the story behind mesmer starts somewhere unexpected.
Not wellness. Not therapy. Counter-terrorism.
It started with how teenagers get targeted online.
Alicia Cowan spent years studying how teenagers are manipulated online, watching how bad actors target their stress, uncertainty and identity. Then she watched it happen in her own home.
As a mother, she saw her own teens navigate what every parent recognises: the anxiety loops, the stress around school, friendships, and the constant pressure to fit in. The self-esteem spirals, endless comparisons, and the body dysmorphia nobody talks about. All of it amplified by the phone in their hand.
But nothing she found worked in the moment it actually hits. 3am spiralling. Left out of the group chat again. The bus home after the worst day.
So she built Mesmer. The same CBT techniques therapists use, in a teenager's pocket.
Five-minute exercises that work in the moment, learning what helps your teen every time they use it.
Built on real expertise.
Not vibes-based wellness. Mesmer is built where behavioural science, therapy and clinical oversight meet.
Counter-terrorism background
Years of research into how teenagers are influenced online, from radicalisation and digital manipulation to the psychological tactics that keep people stuck. Those insights shaped practical tools that help teens recognise unhealthy patterns, interrupt spirals, and regain control before they take over.
The therapeutic backbone
Built on evidence-based CBT, with carefully selected NLP techniques behind the experience. Every exercise is designed around the real moments teenagers face, from anxiety and overthinking to friendship drama, body image, procrastination and exam stress, with practical tools that work in the moment, not weeks later.
Clinical guidance
Guided by psychotherapist Justine De Leon, LCSW, who brings more than 20 years of experience supporting adolescents, young adults and families. Her clinical guidance and feedback helped shape the structure, language and therapeutic approach behind Mesmer, ensuring the exercises are practical, age-appropriate and grounded in established therapeutic approaches.
Justine De Leon, LCSW · Clinical Advisor
You've read the why.
Here's the how.
Join the waitlist for Mesmer to be on your teen's phone the day it launches.