Child Mind Institute Launches “Mirror” Journaling App Co-Developed with Teens to Support Youth Mental Health

Research-backed journaling app offers a safe and supportive environment for self-reflection to enhance teens’ emotional processing amid ongoing mental health crisis

San Mateo, CA — The Child Mind Institute, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), launched Mirror, a free, intuitive mental health journaling app designed specifically for teens. Backed by Child Mind Institute’s clinical expertise and available in English and Spanish, Mirror aims to enhance emotional processing and provide a supportive environment for self-reflection. Through text, voice, image, or video entries, daily mood tracking, guided prompts, and more, Mirror allows users a safe and secure space to self-express and understand patterns.

Studies have shown that journaling helps restore physiological balance and improves control of emotional responses, potentially reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, journaling serves as a personal learning tool to help privately clarify thoughts, feelings, and actions. Mirror is not a replacement for therapy, but a tool to empower youth to take an active role in their mental health journey.

“Young people today are navigating unprecedented times, growing up with social media’s relentless pressure to curate a perfect life and the constant exposure to hateful, divisive content. Mirror offers an alternative to social media – an evidence-based, private space for self-reflection and emotional processing without the noise and judgment of traditional social platforms. Mirror is a part of California’s strategy to support our youth’s mental health, including our work with the Child Mind Institute on California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids as well as the California Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids video series. Together, these and other tools provide young people and their families with real solutions to manage and improve their well-being,” said California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

“The youth mental health crisis is ongoing, and there’s a clear need for accessible mental health support for teens,” said Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute. “We understand that journaling can serve as a tool for self-expression, emotional regulation, and personal growth, especially when paired with mood tracking. With Mirror, teens have an accessible and private space to express themselves freely in writing, videos, or voice recordings to explore their emotions and develop self-awareness without fear of external judgment.”

Mirror was developed in close collaboration with adolescents, including those involved in the Child Mind Institute’s Youth Mental Health Academy. Teens assisted with the selection of final app features and participated in regular workshops to review designs and select new prompts and greetings. They also took part in a beta testing program to gather ongoing user feedback and product usage statistics.

While participating in a recent panel on stress reduction techniques and mental health fitness held at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Sophia Hartwell, UCLA student athlete, said, “I use the guided journaling as an outlet and to hone my focus in on the specific question that I need to answer. Then I can finally organize all of my thoughts and feel ready to go into the day with a goal and a plan to achieve it. I feel like the guided journaling helps me with that.”

Key Features of Mirror include:

• Multi-Modal Journaling: Self-expression through text, voice, image, or video entries.
• Mood Check-in: Track daily emotions easily in the app.
• Guided Journaling: Prompts designed to encourage self-reflection, emotional processing, and creative expression.
• Insights: Visualizations of mood patterns over time and summaries of entries provide clarity.

• Crisis Detection and Support: Quick access to emergency contacts and helplines, in addition to tailored entry summaries and support notifications using clinician-recommended language. All Mirror user data are encrypted. Teens’ journal entries are theirs alone, are not monitored or stored by app developers or staff and are deleted from servers immediately after processing.

Mirror is supported by both DHCS and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), California’s comprehensive approach to transforming access to behavioral health services and supports where lives are lived, including homes, communities, schools, health care settings, and online.

WHERE TO FIND THE MIRROR APP: Mirror is available now on the App Store – Mirror Journaling + Insights and Google Play Store – Mirror Journaling + Insights for users older than age 13.

About the Child Mind Institute

We are the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing open science initiatives and tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.

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For press questions, contact our press team at childmindinstitute@ssmandl.com or our media officer at mediaoffice@childmind.org.

About the CYBHI

The CYBHI is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, a historic investment in the mental health and well-being of California’s children and youth. CYBHI is intended to transform the way California supports children, youth and families. Built on a foundation of equity and accessibility, the CYBHI works to reimagine a more integrated, youth-centered system that meets the needs of all young people, particularly those who face the greatest systemic barriers to wellness. The initiative aims to enable California kids to find support for their mental health and substance use needs where, when and in the way they need it most. Learn more about Governor Gavin Newsom’s and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s Mental Health Movement for California.