Carolina Estevez, Psy.D

Clinical Psychologist · Lead Medical Reviewer & Contributing Author, Bipolar Lives

Dr. Carolina Estevez is a clinical psychologist licensed in Florida. She is Bipolar Lives’ lead clinical voice: she writes and medically reviews our articles on bipolar disorder, mood episodes, diagnosis, therapy and day-to-day life with the condition. Her aim is information that is accurate, free of stigma, and useful to people living with bipolar disorder and the families who support them.

Clinical background

Dr. Estevez has provided individual and group psychotherapy in inpatient, outpatient, community mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation settings. She has also delivered therapy in transitional housing for people in recovery from substance use. She has worked with people of all ages across a wide range of diagnoses. These include mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, PTSD, behavioral and developmental disorders, and learning disabilities.

Psychological assessment is a core part of her work. She administers and interprets diagnostic, personality, academic, neuropsychological, vocational and disability evaluations. She also provides mental health consultations and independent opinions on diagnoses and disability claims, including for military veterans. For more than a decade she has worked with people with ADHD of all ages, which matters on a bipolar site because the two conditions are often confused.

Areas of expertise

• Bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia: symptoms, screening and diagnosis
• Telling bipolar disorder apart from depression, BPD, ADHD and PTSD
• Psychotherapy for mood disorders
• Co-occurring substance use and mood disorders
• Psychological testing and disability assessment, including SSDI and VA claims

Education and licensure

• Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Albizu University
• Licensed Psychologist, State of Florida — Licence no.PY8991
• Languages: English, Spanish

Her role at Bipolar Lives

Dr. Estevez wrote and reviewed articles across our Bipolar Basics, Am I Bipolar?, Therapy and Relationships sections since July 2018.

When she reviews an article, she checks its clinical accuracy line by line. She also checks that it reflects current diagnostic criteria (DSM-5-TR), cites primary sources, and follows safe-messaging guidelines on suicide and self-harm. Articles about specific medications, doses or drug interactions are also reviewed by a prescribing clinician or pharmacist.

Read our Editorial Standards and Medical Disclaimer.

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Content on Bipolar Lives is for education only and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. If you are in crisis in the US, call or text 988.