Telehealth Psychiatrist Serving Kilgore, TX
East Texas Psychiatry and Counseling — board-certified psychiatric care for Kilgore adults by secure video, with in-person visits at our Tyler clinic 37 miles east on US-259.
East Texas Psychiatry and Counseling is a telehealth psychiatrist for Kilgore, TX residents — a board-certified outpatient practice with its physical clinic at 100 Independence Pl, Suite 307 in Tyler, forty-five minutes east on US-259. Most new Kilgore patients are seen within a week. Same provider every visit. 90-minute first appointments.
Psychiatric Care Built for Kilgore Adults
Kilgore sits in Gregg County, about 37 miles east of Tyler's clinical center. The community is known locally for the title "World's Richest Acre" — referencing the 24 oil derricks that once stood on a single downtown city block during the 1930s East Texas Oil Boom, the famous Kilgore Rangerettes — the women's precision-dance team founded in 1940 at Kilgore College, the East Texas Oil Museum on the Kilgore College campus, the historic downtown derrick row, and the location straddling Gregg and Rusk counties on US-259. Kilgore ISD and Sabine ISD serve Kilgore and surrounding Gregg/Rusk County areas, and the school district remains a key cultural anchor for area families.
Kilgore is one of the larger Tier-2 cities we serve — about 13,376 residents and shaped distinctly by its East Texas Oil Boom heritage. The economy is anchored by Kilgore College, Halliburton operations, ongoing oil-and-gas services, manufacturing, and proximity to Longview (15 mi north) and Tyler (37 mi west). Median household income runs near the regional average. The 37-mile drive west to Tyler is a common path for specialty medical care. For working adults, the 45-minute east-bound drive on US-259 into Tyler is a route most Kilgore residents already know well — it leads directly into UT Health Tyler, CHRISTUS Mother Frances, the Loop 323 medical corridor, and the University of Texas at Tyler.
That commute math is exactly why outpatient psychiatric access has been a quiet problem here. Working adults who need ongoing medication management or therapy often cannot add another after-work drive into Tyler — especially for an appointment that repeats every two to four weeks. Many delay care for months or years; some never start. Federal research compiled through the American Petroleum Institute oil and gas worker health resources documents the same pattern across rural and exurban America: unmet psychiatric need driven not by lower prevalence of conditions, but by access friction that compounds over a typical work week.
Our practice treats adults 18 and older for telepsychiatry and in-person care; adolescent psychiatric care for Kilgore families is available through Karen A. English, PMHNP-BC. Whether you need a one-time evaluation, a second opinion, or ongoing medication and therapy management, the relationship works the same way: same board-certified provider every visit, same response-time expectations, same flexibility between video and in-person care.
Telepsychiatry closes that gap without lowering the clinical bar. East Texas Psychiatry serves Kilgore residents primarily through secure-video appointments — board-certified psychiatric evaluation and management from a living room, a quiet home office, or any space with reliable internet. For patients who prefer in-person visits or whose treatment requires them, our Tyler clinic at 100 Independence Pl is forty-five minutes east on US-259.
Texas has documented behavioral health workforce shortages outside its major metros. Resources tracked through OSHA oil and gas well drilling occupational health show Gregg County sits at the better end of that distribution because Tyler concentrates hospital-based psychiatric services — but the elective, longitudinal outpatient relationship most working adults need has historically carried wait times measured in months. Outpatient telepsychiatry exists to close that distance.
Who We Typically See in Kilgore
Most Kilgore patients we see are not in acute crisis. They are people who have carried something quietly for a while and finally have the space to address it: a Kilgore ISD or Kilgore College educator whose anxiety has been compounding through recent school years; an oilfield-services worker whose untreated depression or PTSD is finally affecting work and family; a working professional whose adult ADHD has been misread as personality for years and finally needs clinical attention; a retiree whose late-life depression has surfaced after losing a spouse. The clinical pictures are common. The barriers to care have been the obstacle. Our model is built around that gap — get seen this week, spend ninety minutes hearing the whole picture, build a plan that fits the life you are actually living.
Psychiatric Services Available to Whitehouse Patients
Every service listed below is available to Kilgore residents by secure-video telepsychiatry, with in-person visits at our Tyler clinic for patients who prefer them or whose treatment requires it. Adolescent psychiatric care is available through Karen A. English, PMHNP-BC.
Psychiatric Evaluation
Ninety minutes is dedicated to your first visit with a board-certified PMHNP — psychiatric history, current presentation, prior treatments, treatment goals, and a written care plan ready at the close.
Learn moreMedication Management
Ongoing medication oversight — dose adjustments where appropriate, side-effect monitoring, response tracking — handled by the same provider Kilgore patients meet with at every visit.
Learn moreSPRAVATO® Therapy
FDA-approved esketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Administered in person at our REMS-certified Tyler clinic — 37 miles east of Kilgore on US-259.
Learn moreAdult ADHD Testing & Diagnosis
Diagnostic evaluation for adult ADHD by our board-certified PMHNPs — initial appointment by telepsychiatry or in person at the Tyler clinic. Schedule II controlled-substance prescribing requires an in-person evaluation first per Texas Medical Board rules.
Learn moreAnxiety & Depression Treatment
Evidence-based medication and therapy for the two presentations Kilgore adults most commonly bring in — alone or together with sleep, grief, or substance use.
Learn moreTelepsychiatry
Secure-video psychiatric care across Texas — equivalent provider continuity, equivalent clinical depth, equivalent prescribing oversight to what Kilgore patients would receive at our in-person Tyler clinic.
Learn moreConditions We Treat
When Kilgore Patients Need to Drive to Tyler
A specific group of treatments must be delivered in person at our Tyler clinic — required either by FDA safety regulations or by the Texas Medical Board's telemedicine rules at 22 TAC §174:
- SPRAVATO® (esketamine) therapy — FDA REMS requires in-person monitored administration
- Initial in-person evaluation for certain Schedule II controlled substances (Adderall, Vyvanse, Concerta)
- Some benzodiazepine initiations
- Complex initial evaluations where the clinical picture calls for in-person assessment
Everything else — SSRIs, mood stabilizers, non-controlled ADHD medications, ongoing medication management, follow-up visits — runs through telepsychiatry from anywhere in Kilgore. The 37-mile drive on US-259 to Tyler stays available, but it does not need to be the default mode of care.
How Telepsychiatry Works for Kilgore Patients
Kilgore patients choose between meeting their provider by secure-video telepsychiatry or driving to our Tyler office — both options route through our HIPAA-compliant AdvancedMD patient portal for intake paperwork, secure messaging, and refill requests. Whether you search for a telepsychiatry provider, a virtual psychiatrist, or an online psychiatric provider serving Kilgore, Texas — it is the same service: secure-video appointments with a board-certified PMHNP who will be your provider every visit. Most new patients are scheduled within five to seven business days. Prescriptions are sent electronically to pharmacies in Kilgore, the Brookshire's pharmacy on US-259, the Walmart Pharmacy in Kilgore, or any Tyler-based pharmacy after your evaluation.
If this is your first psychiatric appointment, the ninety minutes are a structured conversation — no high-pressure pitch, no commitment to start medication. Your PMHNP walks through your psychiatric history, what brought you in now, what you have already tried, and what you are hoping treatment can do. The visit ends with a working diagnosis and a next step you agreed to. Some Kilgore patients leave with combined medication and therapy planned; some choose therapy alone; others choose more evaluation before any prescription is written.
What You'll Need for a Telepsychiatry Visit from Kilgore
- Smartphone, tablet, or computer with camera and microphone
- Reliable internet connection (5+ Mbps recommended — Kilgore-area broadband providers comfortably exceed this)
- A private, quiet space for your appointment
- Your insurance card (first appointment only)
No special app to install — our telepsychiatry platform runs in any current browser. Most Kilgore patients connect from a laptop or phone at home.
Your Kilgore Telepsychiatry Provider Team
The team is built around three board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners covering complementary clinical territory — military and trauma psychiatry, holistic and complex adult care, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Every Kilgore patient sees the same provider every visit. Continuity is not a courtesy — it is structural to how outpatient psychiatry actually works clinically.
James Baughman, PMHNP-BC
Co-Founder · MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
PTSD and trauma specialist, veteran mental health, treatment-resistant depression, and SPRAVATO® therapy. Began his medical career as a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman in 1987, transitioning through critical care nursing to advanced practice psychiatry. Known for steady leadership and a thoughtful clinical approach with adolescent and adult patients.
View full bio →
Antonio Brigham, PMHNP-BC
Co-Founder · MSN-Ed, APRN, PMHNP-BC, PMHNP-C
Holistic and trauma-informed psychiatric care, severe and persistent mental illness, and complex co-occurring diagnoses. Career path runs from front-line group-home direct-care worker through group-home management to MSN-Ed and dual PMHNP board certification. Maintains a holistic clinical lens that recognizes the intersection of mental health, medical comorbidities, trauma, and social determinants of health.
View full bio →
Karen A. English, PMHNP-BC
MSN, PMHNP-BC
Child and adolescent psychiatry, family-centered care, and crisis-to-outpatient continuity. Served as Psychiatric Mental Health Charge Nurse at UT Health Tyler in the acute inpatient setting. Master of Science in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing from Regis College with specialized rotations in adolescent, geriatric, and lifespan psychiatry.
View full bio →Together, the three providers handle the full clinical range Kilgore adults bring through telepsychiatry — first-episode depression and anxiety, adult ADHD diagnosed for the first time at 35 or 50, postpartum mood disorders, bipolar I and II, complex PTSD, and treatment-resistant cases that have already cycled through several previous prescribers. Medication management and therapy are coordinated under one practice — same notes, same care plan, same provider talking to your therapist about what is and is not working.
Insurance Accepted for Kilgore Patients
We are accepting new Kilgore patients across most major commercial insurance carriers plus Medicare. Self-pay is available for patients who prefer it or whose plans we do not contract with. Before your first appointment we verify your specific benefits — copay structure, deductible status, prior-authorization requirements, plan-specific behavioral health terms — so you understand your financial picture before meeting your provider. We do not do surprise billing.
Texas Telehealth Insurance Parity
Under Texas Insurance Code §1455, your plan generally must reimburse a telepsychiatry visit at the same rate as an equivalent in-person visit. Specific plan terms — deductible application, prior-authorization rules, visit limits — still vary. Call (430) 288-5800 and we will verify your Kilgore benefits before your first appointment.
Also Serving Communities Near Kilgore
Our telepsychiatry footprint covers Gregg County and the broader East Texas region. Kilgore residents share our care with neighbors in:
Visiting Our Tyler Clinic from Kilgore
For Kilgore patients who prefer in-person care — or for treatments like SPRAVATO® that must be delivered in person — our Tyler clinic is at 100 Independence Pl, Suite 307, Tyler, TX 75703, just off Loop 323. The drive from central Kilgore runs about 37 miles east on US-259, typically 45 minutes. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with free on-site parking and convenient access from UT Health East Texas, CHRISTUS Mother Frances, and the University of Texas at Tyler.
Frequently Asked Questions from Kilgore Patients
Do you have a psychiatrist office in Kilgore, TX?
We do not have a physical office in Kilgore. We serve Kilgore residents through secure-video telepsychiatry and through our Tyler clinic, located approximately 37 miles east of Kilgore at 100 Independence Pl, Suite 307. Most Kilgore patients see us by telepsychiatry; some prefer to make the 45-minute drive on US-259 for in-person care.
How does telehealth psychiatry work for Kilgore residents?
You schedule online or by phone. We verify your insurance benefits before the visit. You meet your board-certified PMHNP by secure video from anywhere in Kilgore — home, office, or any private space with reliable internet. Prescriptions are sent electronically to your preferred pharmacy in Kilgore, Tyler, or anywhere in Texas.
How quickly can a Kilgore resident get a psychiatric appointment?
Most new patients from Kilgore and the surrounding Gregg County area are scheduled within 5 to 7 business days. Same-week appointments are the standard. Call (430) 288-5800 or use our online scheduling form.
Is telepsychiatry covered by insurance for Kilgore residents?
Yes. Under Texas Insurance Code §1455, your plan generally must cover a telepsychiatry visit at the same rate as an in-person visit. We accept Aetna, Ambetter, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and Evernorth, Medicare, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and UMR. We verify your Kilgore benefits before your first appointment.
Can I get SPRAVATO® esketamine therapy as a Kilgore resident?
Yes. SPRAVATO® must be administered in person under FDA REMS monitoring, so Kilgore patients receiving SPRAVATO® drive to our Tyler clinic — a 37-mile, 45-minute trip east on US-259. Initial evaluation and ongoing medication management around SPRAVATO® can be handled by telepsychiatry from home.
Will I see the same psychiatric provider every visit?
Yes. We do not rotate Kilgore patients through whoever happens to be on shift. Continuity of care is structural to how we work — you see the same board-certified PMHNP at every visit, whether by secure video or in person at our Tyler clinic.
Is telepsychiatry as effective as in-person psychiatric care?
The evidence is strong. Federal research summarized through the NIOSH oil and gas worker health research centers and similar agencies consistently shows video-based psychiatric care produces clinical outcomes equivalent to in-person care across diagnostic accuracy, treatment adherence, and symptom resolution. Some patients still prefer in-person visits, and we offer that option at our Tyler clinic.
What should a Kilgore resident do during a mental health crisis?
If you are thinking about hurting yourself or are in immediate danger, please call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. The Andrews Behavioral Health 24-hour crisis hotline is 877-934-2131 (Smith County's Local Mental Health Authority). The nearest emergency rooms are UT Health East Texas Specialty Hospital Kilgore (local primary care) and UT Health Tyler at 1000 S Beckham Ave (~37 mi west). The nearest psychiatric inpatient facility is UT Health East Texas Behavioral Health Center at 4101 University Blvd in Tyler. We are here for non-emergency follow-up care once you are safe.
Why Kilgore Patients Choose a Regional Practice Over National Telehealth Apps
For Kilgore residents weighing a regional outpatient practice with telehealth against a national direct-to-consumer telehealth app, the structural differences cut deeper than the surface-level convenience. Six things deserve a look before you pick a provider — and they often do not favor the bigger brand.
| What to Compare | East Texas Psychiatry | National Telehealth Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity of Care | Same provider every visit | Often rotating clinicians |
| Insurance | In-network: BCBS, UHC, Aetna, Cigna, Medicare, more | Often cash-pay only |
| In-Person Option | Tyler clinic is 37 mi from Kilgore | No physical infrastructure |
| Local Knowledge | Texas-licensed clinicians familiar with East Texas health systems | Often out-of-state clinicians |
| Care Coordination | Direct relationships with Tyler PCPs and hospitals | No local network |
| Specialty Treatments | REMS-certified SPRAVATO® at Tyler clinic | Most apps do not offer this |
The honest take: when care involves SPRAVATO® administration, controlled-substance prescribing requiring in-person evaluation, or active coordination with a Tyler-area primary care physician or hospital system, a regional practice with a real address 37 miles east of Kilgore fits the situation in ways a national app structurally cannot. Routine medication management between visits works through either model — but provider continuity and in-network coverage favor the regional option for Kilgore residents planning to stay in care over the long run.
Mental Health Resources Available to Kilgore Residents
If You're in Crisis in Kilgore Right Now
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 (24/7)
- Andrews Behavioral Health Crisis Hotline — 877-934-2131 (24/7, Smith County's Local Mental Health Authority)
- Nearest emergency rooms — UT Health Specialty Hospital Kilgore (local); UT Health Tyler, 1000 S Beckham Ave (~37 mi west)
- Nearest psychiatric inpatient facility — UT Health East Texas Behavioral Health Center, 4101 University Blvd, Tyler, TX 75701
- Veterans Crisis Line — Call 988, then press 1, or text 838255
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
East Texas Psychiatry is one piece of a broader Gregg County mental health ecosystem that Kilgore residents can draw on. Whether our practice is the right fit for your situation or not, the resources below exist to help. Many of them serve patient populations or care levels we do not.
Ongoing Mental Health Resources for Smith County
- Andrews Behavioral Health — 2323 W Front St, Tyler, TX 75702 · (903) 597-1351 · The designated Local Mental Health Authority for Smith County. Sliding-fee scale and Medicaid acceptance for adults and youth with severe mental illness, IDD services, and substance use treatment.
- NAMI Tyler — 6141 Paluxy Dr, Suite 117, Tyler, TX 75703 · (903) 308-0200 · namityler.org · Free support groups and educational classes for individuals living with mental illness and their families.
- UT Health East Texas Behavioral Health — 24-hour hotline 903-877-7168 · Inpatient and intensive outpatient programs.
- Texas 211 — Dial 211 for statewide social services, housing, food, and crisis referrals.
- Veterans Crisis Line — 988 then press 1, or text 838255 · Confidential 24/7 support for veterans and service members.
- Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741 from any US phone. Free, 24/7, confidential text-based crisis support.
If you reach out and our practice is not the right fit — for cost, acuity, modality, or geography — we say so directly and refer you to a Gregg County, Rusk County, or wider East Texas resource better suited. Knowing when to refer is core to a working regional network.
Ready to Begin Telehealth Care in Kilgore?
Most new Kilgore patients are seen within a week — by secure video from home, or in person at our Tyler clinic 37 miles east on US-259 if you prefer. Same provider every visit. Ninety minutes for your first appointment. Most major insurance accepted.
Our Tyler clinic: 100 Independence Pl, Suite 307, Tyler, TX 75703 · 37 miles east of Kilgore via US-259 · Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM
