Inspiring Conversations with Amanda Stemen of FUNdaMENTAL Growth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Stemen.

Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in the country of the northern lower peninsula of Michigan on Lake Huron (a Great Lake), the natural world has always been a major part of my life. I was rarely inside, rather spending most of my time outdoors running around, engaging in all kinds of sports and other physical activities, or reading and writing, until I had to come in due to dinner or darkness. I even spent the entirety of childhood summers camping in my backyard. Intuitively, I knew I felt better outdoors. I was also raised with awareness of how we’re as much a part of nature as any other living thing, and with the responsibility to care for our environment as much as it cares for us.

In college, I majored in Psychology and minored in Outdoor Recreation and Athletic Coaching. I also volunteered at a nature-based alternative education high school. These experiences began to open my eyes to the science behind how we benefit from nature and how nurturing our relationship with nature is healing for both us and the environment and promotes health and well-being.

As an educator in the classroom and running after school and tutoring programs, I incorporated the outdoors, physical activity, and creative play as much as possible as I observed how much this benefitted my students’ learning and development. I also worked in an Outdoor Therapeutic Program for kids in the juvenile justice system and saw how much these kids developed life skills and confidence from spending time in nature and challenging themselves in ways they never had before.

After a couple years, I wanted to learn more about what I was observing. So, I enrolled in graduate school at Cal State Long Beach, studying Recreation Administration with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. This is where I did a deep dive into the health and wellness benefits of nature, recreation, physical activity, and creativity. Over time I reflected on the ineffectiveness of the traditional mental (and physical) health system and decided to continue my graduate studies at UCLA in the Department of Social Welfare with the intention of starting an ecotherapy wellness practice upon graduation. During this time, I did an even deeper dive into the neuroscience research of the effects nature has on our brains and bodies, as well as indigenous perspectives on our relationship with the natural world.

After I graduated and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) I opened what was probably the first ecotherapy practice in the Los Angeles area, focusing on partnering with nature, and incorporating mindfulness, movement and somatic/body-awareness, and creative play into traditional mental health therapy to support people in connecting more deeply with themselves, others, and the larger world. And it’s still going today!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. When I was at UCLA working toward my MSW, many in my graduate program were confused by my vision or thought that what I was doing wasn’t social work or therapy. I got a lot of push back. And I’ve had to do a lot of educating and convincing throughout this entire journey. Now, 15 years later I’m giving talks on ecological social work and the benefits of nature for our mental health, significantly more research is being done in these areas, and we’re returning to what our Indigenous ancestors have known and practiced all along with mental and physical health clinicians are incorporating nature and these other tools into their work. At the same time, we’re also contending with A.I. as a replacement for humans in all areas, when people are already incredibly lonely and disconnected. There is no replacement for connections to living entities, humans, animals, and the rest of the organic world, but it’s also a challenge to compete with Big Tech and all their money, hell bent on market dominance at all costs. We’re in a very interesting and dangerous time for all businesses, career fields, and the living world as a whole.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about FUNdaMENTAL Growth?
FUNdaMENTAL Growth was the first ecotherapy company in the Los Angeles area. (As far as I know, and believe me, I looked for others as I started out.) We design and facilitate transformative outdoor experiences, mindful educational content and therapeutic programming that reconnects people with their inner selves, one another, and the natural world. Through the integrated use of nature, mindfulness practices, somatic movement, and creative play, our work supports individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations in cultivating awareness, connection, resilience, and wisdom while addressing modern societal challenges such as inequality, climate change, consumerism, and technological addiction.

What does success mean to you?
For me, success isn’t a quantifiable result. If it were, that would mean success is fleeting as change is the only constant. Some measurable goals will be met, some exceeded, and some never to be. To be tied to something we only have so much control over can lead to much disappointment and dissatisfaction. For me, success is defined more as how I show up in each moment, especially when things aren’t going the way I prefer. It’s the experience of ultimate presence, connection, and fulfillment, and the effect that has on others in terms of inspiration and motivation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fundamentalgrowth.com/
• Instagram: fundamentalgrowth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fundamentalgrowth
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-stemen-ms-lcsw/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulnessirl1779

Image Credits
Nathan Fetzer Photography