenville 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 |
Self-pay prices are flat and posted, and HSA and FSA cards work. The plans we expect from Stephenville are BCBS TX through Tarleton State and the Texas A&M System employee plan, TRS-ActiveCare from Stephenville ISD, and the commercial plans carried by Texas Health Stephenville staff. Students still on a parent's plan can use it; the card only needs the student's name as a dependent. Farm and dairy families who buy their own coverage on the marketplace often hold Ambetter or BCBS TX plans, both in network. If you are uninsured, $250 for the evaluation and $150 per follow-up is the whole price.
Who will you see?
Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD, is our medical director and supervisory psychiatrist, board-certified in Adult Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He trained at Johns Hopkins, stayed on faculty there, and moved to Texas in 2012. Toyin Awe, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 12 or more years of experience. Therapy is with NaTascha Jones, LPC, and 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 Stephenville patients
Is there a psychiatrist who will see me by video in Stephenville, TX?
Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Stephenville and Erath County patients by secure video, with most new patients seen within 1–2 business days. You do not need a referral from Texas Health Stephenville or from Tarleton's counseling office. Book online at any hour, and we verify your benefits before the first visit.
Is there a Lyte office in Stephenville, or do I have to drive to Pantego?
There is no Lyte office in Stephenville. Our only clinic is in Pantego, inside Arlington, roughly 85 miles east by US-377 and I-20, so we do not expect Erath County patients to drive. Every visit for Stephenville is by video unless you choose to come in for a stimulant evaluation.
How fast can a Tarleton student get a first appointment?
Most new patients, students included, are seen within 1–2 business days. That holds during the September rush and the weeks before finals. A student can book from a dorm on the Stephenville campus, take the visit from a private room, and pick up a prescription at a pharmacy on Washington Street or Lingleville Road after the visit.
What does a psychiatrist cost in Stephenville with insurance, and without?
With an in-network plan such as BCBS TX, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Humana, Tricare, or Medicare, most Stephenville patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit. Without insurance, a new-patient psychiatric evaluation is $250, a medication follow-up is $150, and a first therapy session is $150. No round trip to Fort Worth is added to the bill.
Should I go to Pecan Valley Centers instead?
If you have no insurance and cannot pay $250, or you are in crisis, start with Pecan Valley Centers, the public mental health authority for Erath County, or call or text 988. If you have insurance or can pay, Lyte is usually faster, and you can keep the same prescriber for as long as you need.
Can I start ADHD medication by video from Erath County?
Non-stimulant ADHD medication can start by video from Stephenville, Dublin, or anywhere in Erath County. 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. Many rural patients start on a non-stimulant by video and decide later whether the one trip to Pantego is worth it.
Can I be seen while I am home for the summer or on break from Tarleton?
Yes, as long as you are inside Texas during the visit. A Tarleton student who goes home to Waco or Abilene for the summer keeps the same prescriber and the same login. If you spend the summer in another state, we cannot see you until you are back in Texas.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across Dallas-Fort Worth & North Texas or all Texas locations.
We also see patients from Weatherford, Cleburne, Fort Worth, Abilene, and Waco.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Stephenville
Pecan Valley Centers is the public mental health authority for Erath County and serves residents without insurance. Call or text 988 any time for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Tarleton State University students can use Student Counseling Services on campus at no charge. Texas Health Stephenville has an emergency department for a mental health emergency that cannot wait.
Book a video visit at book.lytepsych.com and we will confirm your copay 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.