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David Baldes, MD

David Baldes, MD

You’re the expert on how you feel. I’m a psychiatrist who can help you make sense of it.

Board-certified psychiatrist in Duluth, Minnesota.

If you’re thinking about seeing a psychiatrist, you probably have questions about what it’s like. Here you can see how I work, what a first visit involves, and whether my approach sounds like a good fit for you.

Currently accepting new patients ages 18 and up, in person in Duluth and by telehealth for patients located in Minnesota. Most major insurance plans are accepted, including Medicare and Medical Assistance. To schedule, call Lakeview Behavioral Health at 218-327-2001 or visit lakeviewbh.com/intake/ and ask to see Dr. Baldes.

  • Board-certified psychiatrist (ABPN)
  • In practice since 2013
  • University of Minnesota trained
How I practice What a first visit is like Seeing me as a patient

Educational content only. Not medical advice.

Portrait of David Baldes, MD
Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge glowing at sunset over the ship canal Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0

About Dr. Baldes

Rooted here. Here to serve.

Dr. Baldes grew up in the Northland and is here to serve the region, bringing the perspective of a psychiatrist in practice since 2013.

Here, the aim is simple: calm, clear education that helps people feel more informed and better prepared to talk with their own clinicians.

Read my story

My approach

Shared expertise

My approach

Your expertise

You are the world’s leading expert on how you feel.

My expertise

I bring expertise in making sense of the whole picture, and in how to treat it.

Good care brings those two kinds of expertise together.

Considering care

Thinking about seeing a psychiatrist?

A little preparation can make a first visit feel less uncertain. These pages walk through what to expect, in plain language.

  • What a first visit is like

    What I’ll ask about, what to bring, and how we’ll decide on next steps together.

  • Is my approach a good fit?

    An honest look at who tends to like working with me, and when another kind of care may suit you better.

  • Common questions

    Psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist? Referrals, email, and what to do in a crisis.

Latest videos

Watch & follow

From Instagram

Follow @davidbaldesmd
  • Cover slide on a navy background. Text: "Introducing. Meet David Baldes, MD. A psychiatrist in Duluth, Minnesota, on why the best care is built on shared expertise." A smiling portrait of Dr. Baldes in a navy blazer and white shirt, framed in an arch shape, overlaps a green U-shaped arch. "Swipe" prompt and the David Baldes, MD logo.
    Sand background. Label: "Who I am." Heading: "A board-certified psychiatrist in Duluth, Minnesota." Three labeled rows: Specialty: Psychiatry (MD). Board certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Here for: Calm, plain-language mental health education.
    Navy background. Label: "Shared expertise. Your expertise." Large heading: "You are the world's leading expert on how you feel." Below: "No one else knows your moods, your worries, and your everyday life from the inside."
    Sand background. Heading: "I bring expertise in making sense of it and treating it." Two cards joined by a plus sign: "Your expertise: How you feel" and "My expertise: Making sense of it and treating it." Below, next to the logo mark: "Good care brings the two together."
    Navy background. Heading: "Two-way commitments. Three commitments that run in both directions." 01 Honesty: Talking plainly about what's really happening. 02 Open-mindedness: Staying curious about each other's point of view. 03 Willingness: Effort on both sides, even when the path isn't straight.
    Sand background. Heading: "What I bring. Three qualities I bring to care." Curiosity: Good questions, and real interest in the whole person. Creativity: Thoughtful, individualized options, especially when standard approaches haven't been enough. Compassion: Warmth without judgment, through a trauma-informed lens.
    Navy background. Heading: "What you'll find here. Calm, plain-language posts on:" A list: Mood, Anxiety, Medications, Treatment-resistant depression, Substance use, Trauma-informed care, Myth-busting health headlines.
    Closing slide on a sand background with the logo mark (two overlapping arches). Text: "Follow for calm, plain-language mental health education." Below it, the Instagram handle "@davidbaldesmd" in green. Then: "Save this post, or share it with someone who might find it helpful." David Baldes, MD logo and the note "Educational content, not medical advice."

    Meet David Baldes, MD

    An introduction: why good mental health care starts with shared expertise, and what you’ll find on this account.

    View on Instagram
  • Navy cover slide. Eyebrow: "Headline check." Large serif headline: "Can quitting junk food replace your antidepressant?" with "replace" in teal italics. Subtext: "A new diet study made headlines recently. Here's what it actually tested." Two cards side by side: "The headline: 'Goodbye, antidepressants?'" and "The study: 20 people. No blinding. Never compared diet with medication." Footer: David Baldes, MD logo and "Swipe."
    Sand-colored slide titled "What the headlines said." A quote card reads: "Goodbye, Antidepressants? Cutting Back On Processed Food Could Relieve Depression," labeled "One headline, Sept. 24, 2026." Two points below: "The university was more careful. UCSF's own news release called it a 'preliminary' study and never mentioned antidepressants." and "The study didn't test that question. No one was compared with, or taken off, an antidepressant."
    Navy slide titled "What the study actually did: A small pilot study in JAMA Psychiatry." Five rows. Who: 20 adults with depression who ate a lot of ultra-processed food, all of whom also had a metabolic health condition such as high blood pressure. Design: each person spent 4 weeks on their usual diet and 4 weeks cutting back on ultra-processed food, in random order. Blinding: none; everyone knew which diet they were on. Main question: could people make the change and stick with it? Mood was not the main goal. Medication: participants agreed not to change their psychiatric medication or therapy during the study.
    Sand-colored slide titled "What it found: A promising signal, worth taking seriously." Three points. Lower depression scores: on the low-processed-food diet, people's depression scores were lower than on their usual diet, and anxiety improved modestly. People could make the change: that was the study's main goal, and it showed a bigger trial is doable; one is planned. It fits earlier research: past studies that followed large groups of people have linked eating more ultra-processed food with a higher risk of depression.
    Navy slide titled "Why it can't settle the question: Promising isn't the same as proven." Four points. Very small: with 20 people, chance and a few strong responders can move the average a lot. No blinding: knowing you're on the "healthy" diet, plus extra attention from a research team, can lift mood on its own. Many changes at once: less processing, but maybe also fewer calories, less sugar, or weight change, so we can't tell which mattered. No medication comparison: it never tested diet against, or instead of, an antidepressant.
    Sand-colored slide titled "What it means for you: It's not food or medication." Three points. Food can be part of care: eating less ultra-processed food is a reasonable step for many people, alongside treatment, not instead of it. Keep your plan steady: don't stop or change an antidepressant without talking to your prescriber first. Why that matters: stopping suddenly can cause discontinuation symptoms and raise the chance that depression comes back.
    Navy slide titled "How to read health headlines: Four questions to ask before you believe it." 1. How many people were studied? 2. Was there a fair comparison, and did people know which group they were in? 3. What was the study designed to measure? 4. Did it actually test the claim in the headline?
    Sand-colored closing slide with the Common Ground logo mark. Headline: "Promising signal. Small study. Keep your treatment steady." Subtext: "Better food and good treatment can work together. Questions about your medication? Bring them to your prescriber." Source: Chagwedera DN, et al. "Reducing Ultraprocessed Foods From the Diets of Patients With Depression: A Pilot Crossover Trial." JAMA Psychiatry, 2026. David Baldes, MD logo with the Instagram handle "@davidbaldesmd" beside it, and "Educational content, not medical advice."

    Can quitting junk food replace your antidepressant?

    A small diet study made headlines, but it never compared food with medication. Here’s what it did and didn’t show.

    Source: Chagwedera DN, et al. JAMA Psychiatry, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.2320

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  • Topics

    What we talk about

    General education, grounded in clinical experience, to help you feel more informed and better prepared for conversations with your own care team.

  • Speaking & media

    Speaking & media inquiries

    Dr. Baldes welcomes conversations with journalists, podcast hosts, event organizers, and organizations focused on mental health education.