Online Psychiatrists in California for Children, Teens, and Adults
Savant Care provides secure online psychiatry, therapy, and medication management to California residents of all ages. Our 13 California-licensed clinicians, including child and adolescent specialists, see patients statewide through HIPAA-compliant video visits. Same-week appointments are typically available.
In-network with 27 insurance plans in California, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, Health Net, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Magellan, Tricare, and Medicare. Most copays $0–$50 with insurance.*
*Actual copay depends on your specific plan and benefits. We verify your costs before your first appointment.
In a hurry? You can book a same-week telehealth appointment now, or keep scrolling to see how online care works in California.
Who We Help in California
Savant Care provides online psychiatry and therapy to Californians across the lifespan. Whether you are a parent looking for support for your child, a college student managing anxiety, a working professional with burnout, or an older adult navigating a recent diagnosis, we have California-licensed clinicians who can help. Our patients are typically:
Children and adolescents (ages 6–17)
Our child and adolescent psychiatry care is led by Dr. Bernice Ponce de Leon, DO. Parents or guardians book the appointment and participate as appropriate. Common reasons families seek us: ADHD evaluations and medication management, school-related anxiety, mood concerns, and behavioral support.
Young adults and college students (ages 18–25)
Many of our young adult patients are managing the transition to independence, academic pressure, or first-time mental health treatment. Common reasons: anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep issues, and adjustment difficulties.
Working professionals
Stress, burnout, performance anxiety, and the impact of high-pressure work environments. Our flexible scheduling fits around work hours, with evening and same-week appointments typically available.
Parents and caregivers
Juggling multiple roles, family stress, and the cognitive load of caregiving. We treat both you and, where helpful, members of your family through our multi-clinician team.
Adults experiencing waitlist fatigue
If you have faced months-long waits at large health systems or rushed 15-minute medication visits, our model is different. Initial evaluations are 60–90 minutes.
Geographic coverage: All of California. Patients across Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and smaller cities and rural areas can connect with our California-licensed clinicians by secure video.
From the Clinic | Who Actually Shows Up on the First Call
In my work with Savant Care patients across California, the most common first-call profile is someone who has tried to schedule with a local psychiatrist and been told the wait is three to six months. We can typically see them within a week. The second most common is a parent calling for a teenager who needs an ADHD evaluation and is falling behind in school. Both are situations where speed matters, and telehealth removes the geographic constraint.
— Shebna N. Osanmoh I, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Savant Care
Mental Health Conditions We Treat Online in California
Our California-licensed clinicians diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions through secure telehealth. Each condition below includes a brief overview of what we typically address. If your concern is not listed, call or text (866) 499-2588 and our team can help you decide if Savant Care is the right fit.
Depression
We treat major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, postpartum depression, and seasonal depression. Treatment typically combines medication management with talk therapy, customized to your symptoms and history. Common first-line medications include SSRIs and SNRIs; alternatives are available if these have not worked for you.
Learn more →Anxiety
We treat generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, and health anxiety. Our approach combines evidence-based therapy (CBT, exposure-based approaches) with medication where appropriate. We work with both new diagnoses and patients who have been managing anxiety for years.
Learn more →ADHD (Adult and Adolescent)
We provide comprehensive ADHD evaluations and ongoing medication management for both adults and adolescents. Per California and federal regulations, prescribing controlled stimulant medications via telehealth requires specific clinical protocols which we follow. Initial evaluations are typically 60–90 minutes.
Learn more →Bipolar Disorder and Mood Disorders
We treat bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic disorder, and disruptive mood dysregulation. Care includes mood stabilization, medication management, and ongoing monitoring. We coordinate with your primary care provider when appropriate.
Learn more →PTSD and Trauma
We treat post-traumatic stress disorder and complex trauma using evidence-based approaches. Dr. Philip Martin Takakjian, our California-licensed clinical psychologist, brings 37 years of trauma and PTSD expertise to our team. Our patients also have complimentary access to Trauma-Informed Yoga led by our certified instructor.
Learn more →OCD and Intrusive Thoughts
We treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and related conditions including intrusive thoughts that interfere with daily life. Treatment combines exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy with medication when clinically appropriate.
Learn more →Substance Use and Addiction
Dr. Bessy Martirosyan, MD, is board-certified in both adult and addiction psychiatry. We treat alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, and other substance use conditions. Dr. Philip Takakjian also brings deep clinical expertise in this area.
Learn more →Postpartum and Perinatal Mental Health
We support pregnant patients and new parents experiencing depression, anxiety, or intrusive thoughts in the perinatal period. Telehealth removes the burden of bringing a newborn to an appointment.
Insomnia and Sleep Disorders
We treat chronic insomnia, often as part of a broader treatment plan that addresses underlying anxiety, depression, or other conditions affecting sleep.
Learn more →Relationship and Family Stress
Our therapists support individuals working through relationship difficulties, family conflict, and life transitions. We do not currently provide couples or family therapy as a primary modality, but individual support around these issues is a core part of our practice.
Learn more →Do not see your exact concern? Call or text (866) 499-2588 and our team can help you decide if Savant Care is the right fit.
How Online Psychiatry Works at Savant Care (California)
The process is designed to get you in front of a clinician within a week. Here is what happens, step by step:
Confirm you are physically located in California
California law requires that the patient be physically present in California at the time of the video visit, because our clinicians are California-licensed. You can be at home, at work, or in a private space. Before your first visit, we confirm your California address.
Book a same-week appointment
Book online at ibook.savantcare.com or call (866) 499-2588. Most new patients are scheduled within 5–7 days. For minors, parents or guardians book the appointment on the child's behalf through the same ibook flow.
Complete secure intake forms
Before your first visit, you will fill out HIPAA-compliant intake forms covering medical history, current concerns, medications, and insurance information. This usually takes 15–25 minutes. The more complete the intake, the more productive your first visit.
Insurance verification
Our team verifies your insurance benefits and tells you your estimated copay, coinsurance, or deductible status before your first appointment. If you are out-of-network or self-pay, we explain self-pay rates and provide superbills you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement.
Meet your clinician by video
Initial psychiatric evaluations are 60–90 minutes and conducted by video on a HIPAA-compliant platform. Your clinician reviews your history, asks clinically relevant questions, and discusses your goals. By the end of the visit, you typically have a working diagnosis, a treatment plan, and any necessary prescriptions sent to your pharmacy.
Ongoing care and follow-up
Follow-up visits are typically 25–45 minutes and scheduled based on your treatment plan. Medication adjustments, therapy sessions, and progress check-ins all happen by secure video. Between visits, you have access to secure messaging through our patient portal.
⚠️ Crisis Support: If you're in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please call 988 or go to your nearest emergency room instead of booking online. Online psychiatry is not designed for crisis intervention.
California Telehealth: What State Law Requires
California has some of the most patient-friendly telehealth laws in the country. Here is what you should know:
Telehealth parity is required by California state law.
Under California state law, commercial health insurance plans are required to cover telehealth services on the same basis they cover in-person services. This means your copay, deductible, and coverage for a telehealth psychiatry visit cannot be more restrictive than for an in-person visit, when both are with an in-network provider.
Your clinician must be California-licensed.
California law requires that any clinician treating a California-located patient hold a valid California license from the relevant board (Medical Board of California for physicians, Board of Registered Nursing for nurse practitioners, Board of Psychology for psychologists). All 13 of our clinicians are California-licensed.
You must be physically present in California at the time of your visit.
If you travel out of state, we typically cannot conduct a telehealth visit while you are physically located outside California, because our California-licensed clinicians can only treat patients located in California (or, in some cases, other states where the clinician also holds a license). Plan ahead if you have travel coming up; we can usually schedule a visit before or after your trip.
Controlled substance prescribing has additional rules.
Prescribing controlled substances (including stimulants used for ADHD treatment) through telehealth is regulated by both California state law and federal DEA rules. We follow current state and federal protocols, which may include requirements such as an in-state evaluation, periodic in-person follow-up, or specific documentation. Your clinician will explain what applies to your situation during the initial evaluation.
From the Clinic | Why California Licensing Matters for You
Patients sometimes ask why we cannot continue treating them when they move out of California or take a long trip out of state. The reason is that my license is issued by California, and the rules of clinical care follow the patient's location, not the clinician's. This is true for every legitimate telehealth practice. If a service is willing to treat you across state lines without checking licensure, that is a red flag worth taking seriously.
— Shebna N. Osanmoh I, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Savant Care
Specialty Care: Areas Where Savant Care Goes Deeper
Most online psychiatry practices treat the same handful of common conditions. We do that too, but we also have clinicians with deeper specialization in several areas where California patients often struggle to find care.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr. Bernice Ponce de Leon, DO is a board-certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist serving California patients. She treats ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, and behavioral concerns in children and teens (ages 6 and up). Telehealth removes many of the friction points families face: pulling a child out of school early to drive to an appointment, scheduling around two parents' work schedules, and finding a specialist who has openings.
Addiction and Substance Use Treatment
Dr. Bessy Martirosyan, MD is board-certified in both adult and addiction psychiatry. Dr. Philip Martin Takakjian, Ph.D. brings 37 years of clinical experience in addiction treatment as a California-licensed clinical psychologist. Together, they offer addiction care that is integrated with mental health treatment, rather than the separated, fragmented care model that often fails patients.
Trauma and PTSD
Dr. Philip Martin Takakjian, Ph.D. specializes in trauma and PTSD. As a complement to clinical treatment, every Savant Care patient has access to complimentary 1:1 Trauma-Informed Yoga sessions led by our certified instructor, Riya Bhatt (RYT-200, Trauma-Informed Yoga Certified). There is no additional cost and no separate booking; the care team coordinates it for you.
Geriatric and Older Adult Mental Health
Dr. Gautham TN Reddy, MD brings 40+ years of psychiatric experience with particular depth in working with older adults navigating depression, anxiety, life transitions, and cognitive concerns. He also accepts Medicare.
Meet Our 13 California-Licensed Clinicians
All clinicians below are licensed to treat patients located in California via telehealth. Our team includes 7 psychiatrists, 4 psychiatric nurse practitioners, and 2 therapists/psychologists. We will match you with the provider who best fits your needs, schedule, and insurance.
Not sure who to choose? Book a same-week appointment and our team will match you.
Insurance and Costs for California Patients
We are in-network with 27 insurance plans in California. Most patients pay $0–$50 per visit in copay, depending on their plan. Here is the full picture:
Commercial plans we accept in California
Aetna, Alignment, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Shield of California, CentraPsych, Cigna, Comp Psych, First Health, Health Net, Humana, IMS, Independence Blue Cross, Magellan Health, MHN, MultiPlan, Optum, Oscar, Premera Blue Cross, Sharp Health Plan, UMR, UnitedHealthcare, WellCare, Well Point, and Western Health Advantage.
Government and military programs we accept in California
Medicare. Tricare. (See note below on Medi-Cal.)
About Medi-Cal
Savant Care does not currently accept Medi-Cal. If you have Medi-Cal coverage, your county Behavioral Health Department or a Medi-Cal-contracted provider may be the most direct path to covered care. We are happy to help you understand your options when you call.
What verification looks like, step by step
Before your first appointment, our team calls your insurance company (with your authorization), confirms your in-network status, checks your behavioral health benefits, and identifies your copay, coinsurance, and deductible status. We then walk you through the estimated cost of your first visit and ongoing care. This typically takes 24–48 hours and there is no charge for verification.
How telehealth parity affects your costs
Under California law, your insurance must cover telehealth on the same basis as in-person care for in-network providers. In practice, this means your copay for a Savant Care video visit is typically the same as it would be for an in-person psychiatry visit under your plan.
If you are out-of-network
If your plan does not include us in-network, you have two options. First, you can pay self-pay rates, which we will disclose upfront with no hidden fees. Second, we can provide a superbill (a detailed receipt) that you submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Out-of-network reimbursement varies by plan, typically 50–70% of allowed amount after you meet your out-of-network deductible. We can help you understand what to expect.
If you do not see your plan listed
We add new insurance partnerships regularly. If your plan is not in our list, call (866) 499-2588 and we will check whether we have added it recently, or discuss self-pay rates.
From the Clinic | What I Tell Patients About Insurance Verification
I always recommend patients let our team handle the verification call rather than trying to do it themselves. Insurance behavioral health benefits are complicated, and the wording on a plan summary often does not match what the call center will quote when we ask the right questions. We do this every day for hundreds of patients, so we know exactly what to ask. You will save yourself an hour of frustration and probably get a more accurate cost estimate.
— Shebna N. Osanmoh I, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Savant Care
Why Californians Choose Savant Care for Online Psychiatry
Same-week appointments are typical
Our average wait time for new telehealth evaluations is 5–7 days, compared to 3–6 months at many large California health systems. This is the reason most new patients reach us.
60–90 minute initial evaluations
First visits are long enough to do real clinical work, not the rushed 15-minute medication check-ins that have become standard in many practices.
Caring for 800+ people every day across our locations
Savant Care has been treating patients since 2014. We are licensed in California, Texas, and New York, with the deepest concentration of our 13 California-licensed clinicians serving Californians by telehealth.
Team-based care
Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and therapists collaborate to align your treatment. If you need both medication and therapy, we coordinate it internally rather than asking you to find a separate therapist on your own.
Complimentary Trauma-Informed Yoga
Every Savant Care patient receives complimentary 1:1 Trauma-Informed Yoga sessions, led by Riya Bhatt (RYT-200, Trauma-Informed Yoga Certified). No additional cost, no separate booking, coordinated directly with your care team.
HIPAA-compliant, SOC 2 Type II certified
All visits, messages, and records are protected by an end-to-end encrypted, HIPAA-compliant platform with SOC 2 Type II certified security.
Ready to get started?
FAQs About Online Psychiatry in California
Yes, you must be physically located in California at the time of your video visit. California-licensed clinicians can only treat patients who are physically present in California (or in another state where the clinician also holds a license). You do not need to be a permanent California resident, but you do need to be in California during the appointment.
Yes, our California-licensed psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can prescribe most psychiatric medications through telehealth. This includes antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and most ADHD medications. Controlled substances (such as stimulants used for ADHD) are prescribed in accordance with current California and federal DEA rules, which your clinician will discuss with you during the evaluation.
Yes. Dr. Bernice Ponce de Leon, DO is a board-certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist serving California families. We treat children and adolescents (ages 6 and up) for conditions including ADHD, anxiety, depression, and behavioral concerns. A parent or guardian books the appointment and participates as clinically appropriate.
Most California patients pay between $0 and $50 per visit in copay, depending on their insurance plan. We verify your specific costs before your first appointment so there are no surprises. If you are out-of-network, self-pay rates are disclosed upfront.
No, Savant Care does not currently accept Medi-Cal. If you have Medi-Cal coverage, your county Behavioral Health Department or a Medi-Cal-contracted provider may be the most direct path to covered care.
Yes. We accept Medicare for California patients. Dr. Gautham TN Reddy, MD brings 40+ years of experience working with older adults and is one of several clinicians who see Medicare patients.
Our California-licensed clinicians cannot conduct telehealth visits while you are physically located outside California. If you have travel planned, schedule your visit before you leave or after you return. Some of our clinicians are also licensed in Texas or other states, which may give you more flexibility — ask our team when you book.
Most new California patients are scheduled within 5–7 days. Same-week appointments are typically available. If you need urgent care, call (866) 499-2588 and we will work with you to schedule as quickly as possible. If you are in crisis, call 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Yes. Our team includes therapists and a clinical psychologist alongside our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. If you need both medication and therapy, we coordinate it internally so you are not managing two separate provider relationships.
Every Savant Care patient receives complimentary 1:1 Trauma-Informed Yoga sessions led by our certified instructor, at no additional cost and with no separate booking required. Your care team coordinates it directly.
Still have questions? Book a free 15-minute call with our care coordinator. Call (866) 499-2588.
Start Online Psychiatric Care in California
Same-week telehealth appointments are typically available for children, teens, adults, and older adults anywhere in California. We will verify your insurance, match you with the right clinician, and guide you through your first visit.
⚠️ Crisis Support: If you're in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please call 988 or go to your nearest emergency room instead of booking online. Online psychiatry is not designed for crisis intervention.