From Loneliness to Connection: Five Actionable Strategies
Rates of adolescent loneliness are on the rise, and it’s a cause for major concern among mental health experts. Loneliness, according to Stanford University researchers, is “the state of distress or discomfort that results when we perceive a gap between our desire for social connection and our actual experience of it.” Connection, on the other […]
Raising Your Teen to Embrace Vulnerability
When parents are asked what qualities we hope for in our teens, we use words like kindness, courage, resilience, and purpose. Vulnerability probably doesn’t make it onto many lists, but maybe it should. According to clinical social worker and researcher Dr. Brené Brown, embracing vulnerability – including our imperfections, mistakes, and difficult emotions – is […]
Meet the Team: Dakota Becker, LPC
Dakota Becker, LPC, is passionate about play. Her Lucero avatar is a steady, hard-working turtle, but she knows how to have a good time, too! As one of the lead therapists crafting content for the Lucero app, Dakota’s expert advice helps us make self-care fun for tweens and teens. She sees play as a powerful […]
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, […]
Helping Your Teen Navigate Grief and Loss
Teens grieve differently than younger children and adults, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology. That’s because teens have an adult concept of death but haven’t developed adult-level coping skills or the capacity for emotional self-regulation. Because grief can have a long-term impact on teens\’ sense of identity and their social 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… […]
The Science of Belonging and Connection
“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people,” says researcher and author Brené Brown. “We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong.” Belonging is important at every age, but it’s especially important for tweens and teens. Research shows that close, trusting […]
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 […]
The Science of Building Healthy Habits to Protect Mental Health
Human beings are creatures of habit. We get out of bed, shower and brush our teeth without thinking about it. We make our coffee the same way, eat the same thing for breakfast and take the same route to work or school. In fact, research shows that about 40% of our actions and up to […]
