Wanting “to create a world where caring for your mental health is democratized and destigmatized.” Constant advocate Selena Gomez, along with her mother, Mandy Teefey, and The Newsette founder Daniella Pierson, have teamed up to create Wondermind.
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As explained on the platforms website, “we’ve each had our own mental health struggles, and we realized there was no inclusive, fun, and easy place where people could come together to explore, discuss, and navigate their feelings. So we created it. Welcome to Wondermind.”
In a world with Whole Foods, Fit Tok, Paleo diets and too much emphasis on matching gym sets, the topic of mental health can not be pushed aside — and the Wondermind trio wholeheartedly agree.
Described as “a media ecosystem where mental fitness is openly discussed,” Wondermind is a place “where users can go to hear people's stories, learn more about different conditions from medical professionals, and actually get help.”
“To us, mental fitness means creating a routine; working through your feelings to better understand your mind—with the right tools and community to support growth. It means committing to a daily practice, even when you feel out of your comfort zone (which shows it’s working!).”
Talking to Harper’s Bazaar about their endeavor, Teefey explained, ”We want to keep the conversation just like real talk and relatable to everyone. We are three founders living with mental illness, we don't have the answers. So I feel like we're going to be together in the process, not talking down, we will be talking together.”
Drop 1 of the Wondermind World is the (free) newsletter, which as Gomez told HB, will offer “everything from interviews with noteworthy personalities and experts to tips and exercises for practicing your own mental fitness, resources, and more."
After that, drop 2 promises the various podcasts and physical products, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) tools and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) tools, to help people struggling with various conditions.
However Gomez insists Wondermind is more than just a platform for people with diagnosed mental illness. "We designed it to be a space for anyone and everyone to be able to turn to—whether you're actively struggling, have a friend who is struggling, or just want to educate yourself on the various aspects of mental health.”
Selena, who has lived nearly her whole life in the spotlight, has in recent years started publicly acknowledging mental health issues she’s been struggling with. Since opening up abut the anxiety and depression she has been living with as a cause of suffering from lupus, as well as her recent admission of her bipolar diagnosis, Gomez isn’t shying away from her struggles and strongly believes that no one should either.
Also discussing her long journey with mental health, Teefey shared, "I've been dealing with my mental health since I was about 16, and I was misdiagnosed as bipolar. And right before we started shooting Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why, my medication, my hormones, and everything just started changing," she revealed. After suffering seizures and severe insomnia due to the misdiagnosis, all while she was going through menopause, Mandy checked herself into a facility, which she admitted, "is the best thing I've ever done—but not everybody has that kind of money or the insurance that covers it to take that personal time and do it.”
Now properly diagnosed to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with trauma, Teefey’s harrowing experience and remembering the difficulties of getting help in her 20s is one of the many reasons that compelled her to start Wondermind with her daughter and Pierson. Remembering the difficulties of getting help in her 20s.
"I was, like, going around to interview doctors, not understanding what's going on, and going through all these different medications,” she recalled. “It would've been great to have a resource to see how to meet with a therapist.”
"We started this company because we wanted to really tackle the stigma, and because we want to democratize mental health and make it something cool and attainable to all," Pierson also added.
"It's so important for us to remember that we're not alone,” Gomez additionally assured “and we wanted to create a community to encourage users to go to know that they're seen and heard, and that their feelings are valid.”
Check out everything Selena, Mandy and Daniella had to say to Harper’s Bazaar about Wondermind here.
Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-8255.