Meet the Team: Martha, Youth Advisor

You can find Martha, one of Lucero’s dynamic Youth Advisors, creating content for Lucero over on Instagram. She also reviews content created by our team of licensed therapists to make sure everything in the Lucero app is teen-tested and approved. Martha is compassionate, creative and authentic. We’re so lucky to have her on our team! […]
How Healthy Habits Can Improve Your Connection to Yourself and Others

Connection is a cornerstone of teen mental health. But what does it mean for teens and tweens to feel connected? Imagine that each positive relationship in your teen’s life is like a single strand in their individual safety net. Many relationships equal a strong safety net. When they’re struggling, make a mistake, or need help, […]
Why Connection With Others is So Important for Teens

Connection with others is important at every age, but it’s critical for teens. Research shows that positive relationships with family, friends and others build teens’ self-esteem, increase their resilience, lower their risk of anxiety and depression, and even help them be more physically healthy. Connections give teens a support system when they’re facing challenges and […]
Meet the Team: Meagan Butler, MEd, LPC

Do you ever wonder about the team behind the scenes at Lucero? Would it surprise you to know we have a unicorn on staff? She’s Meagan Butler, MEd, LPC, our clinical research lead. Meagan is both a native Austinite (known as a unicorn) and her Lucero avatar is a unicorn, too! We have to agree… […]
Our History: How Did Lucero Come to Exist?

When you tap on the pink and green icon with Lucero’s friendly face, you know you’re about to set out on an adventure of self-discovery. But the journey to build a gamified wellness app for tweens and teens actually started years ago, and – just like you – Lucero has been evolving ever since. Here’s […]
Why We Chose a Youth-driven Approach

Do you ever wish you could travel back in time and give your teenage self advice, encouragement, or maybe just a hug? Many of us have great memories of being a teenager, but we all remember plenty of challenging, cringe-worthy moments, too. A lot has changed, but tweens and teens still need tools to help […]
Why Lucero is Needed Now

Did you know there are 1.3 billion tweens and teens in the world today? Adolescents make up 16% of the global population, and 100% of our future. The transition from childhood to adulthood has never been more complex or more critical than it is right now. Rising rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm indicate a […]
Why Now?

It’s time to get serious about protecting teen mental health. Over the past decade, rates of depression, anxiety, mood disorders and self-harm have escalated sharply among teens. One in three high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness – a 40% increase between 2009 and 2019. Death by suicide is also now the […]
Why Confidence is so Important for Teens

Here’s a cool, little-known fact about the word confidence: it comes from the Latin fidere, which means “to trust.” If you’ve used the Lucero App, you might have seen this word before. Hint: It’s the title of Island 2 because the 28-day experience is designed to help improve your sense of confidence. You could say […]
The Family as a Protective Factor

Protective Factors are attributes in families that increase health and well-being. We could take that a bit further and state that family and community in and of themselves can be Protective Factors. Families who establish and maintain healthy habits, support each other, and engage in community are more likely to live more satisfying and fulfilling […]