About Us

lumin&us® helps parents build relationships and have fun with their children so that their children feel SAFE.
lumin&us® exists for one reason, to provide early and preventative mental health and wellbeing support for children.
We do this by providing parents, carers and those closest to children with cost-effective access to the tools and techniques trusted by trained professionals to improve mental and emotional health and wellbeing. In clinical trials involving over 60 families over 6 months, 81% reported improved parent and child closeness; 71% reported a reduction in parent and child conflict.
We are certified and approved for use in the NHS by ORCHA, with an impressive rating of 81%. This makes lumin&us® one of the highest rated mental health Apps for Data Security, Usability and Accessibility, and Professional Assurance.
What is lumin&us®?
lumin&us® is a cost-effective, digital resource for parents and carers of 3-12 year olds who are concerned about their child’s behaviours, mental health or emotional wellbeing.
lumin&us® supports parents and carers to meet the mental and emotional needs of their children by harnessing:
- the power of relational play
- the science of the nervous system
- the therapeutic benefits of relationships and connection, and
- the tools and techniques used and trusted by trained mental health professionals
lumin&us® is the world’s first, and only, app addressing the global children’s mental health crisis in this way.
How does lumin&us® work?
lumin&us® supports parents to tune into the state of their own and their child’s nervous system. User input into the app about feelings, thoughts and behaviours determines whether the parent or child is in a state of feeling SAFE (ventral vagal), STRUGGLING (sympathetic) or DROWNING (dorsal vagal).
Therapeutic and relational games and activities commonly used by professionals are then tailored to each child’s unique state. This supports parents to develop, build, and improve healthy and trusting relationships, reduce conflict and improve short and long-term mental and emotional health outcomes for themselves, and their children.
What is the science behind lumin&us®?
You can learn more about science behind lumin&us®, as well as other academic research, on our blog.
Read our blog here.
Who created lumin&us®?
Working alongside families and other mental health professionals, lumin&us® was created by Charlotte Jenkins and Lisa Merryweather-Millard. Charlotte is a qualified Social Worker and the CEO and Founder of Beacon Family Services, an organisation providing therapeutic support to families in the West Midlands (UK), as well as internationally online. Lisa is a qualified teacher, educator, former secondary school leader and founder of a multi-disciplinary graphic design studio.
Together, Charlotte and Lisa founded Beacon Services Resources CIC, a research and development company working with families, organisations, government agencies and other professionals to support children and young people. lumin&us® is their first, available product.
You can learn more about the story of lumin&us® here.