Online psychiatry in Pennsylvania: statewide care from clinicians who know you

By Riley Guinan, PA-C. Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc. Last updated: July 9, 2026

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Online psychiatry across Pennsylvania

If you’re looking for an online psychiatrist in Pennsylvania, here is the direct answer: Zellig sees patients across the whole state by secure video, and we’re taking new patients. We work with most major commercial insurance plans in Pennsylvania. Because our clinicians are licensed here, we can care for someone in Erie, Scranton, Pittsburgh, or Philadelphia the same way. We also offer in-person visits on select dates in Wayne, on the Main Line, and in Perkasie, in Bucks County. If you’ve been trying to find a general psychiatrist in Pennsylvania and coming up short, you can book a telehealth evaluation and usually be seen within the week.

What online psychiatric care at Zellig includes

Online psychiatric care at Zellig covers the parts of psychiatry that don’t need a physical exam: a thorough first evaluation, diagnosis, prescribing, and steady follow-up over time. Our telepsychiatry services run by secure video, so the visit works the same from home or from a dorm room at school.

What is telepsychiatry?

Telepsychiatry is psychiatric care delivered by secure video or phone instead of in an office. You meet a licensed prescriber for the same evaluation, diagnosis, and medication care you would get in person, from wherever you are in Pennsylvania.

Here is what that looks like in practice, and where to go for the detail on each.

We see patients ages 12 and up. Younger children are outside what we treat.

Conditions we treat online

Most of what brings adults and teens to psychiatry can be handled well by video. We route the clinical depth to the page for each condition, so you can read more where it helps:

• ADHD in adults, and teen ADHD for adolescents
• An online psychiatrist for anxiety, including the everyday worry that won’t switch off; read more on our anxiety page
• Depression, low mood, and loss of interest
• Sleep problems that keep showing up

If a condition needs a level of care that video can’t provide, we’ll tell you plainly and help you find the right setting.

Can an online psychiatrist prescribe medication?

Yes. In Pennsylvania, a licensed online psychiatric prescriber can evaluate you by video and prescribe most psychiatric medications, then send the online psychiatrist prescription directly to your pharmacy. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and many other non-controlled medications are handled this way every day.

What an online psychiatrist can prescribe is close to what any in-office prescriber can: the same medications, sent to the pharmacy you already use. The visit is where the work happens, reviewing your history and how you’ve responded to treatment before. Our prescribers are physician assistants who work together with a supervising physician. Some practices tell you to “call to discuss” the harder prescribing questions. We would rather answer them here.

Can an online psychiatrist prescribe controlled substances?

Sometimes, and under stricter rules. The Ryan Haight Act generally expects an in-person exam before controlled medications, such as stimulants for ADHD or benzodiazepines, are prescribed. Through December 31, 2026, a DEA and HHS extension lets registered prescribers order Schedule II–V medications by video visit when the conditions are met.

Pennsylvania adds its own monitoring, and we follow it. That means checking the state prescription database, spacing follow-ups appropriately, and, for some situations, asking you to come in for one of our in-person dates in Wayne or Perkasie before or during controlled-substance care. We don’t promise a specific drug before we’ve met you. What we can promise is a clear answer about what’s possible and what the rules require.

Insurance and paying without it

We keep the money question simple, because it shouldn’t be the reason you put off care.

Can you see an online psychiatrist without insurance?

Yes. You can see a psychiatrist online with no insurance and pay out of pocket at Zellig, and we also work with most major commercial plans in Pennsylvania. If you’re using out-of-network benefits, we can give you a superbill, an itemized receipt you submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. Our insurance and fees page lists the specifics.

For online mental health medication with insurance, your plan generally covers the visit the way it covers other specialist care, and your medication is filled at your regular pharmacy under your prescription benefit. If you’re comparing options and want an affordable online psychiatrist, our psychiatry cost guide walks through what visits typically run, with and without coverage.

Booking an online psychiatrist appointment

Booking an online psychiatrist appointment with Zellig takes a few minutes: you request a time, we confirm, and you get a secure video link for the visit. Evening appointments run 3–9 PM, which is later than most practices offer, so you don’t have to take time off work or school.

New patients can usually be seen within the week. If you’re hoping for an online psychiatrist same day appointment, we’ll be honest: same-day isn’t something we guarantee, because a first psychiatric evaluation deserves a full block of time. We book quickly, and we’ll give you the soonest date we genuinely have. To get ready for your first visit, have your pharmacy information handy, a short list of any medications you take, and the main things you want help with.

Telehealth across Pennsylvania, in person on the Main Line and in Bucks County

Pennsylvania telehealth rules let one practice serve the entire state, as long as the clinician is licensed in Pennsylvania and you’re located in Pennsylvania at the time of the visit. That’s why a single psychiatrist Pennsylvania patients can reach by video works for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie, Scranton, and everywhere between. Telepsychiatry Pennsylvania patients rely on is the same care, minus the drive.

Most visits are by video. For patients who want a face-to-face option, we hold in-person dates at our Main Line office in Wayne, at Building 485, The Meadows Office Complex, 485 Devon Park Drive, Wayne, PA 19087, and at our Bucks County office at 1259 Route 113, Perkasie, PA 18944. Wayne sits in the western Philadelphia suburbs, easy to reach from Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties.

Who you’ll see at Zellig

Zellig is led by an all-female team of physician assistants with psychiatric training, working in a collaborative practice that includes a psychiatrist. Every clinician on the team has advanced clinical training, and several hold doctoral degrees or have completed research fellowships. Our care is physician-assistant-led, and we say so plainly. What it means for you is continuity and time: longer first visits and follow-ups that aren’t rushed, with the same clinician who knows your history from one appointment to the next.

You might see Riley Guinan, PA-C, Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, or Jane Joy, PA-C, who trained through a psychiatric fellowship. Each brings advanced training and research experience to the visit, and each keeps their own panel of patients so you’re not starting over every time. That continuity matters most when you’re adjusting a medication, because small week-to-week changes in how you’re doing are what guide the next step.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information, not medical advice. For guidance about your own care or medications, talk with your prescriber.