Bipolar Medication for Teens
Mind Works helps teens 13-17 through an integrated healthcare approach that combines therapy, medication management, and ongoing support. Our clinical team focuses on alleviating symptoms of bipolar disorder and other challenges while minimizing side effects, ensuring the best outcomes for your child.
Insurance & Verification
At Mind Works, we work with major commercial insurance payers. Our providers are contracted with a variety of the following insurance companies:
Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield – (Call to verify your plan is accepted), Carelon, Cigna, Evernorth, Humana, Magellan, Optum, Oscar, Tricare, United
Appointment Hours
Monday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Front Office Hours
Monday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Helping Adolescents Manage Mood Swings and Find Balance
Managing mood swings as a teen can be challenging without professional support. Here at Mind Works, our treatment team is dedicated to guiding your child through their behavioral health journey with expert counseling services in Texas. Our compassionate team of therapists specializes in helping children and teens ages 13-17 overcome emotional dysregulation and embrace positive change.
Understanding Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Does your child feel elated or more irritable than other kids? Have you witnessed your child walk through cycles of extreme highs and lows? If your child’s mood swings seem to be affecting their behavior at home or school, this may signify bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is more than just having an off day. It is a mental health condition that can cause extreme changes in your child’s mood or behavior.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
The onset of bipolar disorder typically starts in adolescence or early adulthood. Unfortunately, some parents mistake the warning signs for puberty or stress related to school work. However, bipolar mood swings are more extreme and generally unprovoked. Your child may experience irregular sleep patterns, changes in energy levels, or changes in their ability to process thoughts.
How Mood Disorders Affect Your Teen’s Daily Life
Bipolar disorder can impair your child’s ability to maintain healthy connections with peers. Impulsive behaviors may result in substance use or sexual promiscuity. Manic symptoms or depressive episodes may also cause feelings of isolation or suicidal thoughts. Mania can lead to moments of grandiosity, reckless behavior, or poor judgment.
How Mind Works Supports Teens With Bipolar Disorder
Here at Mind Works, our clinical team delivers the full spectrum of mental health services. At the very beginning, your child will receive an assessment for proper evaluation. Once diagnosed with bipolar disorder, your child may attend evidence-based therapy. If your child takes psychiatric medication for bipolar disorder, we may also recommend medication management and parental guidance for continuous safety and support.
Outpatient Care for Teens Ages 13–17
Our team at Mind Works understands that teenagers are busy! Your child may be attending school, participating in extracurriculars, or working part-time. For that reason, we provide outpatient care. Our outpatient treatment services provide flexible care to support complete balance and reduce stress.
Personalized Treatment Plans Designed for Every Teen
At Mind Works, our compassionate treatment team understands that each individual has unique needs. Therefore, we provide a wide range of treatment options and tailor specific services to your child’s needs. Doing so allows us to help your child cope with symptoms associated with manic or depressive episodes.
Collaborative, Family-Focused Care
At Mind Works, our dedicated team offers a spectrum of services tailored to support, heal, and empower your child. From early intervention and testing to treatment and ongoing support, we’re here to guide your family through every stage of discovery and growth. We come together to provide the absolute best care for your child facing challenges with bipolar disorder. Our team shares key information and works cooperatively to establish a comprehensive treatment plan for their well-being.
Professional, Compassionate Mental Health Providers
At Mind Works, our compassionate providers specialize in child-centered behavioral healthcare, offering comprehensive services that meet the holistic needs of your child. This approach integrates the expertise of our diverse team to develop a tailored treatment plan for your child.
Launch Your Child’s Healing Journey in Three Simple Steps
1. Get in Touch
Get started with Mind Works by filling out our simple contact form online or giving us a call.
2. Complete Intake Process
Submit all required paperwork so we can better understand your child’s history and needs.
3. Begin Treatment
Meet your child’s provider to establish a treatment plan and begin play therapy sessions.
Bipolar Medication for Teens: What Parents Should Know
Everyone responds to prescription medications differently. Knowing that bipolar disorder causes severe mood swings, impulsivity, and depressive episodes, it’s important to put your child’s medication up and away. For example, you can store your teen’s bipolar medication in a lock box to ensure safety.
How Medication Can Help Regulate Mood and Improve Daily Functioning
The primary purpose of mood stabilizers is to help your child maintain emotional regulation. When your child’s mood is even-keeled, you may observe improved daily functioning. However, it’s important to remain patient to notice a positive change in your child’s behavior.
What to Expect From Medication Management Sessions
The first step to your child’s medication management journey is scheduling a 45-60-minute intake appointment with a Mind Works mental health professional. Your child may then meet their provider. You can expect our treatment team to adjust or monitor your child’s progress over time. Later in your child’s journey, our team may help you comfortably transition into the maintenance phase. Our team will provide support to help you maintain your child’s progress for relapse prevention.
Why Ongoing Monitoring Matters
Checking in on your child’s journey to mental stability with bipolar medications is crucial. Ongoing monitoring can not only help your child maintain ongoing emotional regulation but also help you understand how the prescription medication affects their brain and body. It is important to track new symptoms or concerns and report them to your child’s clinician. Our team would be happy to adjust their medication as your teen grows and provide additional support as needed.
Types of Bipolar Medications Used in Adolescent Psychiatry
Bipolar disorder is commonly treated with medications, such as lithium or valproate (Depakote). These drugs can support mental stability and decrease mood swings. Even if your child experiences bipolar depression on a specific type of medication, antidepressant medications may help treat depressive symptoms.
Mood Stabilizers
Lithium and Other FDA-approved options, such as Lamotrigine, Valproate, and Divalproex Sodium, are common mood stabilizers used to treat the effects of bipolar disorder.
Atypical Antipsychotics
Quetiapine (Seroquel), Risperidone, Aripiprazole, and Olanzapine are commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotics. These prescription drugs are used to help safely manage manic or mixed episodes.
Antidepressants in Bipolar Treatment
Some antidepressants can increase the risk of mania in teens. Fluoxetine, also known as Prozac, and other carefully monitored medications, such as Zoloft, Lexapro, or Wellbutrin, are generally used only when necessary in teens. However, these prescription drugs can safely support your teen during depressive episodes.
Managing Side Effects and Ensuring Safety
All medications come with different side effects. For that reason, medication management is important. Managing prescription medication side effects can promote a safer treatment process for both you and your child.
Common Side Effects in Teens and How We Address Them
Teens typically show signs that differ from adults. For example, your teenager may experience acne flare-ups, weight gain, or drowsiness.
Supporting Healthy Sleep Patterns and Appetite
To gain the most from your medicated treatment plan, it’s important to manage self-care. For example, make sure your teen is eating a nutritious diet and getting an adequate amount of sleep. Supporting good sleep patterns and a healthy diet can stabilize your child’s energy levels.
Regular Check-Ins and Ongoing Psychiatric Oversight
If your child is taking daily bipolar medication, psychiatric oversight is crucial. Checking in regularly is important as your child’s provider will ask about any new symptoms, weight fluctuations, and any changes to your lifestyle that can impact your ability to maintain steady progress.
More Than Medication: Comprehensive Care for Teens
Our integrated team at Mind Works comes together to provide the absolute best care for your child, sharing key information and working cooperatively to establish a comprehensive treatment plan.
Integrating Therapy and Psychiatry for Effective Treatment
Combining both individual therapy sessions with psychiatric care can enhance your child’s ability to maintain mental stability. One-on-one therapy or parent support sessions can teach both you and your child effective strategies to cope with bipolar disorder. Working alongside a psychiatrist can ease your child’s symptoms to help them gain the most from your treatment plan.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Teens
CBT is an evidence-based psychotherapy commonly used to treat teens facing challenges with the effects of bipolar disorder. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can train your child to focus on the present rather than their past. CBT also promotes healthy thinking and positive behavioral change.
Family-Focused Therapy and Parent Support
Every child deserves to have a loving and supportive home. A strong relationship with your child is built on trust, understanding, and mutual respect. Parent support therapy provides strategies to deepen these bonds, enhancing the quality of your family life.
Lifestyle Changes That Encourage Long-Term Stability
Individual therapy sessions and parental support can work together to promote long-term mental stability. Partner with an expert Mind Works therapist and gain the skills and insights necessary to help create a healthy environment to support your child’s treatment path.
Conditions We Often See Alongside Bipolar Disorder
Living with a dual diagnosis can be difficult to manage without professional support. Knowing that bipolar disorder is often linked with co-occurring mental health conditions, proper management is vital so your teen can reach overall stability. Common disorders that co-exist with bipolar disorder include the following conditions:
ADHD and Mood Disorders in Teens
From the initial signs of inattentiveness, tendency to fidget, hyperactivity, or hyperactive-impulsive behaviors to the challenges these symptoms can pose in academic and social settings, our team of psychologists and psychometrists specializes in ADHD treatment for kids that illuminates the best path forward for your child. Talking to a professional or exploring resources made available through Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) can help you explore signs of child or adult ADHD while destigmatizing and demystifying care.
Managing Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Regulation
At Mind Works, we understand the profound impact a dual diagnosis can have on your teen, affecting everything from their academic performance to their social interactions and overall happiness. By focusing on your teen’s individual needs, we aim to not only alleviate bipolar disorder and co-occurring depression or anxiety symptoms but to build a stronger foundation for lifelong resilience and well-being.
Addressing Substance Use or Behavioral Challenges
Aside from co-occurring depression and anxiety, substance use disorder (SUD) can develop. This can be due to impulsive behaviors associated with bipolar disorder. Although substance abuse is normalized by society, harmful substance use can damage your physical health and worsen the effects of bipolar disorder.
Why Parents Choose Mind Works
At Mind Works, we are dedicated to guiding your child through their behavioral health journey with expert counseling services in Texas. Parents choose our treatment center because we are made up of compassionate therapists. We specialize in helping children and teens from ages 3 to 17 overcome poor mental health challenges and embrace positive change for a greater quality of life.
Experienced Mental Health Professionals Focused on Teens
Our dedicated team of clinicians is experienced in treating teens of all ages. We care for young children to adolescents with bipolar disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. All of our providers receive specialized training from our registered play therapist supervisor. Our team is trained in a blend of evidence-based and specialized therapeutic techniques, ensuring that every child receives the highest standard of care.
Safe, Supportive, and Confidential Environment
Here at Mind Works, we understand that trauma is commonly linked with poor mental health. For that very reason, we provide a safe and confidential treatment setting for both you and your teens’ path toward healing. Our clinicians work hard together to cultivate a supportive treatment environment.
Consistent Providers Across Five Texas Locations
For your convenience, we have providers who practice in five different locations in Texas. You have the choice to explore holistic behavioral health solutions for child counseling in North, Northeast, or West San Antonio. Discover comprehensive, integrated kids’ behavioral therapy in Schertz, Texas, or meet our team, which is composed of highly trained, trauma-informed licensed therapists with years of experience at the Braunfel location.
Care That Fits Your Teen’s Schedule — One Session at a Time
Here at Mind Works, our treatment center provides completely outpatient psychotherapy. We do not provide inpatient care. Therefore, your child will receive 1 hour/week for 12+ sessions (not time-based) care. Our outpatient treatment opportunities support a flexible schedule for overall balance. For example, your child can attend school during the day and receive care in the afternoon, or vice versa.
Getting Started With Medication Management
If your child is struggling with bipolar disorder, behavioral health medication management services for children and teens can provide a crucial layer of support as part of a comprehensive pediatric treatment plan. We’ll review your child’s current coping mechanisms and support systems, previous psychiatric evaluations, and medical history.
What Happens During the First Appointment
At the start, you will attend an intake appointment with one of our Mind Works providers. Your first session should run from about 45 to 60 minutes. Our main objectives during this appointment are to gather a detailed history of your teen’s mental health issues, symptoms, and family history and to provide you with a clearer idea of what medication management for your child might entail. We’ll review your child’s current coping mechanisms and support systems, previous psychiatric evaluations, and medical history.
How We Develop a Personalized Treatment Plan
Following your first medication management session, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive assessment of your teen’s mental health needs. From there, our treatment team will determine if prescribed medication management is a suitable approach. We will provide information about the next steps to support your transition into treatment.
Coordinating Care Between Psychiatry, Therapy, and Assessment
It’s important to remember that every child’s journey is unique and that medication duration varies based on your child or teen’s specific needs and responses. Caregivers and clinicians will both play critical roles throughout this process. In accordance with clinical guidelines and best practices, we work to reduce medication dependence and emphasize non-pharmacological interventions, such as therapy, primary care coordination, and lifestyle changes.
Meet Our Expert Team
Our team of mental health care professionals is ready and waiting to help you and your loved ones find peace and healing.
Shawna Torres
LCSW
Keeley Armes
LPC, TF-CBT
Robert Wilcox
LPC
Jessica Moya
LCSW
Cheryl D. Kelley
LPC, Assessments
Ashley Briggs
APRN-CNP, PMHNP-BC
Lydia Ehrmann
LMFT
FAQs About Bipolar Medication for Teens
If your child is engaging in risky, impulsive behavior, experiencing suicidal ideation, or depressive thoughts, bipolar medication may be required to support stabilization. When your child demonstrates consistent improvement and stabilization in their behavioral health, we may begin to gradually shift our focus to transitioning your child off their prescribed medication.
Bipolar medication can come with different side effects. However, a Mind Works psychiatrist will review your medical history to determine which bipolar meds may be the best suitable choice.
Observe your child over the first few weeks on bipolar medication. If you notice any unusual side effects, please report them to your provider at Mind Works for medication management.
The length of time your child is required to stay on medication depends on the severity of their condition and treatment progress.
Your child may not require talk therapy and bipolar medication. However, combining both treatment options can improve your teen’s ability to overcome the effects of bipolar disorder and achieve mental stability for a greater future.
Success Stories
“Highly recommend Mind Works. I am a clinician in Illinois and needed to find a clinic in Texas that could provide services to my client that was moving. This is no easy feat to do across the United States. Mind Works was fabulous to work with from the very beginning. Coordination of care was 5 stars and my “previous” client is very happy with their new counselor. Thank you very much for going above and beyond during this difficult time so many other counseling offices are facing. I appreciate all the help and coordination you offered my client!”
“I have known the owners for over 8 years and have taken a family member to Mind Works. Therefore, I can speak of them both personally and professionally. There truly is no better place for this service, especially for children and young adults. On the personal level, I know how much they truly care about everyone they meet. On a professional level, the entire staff is a reflection of the dedication to helping others and competence that gets results that the owners exude. During the incredibly trying time of this pandemic and the fear and anxiety it has caused many people, we are incredibly blessed to have Mind Works available to support.”
“The front desk staff is kind and courteous and helped me find the right therapist for my child. When I met my therapist she was kind and explained the process to me. I love that she included me in the play therapy process and helped me understand how to help my child. Thankful for the therapists at Mind Works!”
“Mindworks is the leader in child centered play therapy and collaborative care in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Their focus is solely on the mental health of children and teenagers. Each clinician at all four locations is seasoned, knowledgeable, experienced, and capable. Parents trust that their child is going to get the treatment and services they need and deserve.
I thoroughly enjoyed working as a clinician at Mindworks. The support and leadership is consistent and outstanding. Unlike any other job that I have had, leadership and clinicians work together to cultivate an awesome work environment.”
Help Your Teen Thrive With Mind Works
Offering compassionate and evidence-based care, we provide a safe space for teens to develop strategies to manage their Bipolar Disorder. To learn more, contact us to schedule your teen’s evaluation today.