Bipolar Disorder Care
Bipolar care built on getting the diagnosis right
Bipolar disorder is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions in psychiatry — and one of the most manageable once treatment actually fits. We provide careful evaluations and steady, long-term care in Newport Beach and throughout California by telehealth.
In person in Newport Beach · Telehealth across California · Adults 18–65
Patterns worth taking seriously
It’s rarely the dramatic stereotype. More often it’s a pattern that only makes sense in hindsight.
- Stretches of unusual energy on very little sleep
- Spending sprees or decisions that don’t feel like you
- Crushing lows that follow the high stretches
- An antidepressant that made you feel wired or worse
- Irritability that strains your closest relationships
- A family history of mood disorders
How we treat bipolar disorder
- 1
Diagnosis before prescriptions
Bipolar depression looks nearly identical to regular depression in the office — the difference is in the history. We take the time to find it, because antidepressants alone can make bipolar worse.
- 2
Mood stabilization that fits your life
Modern mood stabilizers and related medications, selected around your symptoms, labs, and priorities — with the monitoring done properly and explained plainly.
- 3
Protecting the rhythm
Sleep and routine are medical treatments in bipolar disorder. We build relapse-prevention plans, involve family when you want, and stay with you for the long game — not just the crisis.
Why accurate diagnosis matters so much
Roughly one in three people with bipolar disorder spends a decade being treated for the wrong thing. The cost of that decade is real — jobs, relationships, self-trust.
There is no reliable self-test for bipolar disorder; the screening tools that exist are conversation starters at best. The gold standard is a detailed clinical history — which is exactly what your first appointment is for.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 or Orange County’s OC Links at (855) 625-4657, available 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.
A note on screening
You may have seen bipolar “self-tests” online. We’ve chosen not to publish one, because bipolar screening questionnaires are unreliable without a clinician’s interview — false positives and false negatives are common, and the stakes of a wrong label are high.
If the patterns above feel familiar, the genuinely useful next step is a diagnostic conversation. Bring your history; we’ll bring the framework.
Care from people who listen
Koehler Mental Health & Wellness is a psychiatric practice in Newport Beach. Our providers — Ricky Koehler, DNP, PMHNP-BC, Amanda Benvenuto, PMHNP-BC, and Nicholas Cory-Duffy, PMHNP, MSN — are all accepting new patients.
Insurance-friendly
In-network with Aetna, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross, and Carelon Behavioral Health. Self-pay: $300 initial evaluation, $150 follow-ups.
In person or online
Visit us at 1000 Quail Street in Newport Beach, or meet by secure video from anywhere in California.
Unhurried, evidence-based
Real evaluations, careful medication management, and coordination with your therapist. Meet our providers →
Questions we hear a lot
What’s the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II?
Bipolar I involves full manic episodes; bipolar II involves hypomania — milder elevated periods — alternating with often severe depression. Bipolar II is the one more commonly missed, because people rarely seek help for the energized weeks.
Can I live a normal life with bipolar disorder?
Yes — with treatment that fits, most people work, parent, and thrive. The goal of care is not to blunt who you are; it is to keep the extremes from running your life.
Do you handle the lab work and monitoring?
Yes. Several bipolar medications require periodic labs, and we coordinate the ordering, review the results with you, and adjust as needed as part of routine care.
Stability is a skill. We’ll teach it with you.
Start with a thorough diagnostic evaluation — in Newport Beach or by video anywhere in California.
New patients welcome · Aetna, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross & Carelon in-network · Read our FAQ
We also treat: Depression · Anxiety & Panic · ADHD · PTSD & Trauma · OCD · Insomnia — or see everything we treat.