Building Confidence Through Self-Discovery
Where does self-confidence come from? According to researchers, confidence is built from both external elements, like a positive family environment, and internal elements, like a strong sense of self. To develop a strong sense of self, tweens and teens need opportunities for self-discovery: learning about their unique character, beliefs, abilities, and feelings. By exploring themselves, […]
Why is Nurturing Self-Discovery so Important Right Now?
If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably already know that everything Lucero creates – from new features in the app to our social posts – is a collaboration between licensed clinical therapists and a team of youth advisors. Hands down, we believe that the best way to address the current youth mental […]
Using Spark as a Family
Here’s a little-known fun fact about Lucero: Long before we built an app, we created Quest Cards: a conversation card deck with questions that youth and families could use to spark conversations around the dinner table. With prompts like, “If your personality were a color, what would it be?” and “Tell a story about one […]
What’s the Science Behind Self-Discovery?
Imagine the average adolescent. What qualities come to mind? You might think about big emotions, sensitivity, defiance, impulsivity, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of self-absorption. While there’s no such thing as a “typical” teen, research tells us that these traits show up for a good reason: they’re part of the process of individuation, or […]
Why Are Loneliness Rates Increasing?
Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In May, Murthy’s office released a sobering report which stated, “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding […]
How an Emotion Wheel Pillow Inspired the Creation of Spark
“With tweens and teens, it’s pretty common to hear ‘I don’t know how to describe what I’m feeling,’” says Meagan Butler, LPC. “And often, multiple emotions are happening at the same time.” As a therapist, Butler found assistance in the form of a fluffy pillow featuring the Emotion Wheel, an emotional regulation tool that helps […]
Why Self-love is So Important for Teens
Self-love includes “radical honesty, positive habit building, and unconditional self-acceptance,” writes poet and author Yung Pueblo. If a single quality could ensure teens’ lifelong mental, physical and emotional well-being, it just might just be the ability to love themselves. That’s because self-love gives teens tools to conquer self-doubt, practice self-acceptance and self-care, and stay steady […]
5 Strategies to Encourage Self-Compassion With Your Teen
Did you know that one of the top causes of teen stress is negative thoughts and feelings about themselves? Neurological, biological and social changes during adolescence make teens more self-conscious, and that can quickly lead to self-judgment and self-criticism. To stop the cycle, teach your teen how to practice self-compassion. “Self-compassion is simply giving the […]
Tips for Nurturing Your Teen’s Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a secret superpower. In the book Emotional Intelligence, author and psychologist Daniel Goleman suggests that EQ may be even more important in life than IQ. Goleman and other researchers believe the full spectrum of human intelligence includes the ability to understand, express and regulate one’s own emotions and to have […]
How to Help Your Teen Make a Difference
No one is more passionate and driven than teens who want to make a positive impact on the world. From Greta Thunberg to Jalen Arnold to Marley Dias and many, many more, teens are leading the way to a brighter future. But your teen doesn’t have to spearhead a major movement to make a meaningful […]