73/100RP Score
Ranked #1 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.7★ from 3 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Best Psychiatrists in Athens, AL (2026)
40 psychiatrists ranked by RP ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Best overall in Athens: Dr. James A. Jeffery, MD, RP Score 73/100; 4.7★ from 3 Google reviews.
- 26
Most-reviewed: North Alabama Family Psychiatry & Counseling, 428 Google reviews at 4.3★, the most of 40 ranked; ranked #26.
Rankings can't be bought. Psychologists can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
40 Athens psychiatrists are ranked here by RP Score, from eight published factors. 3 open Saturdays and 2 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.2★ across 40 rated practices.
Top 10 psychiatrists in Athens at a glance
Ranked by the RP Score from public listing data, not by treatment outcomes; Sponsored placements are shown separately and never change rank.
| Rank | Business | RP Score | Google rating | Based in | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. James A. Jeffery, MD | 73 | 4.7★ (3) | Athens | Overall |
| 2 | Patty Wilkes, LISCW | 71 | 1.0★ (3) | Athens | — |
| 3 | Centered - Psychiatric and Counseling Services | 66 | 5.0★ (4) | Madison, 16 mi away | — |
| 4 | Dr. Bryant Mahaffey | 65 | 2.5★ (4) | Decatur, 15 mi away | — |
| 5 | Lindsay Trevor R MD | 64 | 4.1★ (27) | Huntsville, 23 mi away | — |
| 6 | Anika Wilson, MD | 64 | 4.2★ (65) | Madison, 15 mi away | — |
| 7 | Sharp Hugh H MD | 63 | 3.4★ (28) | Huntsville, 23 mi away | — |
| 8 | Clinton Martin | 62 | 3.7★ (3) | Huntsville, 23 mi away | — |
| 9 | Dr. Ammar Alrefai, MD | 62 | 3.8★ (40) | Madison, 15 mi away | — |
| 10 | Dr. Praveen Jetty | 62 | 3.0★ (4) | Huntsville, 23 mi away | — |
The 40 best psychiatrists in Athens, ranked
Ordered by RP Score, a 0–100 score from eight published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked by the RP Score from public listing data, not by treatment outcomes; Sponsored placements are shown separately and never change rank.
Based in Athens
71/100RP ScoreRanked #2 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 1.0★ from 3 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Madison, 16 mi away
66/100RP ScoreRanked #3 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Decatur, 15 mi away
65/100RP ScoreRanked #4 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 2.5★ from 4 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
64/100RP ScoreRanked #5 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.1★ from 27 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Madison, 15 mi away
64/100RP ScoreRanked #6 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.2★ from 65 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
63/100RP ScoreRanked #7 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 3.4★ from 28 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
62/100RP ScoreRanked #8 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 3.7★ from 3 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Madison, 15 mi away
62/100RP ScoreRanked #9 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 3.8★ from 40 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
62/100RP ScoreRanked #10 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 3.0★ from 4 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 24 mi away
62/100RP ScoreRanked #11 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.9★ from 46 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Madison, 15 mi away
62/100RP ScoreRanked #12 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.5★ from 8 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Athens
61/100RP ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 4.5★ from 33 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mental health service”.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 24 mi away
61/100RP ScoreRanked #14 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.9★ from 44 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
61/100RP ScoreRanked #15 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 1.6★ from 7 Google reviews.
Based on 6 of 8 factors; recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 24 mi away
61/100RP ScoreRanked #16 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.3★ from 101 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 18 mi away
61/100RP ScoreRanked #17 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.4★ from 14 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
#18 Kumar Scariya MD
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
60/100RP ScoreRanked #18 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.1★ from 51 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
60/100RP ScoreRanked #19 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 5.0★ from 19 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 18 mi away
59/100RP ScoreRanked #20 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Mental health service”, 2.7★ from 46 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Athens
59/100RP ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mental health service”.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 17 mi away
58/100RP ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 4.7★ from 142 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Counselor”.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
58/100RP ScoreRanked #23 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 3.6★ from 19 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
Based in Huntsville, 24 mi away
58/100RP ScoreRanked #24 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Psychiatrist”, 4.1★ from 15 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
#25 Emily Kane, MD
Based in Huntsville, 23 mi away
58/100RP ScoreRanked #25 because of specialty focus and its Google rating: listed on Google as “Child psychiatrist”, 5.0★ from 8 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 8 factors; recency not yet collected.
All 40 psychiatrists
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #40, in RP Score order; each links to its profile.
| Rank | Business | RP Score | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | North Alabama Family Psychiatry & Counseling | 58 | 4.3★ (428) | 15 mi |
| 27 | Foundations Counseling Center, Inc. | 58 | 4.1★ (17) | In Athens |
| 28 | Psychiatric services Dr Rosa Cieszkowski | 58 | 4.3★ (7) | 25 mi |
| 29 | Dr. Roza B. Cieszkowski, MD | 57 | 3.5★ (17) | 25 mi |
| 30 | Dr. Gagandeep S. Dhaliwal, MD | 57 | 3.1★ (23) | 24 mi |
| 31 | Precision Psychiatric Services | 56 | 4.3★ (95) | 16 mi |
| 32 | Lighthouse Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Clinic | 55 | 4.2★ (37) | 16 mi |
| 33 | Madison Psychiatry Services | 54 | 4.5★ (8) | 15 mi |
| 34 | Integrated Behavioral Health | 53 | 4.5★ (300) | 15 mi |
| 35 | North Alabama Psychiatric Associates | 52 | 2.9★ (66) | 15 mi |
| 36 | Sykes Psychiatric and Wellness | 50 | 5.0★ (5) | 24 mi |
| 37 | Amit Arora, MD | 46 | 3.7★ (42) | 23 mi |
| 38 | UAB Medicine Huntsville | 45 | 3.3★ (279) | 23 mi |
| 39 | Psychiatric Outreach | 44 | 3.8★ (53) | 40 mi |
| 40 | Valley Psychiatric Associates | 43 | 3.0★ (4) | 38 mi |
Also serving Athens
14 more psychiatrists within 40 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a specialty we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Adams Douglas MD | 5.0★ (1) | 15 mi |
| Christian Psychiatry and Wellness | 5.0★ (1) | 32 mi |
| Dr. Aparna Vuppala, MD | 3.0★ (2) | 24 mi |
| Hearth Psychology & Counseling | 24 mi | |
| Huntsville Neuropsychiatric Services | 1.0★ (2) | 24 mi |
| Jun Liu | 2.5★ (2) | 15 mi |
| Kelly Fisher | 5.0★ (1) | 16 mi |
| Marguerite Brown | 5.0★ (1) | 14 mi |
| Michelle M. Reeves, MD | 23 mi | |
| North Alabama Psychiatric | 24 mi | |
| Prudence Psychiatry at Madison | 15 mi | |
| Psychiatric Associates Of N Al | 5.0★ (2) | 14 mi |
| Shoals Psychiatric Medicine Clinic | 5.0★ (1) | 40 mi |
| Yelena Chistyakova | 3.0★ (2) | 15 mi |
How we ranked Athens psychiatrists
We scored 40 Athens psychiatrists on eight factors, weighted as shown. A practice is ranked when its specialty is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A practice with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Sponsored businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Athens data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Review volume | 5% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed practice on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 5% | Share of Google reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 10% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday, and round-the-clock or same-day availability | Measured |
| Specialty focus | 25% | How clearly the practice does this specialty (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 15% | Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The practice has claimed its Ranked Psychologists profile (free or paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Partnered | 5% | The practice links to Ranked Psychologists from its own website with our badge, checked periodically | Measured |
How to choose a psychiatrist
- Check the license with the state or provincial board that issued it; most boards publish a free online lookup.
- Make sure psychiatry is a regular part of their work, and ask what approach they use and why.
- Ask whether the practice offers therapy as well as medication management, or medication visits only.
- Check whether you need a referral from your family doctor; in Canada a referral is usually required for publicly covered psychiatric care.
- Ask about fees, insurance and the cancellation policy before the first session. In the US, if you are uninsured or paying yourself, you can ask for a good faith estimate of expected charges.
- Check practical fit: in-person or online sessions, evening times, and how soon they have an opening.
- After a few sessions, ask yourself whether you feel heard. Changing to a different provider is common and fine.
Questions to ask a psychiatrist
- Are you accepting new clients, and how soon could I start?
- Which license do you hold, and in which state or province?
- How much of your work is psychiatry?
- Do you offer therapy sessions, or medication management only?
- How soon is the first appointment, and how long are follow-up visits?
- What do you charge per session, and do you take my insurance or provide a superbill?
- Do you offer online sessions?
- What is your cancellation policy?
- What do you keep confidential, and when would you have to share information?
Terms explained
- PhD / PsyD
- Doctoral degrees in psychology. A PhD usually has a stronger research focus, a PsyD a stronger clinical focus; both can lead to a psychologist license.
- Licensed psychologist
- A person licensed by a state or provincial psychology board to practice psychology. The title is protected by law.
- Psychological associate
- In some states and provinces, a master’s-level practitioner licensed or registered by the psychology board, often with supervision requirements.
- LPC / LMHC / LCPC
- US licenses for professional or mental health counselors (the name differs by state). They provide counseling and therapy.
- LCSW
- Licensed clinical social worker: a master’s-level social worker licensed to provide therapy.
- LMFT
- Licensed marriage and family therapist: licensed to treat individuals, couples and families with a focus on relationships.
- RP / RCC
- Registered psychotherapist (Ontario) and registered clinical counsellor (British Columbia): Canadian titles for licensed therapy providers.
- PSYPACT
- An interstate agreement that lets psychologists licensed in a member state provide telepsychology to clients in other member states once they hold the required authorization.
- Telehealth
- Sessions held by secure video or phone instead of in person. The provider generally needs to be licensed where the client is located.
- CBT
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: a structured talk therapy that works on the links between thoughts, feelings and behavior.
- DBT
- Dialectical behavior therapy: a form of CBT that teaches skills for managing intense emotions and relationships.
- ERP
- Exposure and response prevention: a form of CBT used for OCD.
Psychiatrists in Athens: frequently asked questions
Who is the best psychiatrist in Athens?
By RP Score, the highest-ranked psychiatrist in Athens, AL is Dr. James A. Jeffery, MD with an RP Score of 73/100. It has 4.7★ from 3 Google reviews. Patty Wilkes, LISCW (#2) and Centered - Psychiatric and Counseling Services (#3) follow. We ranked 40 psychiatrists on eight factors, last updated November 9, 2026.
How many psychiatrists are there in Athens?
RankedPsychologists ranks 40 psychiatrists serving Athens, AL. 5 of them are based in Athens; the rest serve it from nearby towns. Another 14 within 40 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
What should I do if I need help right now?
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 (US and Canada), any time. In an emergency, call 911. This site cannot help in an emergency.
Which psychiatrists in Athens work on weekends?
3 of 40 ranked psychiatrists post Saturday hours and 2 post Sunday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are Unity Psychiatric Care (#20) and Thriveworks Counseling & Therapy Huntsville (#22). Posted hours are office hours; many practices also offer evening or online sessions by appointment.
What Google rating do Athens psychiatrists have?
The median Google rating among 40 rated psychiatrists in Athens is 4.2★, with a median of 21 reviews. North Alabama Family Psychiatry & Counseling has the most, 428 reviews, and ranks #26. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does RankedPsychologists rank psychiatrists?
Each psychiatrist gets a 0–100 RP Score from eight published factors, led by reputation (25%), specialty focus (25%), proximity (15%) and availability (10%). A practice with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only practices with a confirmed specialty and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do psychiatrists outside Athens count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 40 mi of the Athens city center, our service radius for psychiatrists. Each listing shows where the practice is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 15% of the RP Score, so a nearby practice gets a small edge.
Can psychiatrists pay to rank higher on RankedPsychologists?
No. The RP Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured practices may appear above the list, labelled Sponsored and showing their honest rank.
How are psychiatrists in Athens ranked?
Each practice gets an RP Score from 0 to 100 from 8 published factors, including its Google rating, how clearly it focuses on psychiatry and how close it is. Sponsored placements are shown separately and never change rank. The score does not measure treatment outcomes.
What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) who completed a residency in psychiatry and can prescribe medication. A psychologist usually holds a doctorate in psychology (PhD or PsyD), provides therapy and psychological testing, and in most places does not prescribe. Many people see both: a psychiatrist for medication and a psychologist or therapist for talk therapy.
Can I see a psychiatrist online?
Often, yes. Licensing generally follows where you are during the session, so the provider needs to be licensed or authorized there. In the US, psychologists in PSYPACT member states can offer telepsychology to clients in other member states; counselors and social workers have their own rules. In Canada, ask whether the provider is registered in your province.
What if I need help right now?
Do not wait for a consultation. Call or text 988 (US and Canada) if you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, at any time. In an emergency, call 911.
Update log for Athens
- November 2026: RP Scores recalculated for 40 psychiatrists serving Athens.
More psychiatrists and Athens pages
Psychiatrists near Athens
- Psychiatrists in Decatur, AL43 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Madison, AL44 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Huntsville, AL44 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Hartselle, AL44 ranked
- Psychiatrists in East Florence, AL9 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Muscle Shoals, AL7 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Florence, AL7 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Cullman, AL30 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Scottsboro, AL32 ranked
- Psychiatrists in Albertville, AL35 ranked
Other specialties in Athens
- Psychologists in Athens16 ranked
- Therapists and counselors in Athens34 ranked
- Child and teen therapists in Athens5 ranked
- Couples therapists in Athens18 ranked
- Family therapists in Athens14 ranked
- Clinical social workers in Athens8 ranked
- Addiction counselors in Athens24 ranked
- ABA therapy providers in Athens9 ranked
- All psychologists in Athens