Child Psychiatrist Lakeland, FL
A child psychiatrist for Lakeland and Polk County families, ages 5 to 17. Most visits happen by secure video from home, with our Wesley Chapel office available for the one in-person evaluation Florida law requires before a first stimulant ADHD prescription. Same-week intake, real 60-minute evaluations, the same provider every visit.
Pediatric psychiatry for Lakeland kids, mostly from home.
Tell us what is going on. A care coordinator will match your family with the right slot, usually within one business day. Most Lakeland families start by telehealth.
Got it. We will be in touch.
A care coordinator will reach out within one business day. If you would rather not wait, call (813) 670-3005.
Lakeland: pediatric psychiatry without the I-4 wait list
Polk County families have long had to drive to Tampa or Orlando for child psychiatry, often onto a multi-month wait list once they got there. Telehealth changes that math. For Lakeland kids ages 5 to 17, the large majority of pediatric psychiatry can be done by secure video from home: anxiety, depression, mood and sleep follow-ups, school refusal, and ongoing non-stimulant ADHD care. The one piece that still needs an in-person visit is the first stimulant ADHD prescription, which Florida controlled-substance law requires be done face to face at our Wesley Chapel office.
That setup fits how Lakeland actually lives. Parents working in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, or Auburndale rarely have a free half-day to sit in Tampa traffic for a 20-minute med check. A video visit after school, with the same provider each time, is the difference between starting care and putting it off another semester.
Why Lakeland families pick Ascend
Three reasons we hear most. First: access. Telehealth means no I-4 commute for routine visits, and our intake is usually same week rather than next quarter. Second: continuity. Your child sees Margot Krahn, PMHNP-BC, every visit, not a rotating panel. Third: real 60-minute first evaluations with the parent in the room, instead of a rushed 15-minute appointment.
There is also a local in-person option that most telehealth-only practices cannot offer. Our Lakeland office on South Florida Avenue provides in-person talk therapy and diagnostic and psychological testing, so a child who needs both medication management and weekly therapy can have the psychiatry side by video and the therapy or testing side in person, here in Lakeland, with the two clinicians sharing notes.
How Lakeland visits actually work
Most Lakeland families do the intake and ongoing psychiatry by telehealth from home. If your child needs a first stimulant ADHD prescription, plan on one in-person visit at our Wesley Chapel office at 27724 Cashford Circle, Suite 102, which is roughly a 35 to 45 minute drive west on I-4 from most of Lakeland. After that, periodic in-person check-ins for stimulant care follow Florida controlled-substance rules; everything else can stay on video.
For talk therapy or diagnostic and psychological testing, families can come to the Lakeland office at 832 South Florida Avenue rather than driving to Wesley Chapel. We will tell you up front which parts of your child's care can be done from home, which can be done in Lakeland, and which need the Wesley Chapel visit, so there are no surprises.
Margot Krahn, PMHNP-BC
Board-certified Florida-licensed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Lifespan-trained, which means her formal training covers child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric psychiatric care. She sees patients in person at our Wesley Chapel office and across Florida via HIPAA-secure telehealth.
Margot believes the first visit is for listening. Sixty minutes, the medication list out on the table, the family in the room when it helps. The treatment plan comes from what she actually learns about you, not from what fits a template.
Read Margot's full bioFrequently Asked Questions
Can my Lakeland child see the psychiatrist by telehealth?
Yes. For Lakeland and Polk County families, most pediatric psychiatry is done by secure video: anxiety, depression, mood and sleep follow-ups, school refusal, and non-stimulant ADHD care. The main exception is a first stimulant ADHD prescription, which Florida law requires be done in person once at our Wesley Chapel office.
How far is the Wesley Chapel office from Lakeland?
It is roughly a 35 to 45 minute drive west on I-4 from most Lakeland neighborhoods to 27724 Cashford Circle, Suite 102 in Wesley Chapel. You only need to make that drive for the in-person parts of care, mainly a first stimulant ADHD evaluation. Parking is on site.
Do you have anything in Lakeland in person, or is it all telehealth?
Both. Pediatric psychiatry is mostly telehealth, but our Lakeland office at 832 South Florida Avenue offers in-person talk therapy and diagnostic and psychological testing. So a child who needs therapy or testing can be seen locally in Lakeland while the medication side is handled by video.
Will you work with Polk County school 504 and IEP teams?
Yes, when clinically appropriate. We provide documentation letters for Polk County Public Schools, including Lakeland, Lake Gibson, George Jenkins, and Harrison, as well as McKeel and Lakeland Christian. We do not act as the school's clinician, but we write clean, defensible letters parents can bring to the team.
How fast can a Lakeland family be seen?
Telehealth intakes are often available the same week. If your child needs the in-person Wesley Chapel visit for a stimulant evaluation, that is typically within one to two weeks. We hold a small number of urgent slots for kids in active crisis or out of school. Call (813) 670-3005 for the real next-available.
Do you take Florida Medicaid for Lakeland families?
Yes. We are in-network with the Florida Medicaid plans that serve Polk County. We verify your specific plan and the child's eligibility before the first visit.
Help for your kid, this week.
Same-week intake, real 60-minute first visits, and the same provider every time. Call us or send the form at the top of the page; a care coordinator will get back to you within one business day.