Finding a psychiatrist who actually listens, who has the training to think beyond the first prescription, and who treats you like a person — not a checklist — is harder than it should be. Dr. Gabby Farkas built her practice to fix that.
If you’ve been struggling with depression that won’t lift, anxiety that won’t quiet down, or a medication regimen that doesn’t quite work — and you’re tired of being shuffled between providers who don’t have time to figure out why — you’re in the right place. Dr. Gabriella Farkas, MD, PhD is a board-eligible psychiatrist offering specialized telepsychiatry care to patients in South Carolina, New York, and Virginia, with a clinical focus on the conditions standard care often misses.
A Background That Combines Research and Clinical Care
Dr. Farkas holds both a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) — a dual training path completed by fewer than 5% of practicing psychiatrists in the United States. According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the MD/PhD track is specifically designed for physicians who want to bridge bench-level neuroscience research with patient-facing clinical practice.
In practical terms, that means when Dr. Farkas evaluates a patient, she isn’t just pattern-matching to the most common diagnosis. She brings a working knowledge of the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders, an understanding of how medications act on receptor systems, and the research literacy to apply current peer-reviewed evidence — not just what was taught in residency a decade ago.
Over the past ten years, she has provided direct patient care and clinical consultation to other providers, contributing to the treatment of tens of thousands of patients across multiple states. She has been recognized in regional physician guides, including New York Magazine‘s Top Doctors lists in 2024 and 2025, and Schneps Media’s Queens Courier in 2025.
Why dual training matters for your care
Most patients don’t need a research scientist. What they need is a psychiatrist who reads current literature and updates protocols accordingly — not someone treating from a 2014 playbook. Someone who recognizes when a “standard” medication is the wrong fit and knows what to try next. Who understands drug interactions and metabolic pathways well enough to deprescribe safely. And who can explain the why behind a treatment choice in language that makes sense.
That last point matters more than people realize. When you understand why a medication is being prescribed, you’re more likely to take it as directed, recognize side effects early, and stay engaged in your own treatment. Research from the National Institute of Mental Health consistently shows that informed patients have better outcomes than uninformed ones — regardless of which medication is prescribed.
Source: Trivedi et al., American Journal of Psychiatry, STAR*D & follow-up trials.
Conditions Dr. Farkas Specializes in Treating
Dr. Farkas’s practice focuses on adult psychiatric conditions across the lifespan. While she treats more than 28 distinct diagnoses, her clinical specialty — and where she sees the most successful outcomes — is in treatment-resistant cases that have failed first-line therapy.
Mood and depressive disorders
- Treatment-resistant depression — when SSRIs, SNRIs, or two prior medication trials haven’t produced remission
- Major depressive disorder, including recurrent and chronic forms
- Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorder, including misdiagnosed cases that were treated as unipolar depression
- Postpartum and perinatal depression, with attention to medication safety during breastfeeding
- Perimenopausal mood changes and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
- Seasonal affective disorder
Anxiety, OCD, and trauma-related disorders
- Generalized anxiety disorder — treated without cognitive dulling or dependency
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including targeted dosing and augmentation strategies
- Social anxiety, phobias, and agoraphobia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Adjustment disorders and acute life-transition stress
Specialty populations
- Geriatric psychiatry — including dementia-related behavioral symptoms and late-onset mood disorders
- Adult ADHD — frequently underdiagnosed in high-functioning professionals
- Women’s mental health across hormonal life stages
- Sleep disorders co-occurring with mood or anxiety conditions
Source: Dr. Gabriella Farkas, MD PhD — practice composition, 2025 cohort.
Care that doesn’t fit
Most psychiatric practices run 15-minute medication checks. There isn’t time to figure out why a treatment isn’t working — so patients get the next drug on the list and hope.
Diagnose, don’t guess
Dr. Farkas takes the time to evaluate carefully — reviewing history, prior trials, side effects, and biology — before recommending what to change.
Treatment that works
Patients who haven’t responded to standard care often see meaningful improvement when their regimen is reviewed and optimized by a specialist.
The Clinical Approach: Why Patients Get Better Here
A common pattern among Dr. Farkas’s patients is this: they’ve already seen one, two, or three psychiatrists. They’ve tried Lexapro, then Zoloft, then maybe Wellbutrin. None of it worked the way it was supposed to. They wonder if they’re “just one of those people” who can’t be helped.
They’re almost never one of those people. What’s usually happened is that the underlying diagnosis was incomplete, the medication trials weren’t optimized (wrong dose, wrong duration, wrong order), or a contributing factor — thyroid dysfunction, hormonal shifts, sleep apnea, substance interactions — was never investigated.
Dr. Farkas’s practice is built around catching those gaps.
What the first appointment actually looks like
The initial evaluation is 60–75 minutes — not the rushed 30 minutes typical of insurance-only practices. During that time, Dr. Farkas reviews your psychiatric history in detail, including every medication you’ve tried and how it worked. She discusses your medical history, family history, and current life circumstances. She uses validated rating scales (PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, mood and trauma screens as needed) to establish baseline severity. And she considers contributing medical factors that often go missed: thyroid function, vitamin D, B12, iron, hormonal balance, sleep quality, and substance use.
- 60–75 minute initial evaluations — not 30
- Measurement-based care (PHQ-9, GAD-7) to track real outcomes
- Willingness to deprescribe medications you no longer need
- Direct access — your physician knows you, not a rotating staff
- Transparent fee schedule with a published Good Faith Estimate
Measurement-based care: what the research says
Dr. Farkas uses standardized rating scales at every appointment. This isn’t bureaucratic box-checking — it’s a clinical practice supported by extensive research. A landmark study published in the American Psychiatric Association‘s flagship journal found that patients whose psychiatrists used measurement-based care reached remission at significantly higher rates than those who relied solely on clinical impression.
In practice, that means every visit includes a quick assessment — usually 2 minutes — that tracks your symptoms against your last appointment. If something is working, the data confirms it. If something isn’t, we catch it early and adjust, rather than waiting another six weeks to find out a medication wasn’t doing the job.
Why Telepsychiatry Works — And Where It’s Available
Dr. Farkas delivers all care via secure, HIPAA-compliant video. For psychiatric care specifically — where the consultation is conversation-based and the prescribing physician doesn’t need to lay hands on the patient — telehealth has been shown to be just as effective as in-person treatment, according to research compiled by the National Library of Medicine.
The advantages are practical:
- No driving to an office — appointments happen from your home, car (when parked), or private workspace
- No waiting rooms — your time slot is yours
- Easier to fit into a working schedule — early morning, lunch, and evening slots available
- Better continuity — patients are less likely to skip a virtual appointment than an in-person one
Dr. Farkas is licensed to treat patients located in South Carolina, New York, and Virginia. Licensing follows the patient’s location at the time of the appointment — meaning if you live in any of these states (or are physically present there during your appointment), you can be seen.
Who Is — and Isn’t — a Good Fit for This Practice
An honest answer matters here. Dr. Farkas’s practice is set up for adult outpatient psychiatric care, with particular strength in complex cases. It’s a strong fit for someone who is an adult (18+) seeking psychiatric medication management or a second-opinion consultation, has tried standard medications without satisfactory results, wants to understand why a treatment is being recommended, and lives in or is physically located in South Carolina, New York, or Virginia at appointment times.
It’s not the right fit for someone in acute psychiatric crisis (emergency care should always come first — call 988), someone who needs in-person care for clinical reasons, or someone primarily seeking psychotherapy without medication consideration. For ongoing therapy support alongside psychiatric care, Dr. Farkas regularly coordinates with licensed therapists and can help facilitate that connection. You can also explore her full list of conditions treated or read about specific approaches on her blog.
Insurance, Cost, and What to Expect Financially
Dr. Farkas accepts Aetna and Cigna as in-network plans. For other insurance, the practice operates on an out-of-network basis — you pay at the time of service and receive a Superbill you can submit to your insurance for partial reimbursement, depending on your plan’s out-of-network mental health benefits.
Self-pay rates are transparent and posted on the Good Faith Estimate page, in compliance with the federal No Surprises Act. There are no hidden fees or surprise charges.
Common Questions New Patients Ask
Do I need a referral from my primary care doctor?
No referral is required to schedule with Dr. Farkas. If you’d like your PCP to be informed of your care, Dr. Farkas is happy to send consultation notes back to your referring provider with your written consent.
Will I be on medication forever?
Not necessarily. One of the things that distinguishes Dr. Farkas’s practice is a willingness to deprescribe — to systematically taper and discontinue medications you no longer need. Some patients require long-term medication management. Others, once their underlying condition is properly diagnosed and stabilized, can taper off with careful supervision.
What if I’m already taking medications prescribed by another psychiatrist?
Bring everything to your first appointment — current medications, past medications, doses, and what you remember about how each one worked or didn’t. Dr. Farkas frequently consults on existing treatment plans. Read more on the Second Opinion service page, or if anxiety is part of what you’re dealing with, our companion article on understanding anxiety disorders walks through how Dr. Farkas approaches anxiety specifically.
Is telepsychiatry really as effective as in-person?
For medication management and most psychiatric consultations, yes. A growing body of clinical research — including studies published by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which has been a major adopter of telepsychiatry — shows clinical outcomes equivalent to in-person care, with higher patient satisfaction and lower no-show rates.