In a world where life’s challenges often leave individuals searching for connection and meaning, the power of authentic storytelling stands as a beacon for many. Every day, new stories unfold—stories of growth, resilience, and the quiet strength found in vulnerability. Communities across the globe yearn for safe spaces to share their journeys and rediscover a sense of belonging, and it is through thoughtful voices and heartfelt narratives that this sense of togetherness is cultivated.
Julia Mae Corotan, a mental health and personal development advocate, stands at the forefront as a motivational speaker and content creator, drawing from her own experiences to inspire and uplift others. As the founder of Amica Mea, Julia has built a platform that bridges the gap for those feeling lost or overwhelmed, becoming a vital source of support for individuals seeking both healing and self-discovery. Her journey, from overcoming personal challenges to empowering a thriving community with compassion, serves as an inspiration for many facing similar struggles, motivating them to pursue personal growth with renewed confidence.
Path to Mental Health Advocacy
Amica Mea was founded by Julia Mae Corotan in early 2021, following her involvement with the youth leadership organization AIESEC. During that period, the world was facing the challenges of the pandemic, and Julia herself experienced significant burnout from university, work, and life’s pressures. Since childhood, she found comfort in writing letters as a way to release stress and express her thoughts, originally addressed to a future significant other. This method of communication became a personal outlet during difficult moments, allowing her to articulate her experiences and emotions.
After her term with AIESEC concluded, Julia realized that letting go of leadership and personal development was not an option, as these had become central to her values despite the challenges. She decided to share snippets of her letters online, starting with Instagram, intending to reach even one person with the message that no one is ever truly alone in their journey. Through her own challenges with burnout, family difficulties, and mental health, Julia recognized the need for open discussions about well-being, particularly in an age where external appearances often mask internal struggles.
This realization led her to become a mental health advocate and to establish Amica Mea as a platform for sharing experiences, raising awareness, and building a supportive community for those who need it most. With a tagline “Fostering connections through stories,” Amica Mea has been making a difference in people’s lives.
Finding Hope Through Hard Times
One of the greatest challenges Julia Mae Corotan faced while building Amica Mea was the need to revisit her past struggles by reading her old letters. This process was emotionally demanding, as she was still working through her own healing and personal growth. Creating blogs and content would occasionally bring back difficult memories, causing her to question whether her efforts were truly making a difference or helping others.
There were times when Julia felt isolated and uncertain about the impact of her work. Despite these challenges, she gradually received heartfelt messages from a small group of followers—at the time, only around 200 or fewer—who shared that her story had deeply touched their lives. These words of encouragement gave her renewed motivation and reminded her of the reasons she began this journey.
Ultimately, Julia Mae Corotan learned an important lesson: it was never about reaching thousands or posting every day, but about fulfilling the purpose behind Amica Mea, which was to remind herself and others that no one is truly alone in their struggles. This guiding principle helped her overcome challenges and continues to inspire the ongoing growth of the platform.
Warm Words, Real Support
Amica Mea stands out for its unique style of communication, which resembles a friend speaking to another friend. Julia Mae Corotan originally wrote letters to her future significant other or her future self, but when she began sharing them online, she adapted the letters so that readers could connect with the message from their own perspective. By omitting specific personal details, Julia allowed readers to visualize themselves in similar situations and experience the words as if they were writing the letters themselves.
This approach creates a strong sense of connection, making the content feel personal and relatable. Instead of adopting the tone of a therapist or expert, Julia’s messaging is warm, conversational, and supportive—much like engaging with a trusted confidant. This friend-to-friend communication is what truly distinguishes Amica Mea in the mental health and personal development space, offering advice, motivation, and inspiration that feels genuine and accessible.
Amica Mea: Recent Achievements
- Began contributing articles to Brains Magazine (Sweden).
- Several published articles on mental health and personal development.
- Honored with the Create A Global Award by Brains Magazine, recognizing Julia Mae Corotan for motivational speaking and content creation.
- These awards expanded Amica Mea’s credibility and global reach.
A Silent Follower’s Journey Inspired by Letters
One memorable story involved a silent follower who had been reading Amica Mea’s content from the very beginning. When the sub-platform Becoming You was introduced, focusing on personal growth after healing, he reached out to share his experience. He explained how the unique letter-writing approach inspired him to start journaling and writing letters to his future self. Reflecting on his earlier writings compared to his current progress, he shared that this practice greatly aided his healing journey.
Hearing how the letter-writing method motivated someone else to develop their own journaling habit and continue personal growth was deeply inspiring for Julia. It served as a reminder that even silent followers are touched by the work and that the community supports one another in taking gradual steps forward.
Building Guidebooks for Growth and Healing
Currently, Amica Mea has no major partnerships or collaborations but is gradually working toward establishing them. The primary focus remains on creating guidebooks to support the community. Building on Amica Mea’s core message of “you’re not alone” and the Becoming You platform, which addresses personal growth after healing, the plan is to develop step-by-step guides to help individuals continue their personal development journey.
Recognizing that personal growth is a lifelong process, the guidebooks will offer practical tools to begin or deepen the healing process, providing tangible support beyond online content. Amica Mea aims to release these resources within the next year, along with additional books to further empower its community.
How Social Media Is Changing Mental Health Talks?
From Julia Mae Corotan’s perspective, one major trend in mental health is the growing popularity of podcasts, especially video podcasts, where people openly discuss mental well-being. Platforms such as YouTube have seen significant growth in creators sharing honest and meaningful conversations about mental health. Another important trend is the rise of mental health advice videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Rather than relying solely on written posts, many creators now produce motivational videos that make mental health topics more engaging and easier to understand. This shift toward video content has played a key role in normalizing mental health discussions and emphasizing their importance in today’s society.
Compared to the time when Julia first started, mental health was much less openly discussed and remained a more private or taboo subject, limited to smaller groups. Today, social media effectively raises awareness and encourages open conversations about how mental health affects people’s lives, especially in 2025 and beyond.
A Passion Project with Heart and Balance
In the beginning, balancing work, personal life, and Amica Mea was a significant challenge for Julia Mae Corotan, especially since she started the platform during a time when borders were closed and life was very different. It took several months to adjust and establish a routine. Julia views Amica Mea as a passion project born from her desire to share her story and promote mental health awareness. To maintain balance, she dedicates specific time to Amica Mea—usually an hour or two during the day and more on weekends—while ensuring that her work and personal life are also prioritized.
Viewing Amica Mea as a passion project helps her avoid feeling overwhelmed or treating it like a formal job. This mindset allows Julia to nurture the platform without it becoming a burden, focusing on reaching even just one person each day. Maintaining this balance is essential to her well-being while continuing her leadership and advocacy work.
Reaching More People, Face-to-Face
In the long term, Julia Mae Corotan envisions expanding Amica Mea beyond social media and online platforms to reach individuals and communities with limited internet access, especially in developing countries. She aims to bring the message of mental health awareness, personal development, and self-love directly to universities, schools, and local communities through in-person talks and interactions.
Her goal is to broaden Amica Mea’s impact by engaging with a wider audience face-to-face, highlighting the importance of mental health and work-life balance. This vision reflects her background in personal and leadership development, where reaching people without digital access has always been important. Ultimately, she hopes Amica Mea will evolve from a blog into a platform that fosters meaningful connections and support in diverse settings, helping more people on their healing and growth journeys.
