Fundamental Growth

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Fundamental Growth

In-person, nature- based, mindful movement, and virtual talk therapy, coaching, and consulting

I believe in a compassionate, holistic, and personal approach to healing and growth. I know that the outdoors, play, and creative expression are crucial to development and reaching one’s highest potential, even for adults. The combination of my life passions, education, and career experience has inspired me to merge more traditional talk therapy with mindfulness, play and the outdoors. I frequentl

y incorporate hiking, running, surfing, art, writing, and other forms of creative and active expression to best serve my clients. I have extensive professional training and significant experience with these activities and am able to easily adapt them for therapeutic and team building purposes. In addition to psychotherapy/coaching, I also consult and collaborate with businesses, non-profits, and other organizations to develop a more innovative, nurturing, and fulfilling work environment. As I have transitioned from the standard 9 to 5 job to more flexible contracts, I'm now able to pursue my own creative outlets professionally and am blessed that I can incorporate all of my passions into supporting others in the pursuit of theirs. Overall, my enthusiasm and empathy create a warm and comfortable environment for clients to step outside their comfort zone and move toward their highest potential.

25/09/2024

Amanda is facilitating a forest bathing experience in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, as a fundraiser for the Sierra Club this Sunday morning.

To reserve your spot, please register here: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00000MBFiFIAX&mapLinkHref=

And pay by Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/CentralGroup.

Please note the full name of the registrant and that payment is for the Forest Bathing event.

Join the Central Group for a Forest Bathing Fundraiser in the heart of Griffith Park! Enjoy a guided forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) experience, immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and scents of the forest. Connect with nature, reduce stress, and boost

22/03/2024

Not everyone follows the advice "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," so Amanda Stemen shared some responses with Time magazine to use if people say rude things to you.

27/12/2023

Wondering if your New Year's resolutions are attainable? Amanda and other therapists shared some thoughts on how to best reach your goals with HuffPost.

Therapists score New Year’s goals and offer tips on making them realistic.

17/11/2023

Happy National Hiking Day! I'm about to get out and celebrate on my one of my dog's local favs. How are you celebrating today?
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23/08/2023

I haven't been very active on social media for a bit now, but wanted to at least make a brief reappearance to share this podcast episode of Mindstories where I speak with Josephine McNary of CalPsychiatry about ecotherapy/urban outdoor therapy. When I was first started out as an ecotherapist, I struggled to find anyone doing this type of mindful, movement, and nature-based therapy so, although, there was some excitement around the idea, overall, I got a lot of push back. And I had to figure it out mostly on my own. So it's really exciting to see all the attention it's now getting in research and practice, especially since COVID. Listen to learn more about what I do and the rest of the episodes are a fantastic way to learn about all of the different types of psychotherapy out there!

Our latest episode of CalPsychiatry Presents: Mindstories features Amanda Stemen, MS, LCSW, whose therapeutic approach focuses on Urban Outdoor Therapy.

"I've found that when I meet with my clients outdoors and they actually get the experience in real-time with me talking about it and doing it, they come back the next week and had gone to the park three times."

Stemen is a licensed therapist and owner of Fundamental Growth, a therapy, coaching, educational, and consulting business based out of Los Angeles, CA. Her background in psychology, education, outdoor and therapeutic recreation, and athletic coaching has led her to develop a unique way of supporting healing and growth.

She takes people off the couch and out into the natural world to help them connect more deeply with themselves, others, and something greater.

Learn more by watching the episode on the CalPsychiatry blog:
https://calpsychiatry.com/mindstories-video-urban-outdoor-therapy-amanda-stemen-ms-lcsw/

-OR-

Listen to the latest CalPsychiatry Presents: Mindstories episode on your favorite podcast app.

23/06/2023

For any healing professionals who use nature in their practice or are interested in learning more about how to do so, Amanda started a group on here for you. Reach out if you'd like to join!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/naturebasedhealingprofessionals

Send a message to learn more

19/06/2023

Happy Juneteenth! And here's the history behind it for those who aren't sure what we're celebrating.

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked an effective end of slavery in the United States.

21/11/2022

For everyone (Including myself!) who uses the excuse of being too old...

If you’re waiting for a sign this is your sign

17/11/2022

So freaking cool!

18/09/2022

Proof that what one person does matters.

15/09/2022

We've been more focused on in real life IRL things so haven't posted on here in forever, but thought this was well worth sharing. Cheers to the earth, compassion, and mindful decision making!

Patagonia Chair Charles Conn explains why the company's owners are donating all their equity to climate and conservation efforts.

12/02/2022

For anyone who could use a bit of peace and quiet right about now, here's a little mindful minute for ya.

Mindful minutes are an opportunity to take a one minute break from life and be in the present moment. This mindful minute honors this season of winter with s...

12/01/2022

Climate change getting you down? Amanda spoke with Nicole Karlis of Salon about how eco-therapy can help with that. And many, many other things. Check out the article and contact us to find out how eco-therapy might be helpful to you.

The nascent field of eco-therapy is arising in response to the existential horrors posed by climate change

20/12/2021

The holidays are supposed to be a joyous good time, but instead they can often be a big ol' pain in the butt. Here's how mindfulness can help you not only survive these winter holidays, but perhaps even thrive during them! The full video is below.

28/11/2021

This is as important as anything else we as humans can be taught.

Children in Denmark are taught about empathy from a young age, both inside and outside of school.

24/09/2021

Anyone need a bit of wonder this Friday afternoon? Check out the latest mindful minute using the link below for a quick break.

18/09/2021

Who's been feeling tired lately?

🙋‍♀️

If so, Amanda shares how to still be mindful when you have less than 100% of your energy. Link to full video below.

11/09/2021

A new mindful minute for some letting go and relaxation this weekend! As usual, full video link in the comments below.

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Videos

Who's been feeling tired lately? 🙋‍♀️ If so, Amanda shares how to still be mindful when you have less than 100% of your energy. Link to full video below. #exhaustion #mindfulness #mindfulliving

A new mindful minute for some letting go and relaxation this weekend! As usual, full video link in the comments below. #mindfulness #mindfulnessmeditation #lettinggo

Most of us have a chore (or more) that we cannot stand. For Amanda, it's washing the dishes. So here she is sharing how to be mindful of doing them. The complete video is in the comments below. #mindfulness #mindfulnesspractice #mindfulnessirl

Amanda had some more to say about quitting: Quitting isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes we need to quit. To stay safe, make space for something new, and move forward. When we're mindful of the decision to quit we can know when it's best to push through the challenges and when it's time to move on. The link to the full Mindful Quitting video is below. #mindfulquitting #mindfulness #mindfulliving

How to Be Mindful of Emotions

If our emotions are so dang useful, why do we avoid them? And how do we stop avoiding them? Watch this latest Mindfulness IRL video to learn how. Full video in link below. #mindfulness #feelings #emotions

Why We Have Emotions

Why do we have emotions? Amanda shares the answer to that and more in her latest video. Link to full video in comments below.

How to Meditate: Start with One Breath

Want to start meditating, but don't know where to begin? Or have tried meditating and it was too much sitting still, quietly for so long? It can definitely seem overwhelming at first, so why not start small, with just one breath and work your way up. Full video in link below. #mindfulmeditation #meditation #breathing

How to Be Mindful When Being Interrupted (by Construction)

Amanda shares how she practiced mindfulness when being interrupted by construction. Link to full video in comments below. #mindfulness

It seems like every day we hear a new story of people hurting other people. And these are just the big hurts. The most glorified and dramatic ones. There are less dramatic acts of violence that happen so often we've come to see it as almost normal. We seem to have forgotten how to be present with one another in a mindful way. In her latest video, Amanda talks about how to be mindful of others so that we can have healthier interactions and relationships. This is just the teaser, but there's a link to the full length video in the comments below.

Feelings vs Emotions: What's the Difference?

We use the words "feelings" and "emotions" interchangeably, but they're actually two different things. In this video Amanda talks about these differences as a start to her Mindfulness of Emotions video series. Link to full video below.

The Dark Side of Mindfulness

You've heard all kinds of good things about mindfulness. Today we take a trip to the dark side... Link to the full video is in the comments.

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Our Story

We believe in a compassionate, holistic, and personal approach to healing and growth. The outdoors, play, and creative expression are crucial to development and reaching one’s highest potential, even for adults. FUNdaMENTAL Growth merges more traditional talk therapy with mindfulness, play and the outdoors. We frequently incorporate hiking, running, surfing, art, writing, and other forms of creative and active expression to best serve our clients. All providers have extensive professional training and significant experience with these activities and are able to easily adapt them for therapeutic and team building purposes. In addition to psychotherapy/coaching, we also consult and collaborate with businesses, non-profits, and other organizations to develop a more innovative, nurturing, and fulfilling work environment. We believe in incorporating our passions into supporting others in the pursuit of theirs. Overall, enthusiasm and empathy create a warm and comfortable environment for clients to step outside their comfort zone and move toward their highest potential.