Find a psychiatrist in Santa Cruz, CA — covered by insurance
Top psychiatrists in Santa Cruz, CA accepting new patients
Headway serves Santa Cruz across all neighborhoods, connecting you with 1,092 warm and solution-oriented providers. Get started with a free intake call, find availability as soon as tomorrow, and benefit from insurance coverage that can reduce your session costs significantly.
Welcome! I’m a dedicated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), passionate about providing holistic, solution-oriented care to individuals of all ages. I earned my degree from the University of South Alabama, and my approach is rooted in compassion, active listening, and evidence-based treatment tailored to your unique needs.
I specialize in medication management and psychotherapy for a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. Whether you’re a child, young adult, or part of the older adult population, my goal is to create a safe, supportive space where healing and growth can thrive.
I believe in treating the whole person, not just symptoms. Together, we’ll develop a personalized plan to help you regain balance and move forward with confidence. I look forward to supporting you on your mental wellness journey!
Hello! I provide psychiatric evaluations and medication management for children (6+), teens, adults, and seniors. Life can feel overwhelming when anxiety, depression, ADHD, or bipolar mood swings affect your energy, focus, relationships, and daily life. I believe mental health care should feel supportive, comfortable, and personalized. As a board-certified PMHNP with over five years of experience, I help individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and other mental health concerns.
Hi, I’m May, a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and I’m here to help you feel like yourself again. I work with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed. I provide medication management along with tools to support better mood, sleep, focus, and daily functioning. I take time to listen and understand your experience so we can create a plan that fits your needs. With a background in both mental health and special education, I bring patience, empathy, and a commitment to meeting you where you are. If you’re ready for support, I’d be honored to work with you.
You show up every day: for your clients, your patients, your family, your team. But somewhere between all of that, showing up for yourself got lost. If you are a caregiver, a healthcare professional, or someone who has spent years keeping everything running, you may have noticed the anxiety, the exhaustion, or the low-grade stress that just will not lift. That is exactly who I work with. As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional with more than 25 years in healthcare, including mental health crisis urgent care, inpatient and outpatient settings, and telehealth work with adults experiencing depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and panic disorders, I bring clinical depth and a genuine understanding of what burnout does to the body and mind. I trained at Azusa Pacific University (BSN, Public Health Nursing) and Wilkes University (MSN, PMHNP), and my goal is to help high-functioning professionals and caregivers restore clarity, resilience, and balance.
About our psychiatrists serving Santa Cruz, CA
- 99%Depression
- 99%Anxiety
- 87%ADD/ADHD
- 85%Bipolar disorder
- 85%PTSD
- 98%Aetna
- 96%Cigna
- 86%Anthem Blue Cross California
- 84%Carelon Behavioral Health
- 61%Curative
- 99%English
- 8%Spanish
- 4%Tagalog
- 4%Igbo
- 2%Hindi
- 91%Online only
- 9%In-person or online
- 73%Woman
- 27%Man
- 92%Nurse Practitioner
- 7%Medical Doctor
- 1%Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- 96%Individual therapy
- 18%Family therapy
- 7%Child or adolescent therapy
- 7%Couples therapy
Frequently asked questions
Find the right psychiatrist for you
Headway makes it easy to find support for your mental health — from finding the right provider, to understanding costs, to scheduling with ease.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Therapist in Santa Cruz
Finding psychiatrists in Santa Cruz starts with knowing what type of care fits your needs. Psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners can diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication, and manage psychiatric care. Therapists provide talk therapy and related support. Both can be helpful entry points depending on what you are looking for. If you are seeking care for anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, or medication management, look for a psychiatrist whose listed specialties and training match your needs.
Santa Cruz is a smaller city, so local psychiatry options may be more limited than in larger California markets. Virtual appointments can expand your options while still letting you choose someone licensed to provide care in California. Psychiatry visits for medication management are usually shorter and less frequent than therapy sessions, and some psychiatrists also offer therapy. Some people work with both a therapist and a prescriber. As you compare options, review appointment availability, whether the psychiatrist is accepting new patients, and each bio’s description of care style, session structure, and areas of focus.
Psychiatric care in Santa Cruz can be a significant expense without insurance. Using in-network insurance is one of the most reliable ways to reduce session costs. Headway helps you find psychiatrists who match your preferences and accept your insurance, then shows your estimated out-of-pocket cost before you book. Every provider listed is accepting new patients, so you can review bios, compare availability, and book directly when you are ready.
If you're already taking psychiatric medication and considering switching providers, talk to your current prescriber before changing or stopping any medication — most psychiatric medications shouldn't be stopped abruptly. Anyone experiencing thoughts of self-harm or in acute crisis should call 988 or go to the nearest emergency department rather than wait for an outpatient appointment.
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