Cross-Border Psychiatry for California Patients
Affordable, thorough psychiatric care in Tijuana for patients from San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, Oceanside, and all of Southern California. Board-certified, fully bilingual, and just 15 minutes from the border.
Why Are Patients from California Seeing a Psychiatrist in Tijuana?
The answer is simple: the psychiatric care system in the United States is broken for many patients. Months-long wait lists for a new patient appointment. Fifteen-minute medication checks that feel rushed and impersonal. Insurance barriers that limit which medications can be prescribed. And costs that make consistent treatment unaffordable for many -- even with insurance.
Meanwhile, just 15 minutes south of the San Ysidro border crossing, you can see a board-certified psychiatrist within days, receive a thorough 60-minute evaluation, and pay a fraction of what the same visit would cost in San Diego. Same international medical standards. Same evidence-based medications. Same quality of care. Different price, different pace, different experience.
This isn't medical tourism for elective procedures. This is something more practical: patients from San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, and across Southern California choosing to cross the border for psychiatric care that is more thorough, more affordable, and more accessible than what they can find at home.
How Much Does Psychiatry Cost in Tijuana vs San Diego?
Let the numbers speak for themselves. This is what you'd typically pay out-of-pocket for psychiatric care in San Diego compared to our practice in Tijuana:
San Diego (Average)
Dr. Cedillo (Tijuana)
We accept cash (USD or MXN), credit and debit cards, Zelle, Venmo, and bank transfers. We do not accept U.S. or Mexican insurance, but we can provide a detailed receipt that some patients have successfully submitted for out-of-network reimbursement.
How Does Cross-Border Psychiatric Care Work?
Your First Visit (Always In-Person)
The initial evaluation is always conducted in-person at our Tijuana office. This ensures the most thorough and accurate assessment possible. The visit lasts approximately 60 minutes and includes a detailed clinical interview, diagnostic assessment, and treatment plan discussion. If medication is indicated, a prescription can be provided the same day.
Follow-Up Visits
After the initial evaluation, follow-up visits can be conducted either in-person or via telepsychiatry for established patients when clinically appropriate and where legally permitted. Many of our cross-border patients come in-person every 2 to 3 months and use telepsychiatry for interim check-ins. We work with you to find a rhythm that fits your schedule and clinical needs.
Communication Between Visits
Our team is available via WhatsApp for questions between appointments. If you experience medication side effects, need a prescription refill, or have urgent concerns, you can reach us quickly without having to schedule a formal visit.
Coordination with Other Providers
If you have a therapist, primary care doctor, or other healthcare provider in the U.S., I'm happy to coordinate care. With your permission, I can provide treatment summaries, medication lists, and clinical notes to ensure continuity across both healthcare systems.
Prescriptions and Medications
This is one of the most common questions our cross-border patients ask, so let me be completely transparent about how prescriptions work:
What Can Be Prescribed
I can prescribe all psychiatric medications available in Mexico, including SSRIs, SNRIs, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, sleep medications, and -- when clinically indicated -- controlled substances like stimulants and benzodiazepines. The medications are the same internationally recognized compounds used worldwide.
Where to Fill Prescriptions
Prescriptions are filled at Mexican pharmacies. Most patients fill their prescriptions at a pharmacy in Tijuana before heading back across the border. Many psychiatric medications are available at significantly lower cost in Mexico than in the United States. Major pharmacy chains in Zona Rio are well-stocked and staffed by licensed pharmacists.
What You Should Know
Mexican prescriptions are not transferable to U.S. pharmacies. Medications prescribed in Mexico are purchased and carried across the border for personal use. U.S. Customs generally allows a reasonable personal supply (typically 90 days) of prescription medications when accompanied by a prescription. I provide clear written prescriptions in English to facilitate this process.
I want to be straightforward: I do not guarantee that specific controlled substances will be prescribed. Every prescription decision is based on a thorough clinical evaluation of your specific situation. My goal is always to find the most effective and safest treatment for your condition.
Ready to Experience a Different Kind of Psychiatric Care?
Thorough evaluations, transparent pricing, and a psychiatrist who actually has time to listen. Send us a message to get started.
Serving Patients Across Southern California
Our practice serves patients from throughout the San Diego metropolitan area and beyond. Here's what the trip looks like from your city:
San Diego
30 min drive via I-5 south to San Ysidro, then 15 min to our office. Many patients combine their appointment with lunch in Zona Rio.
Chula Vista
20 min to the border crossing. The closest major city to Tijuana -- many of our patients live here and cross regularly for various services.
National City
20 min to San Ysidro. A straight shot down I-5. Several of our patients come from the military and naval community here.
San Ysidro
You're practically our neighbor. 15 min door-to-door. Some patients walk across the pedestrian crossing and take a quick taxi.
Oceanside
About 60 min drive south. Patients from North County often schedule morning appointments and are back home by early afternoon.
Los Angeles
A longer trip, but patients from LA who combine it with a weekend visit or who fly into San Diego find the savings and quality of care worth it.
Getting to Our Office from California
By Car
Drive south on I-5 to the San Ysidro border crossing (the world's busiest land border crossing). After crossing into Mexico, our office is approximately 15 minutes away in Zona Rio. Tip: Use the SENTRI lane if you have it -- it cuts crossing time to under 5 minutes. Without SENTRI, plan for 15-30 minutes at the crossing, though times vary.
Pedestrian Crossing
Take the San Diego Trolley Blue Line to San Ysidro station, walk across the pedestrian border crossing (usually faster than driving), and take a taxi or rideshare to our office. Total time from the crossing: about 10 minutes by car.
Parking
New City Medical Plaza has secure underground parking. If you prefer to park on the U.S. side, there are parking lots near the San Ysidro crossing where you can leave your car and walk across.
Safety
Zona Rio is Tijuana's most developed commercial and business district. It's where the city's major hospitals, corporate offices, and consulates are located. New City Medical Plaza is a modern, secure, corporate medical tower with controlled access. Our patients consistently tell us they feel safe and comfortable.
New City Medical Plaza, Paseo del Centenario 9580, Floor 25, Suite 24 -- Zona Rio, Tijuana
Hours: Monday through Thursday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Phone and WhatsApp: +52 664 484 2218
Conditions We Treat for Cross-Border Patients
We provide the same comprehensive psychiatric care to our cross-border patients as to our local Tijuana patients. Our most commonly treated conditions include:
Frequently Asked Questions About Cross-Border Psychiatry
Is it safe to travel to Tijuana for a doctor's appointment?
Are Mexican psychiatrists as qualified as U.S. psychiatrists?
Can I bring my medications back across the U.S. border?
Do I need to speak Spanish?
What if I have a psychiatric emergency between visits?
Can I get my U.S. insurance to reimburse me?
I chose to establish my practice in Tijuana's Zona Rio specifically because of the unique opportunity to serve patients on both sides of the border. Every day, I see the contrast: patients from San Diego who waited months and paid hundreds for a rushed appointment, sitting across from me in a 60-minute evaluation that costs $110. Cross-border psychiatric care isn't a compromise -- for many patients, it's an upgrade. If you've been putting off getting help because of cost, wait times, or access barriers, I'd like to help you find a better path.