Caribbean native uplifts community through dedication to emotional well-being

Amanda Fludd, LCSW-R, has called Brooklyn home for over 15 years and is of Trinidadian descent.

In a surprising twist, Fludd was naturally left-handed. However, her Caribbean mother, following a superstition that being left-handed meant one “owed the devil money,” raised her to use her right hand instead.

“I vividly remember catching myself signing my name with my left hand as a teenager and dropping the pen like I’d been caught doing something wrong. I later had the chance to ask my mom about it, and she confirmed the story,” she said.

She stated that this story reminds her how we can easily be shaped by someone else’s beliefs or project them on others in a way that changes who they were meant to be. “It’s so important to challenge who we are and why, which is something I love to do with clients. Now, I’m ambidextrous — a little-known fact about me,” she added.

She also sees her mother as the most significant influence on her path in life. Fludd has been a nurse for more than four decades. Her mother’s service to others, helping and caring for other people, definitely shaped her.

“Growing up seeing her going to work nights, hearing stories of lives she’s saved, and just her nature probably opened this path,” she added.

From volunteering in high school at what used to be LICH Hospital in Downtown Brooklyn, she knew that doing work with blood was not for her. “After college, I also had a sister in church encourage me to try Social Work and to keep going because I wanted a break from school, and because of that, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker now,” she added. In addition to being a social worker, Fludd is also a psychotherapist.

Fludd remembers witnessing some things growing up, including volunteer trips in Sunday School to the local nursing home, where we would put on shows or do crafts with seniors. “We also filled barrels through the church to send back home to various islands,”she said.

For more than 10 years, Fludd worked for a state psychiatric facility, and it bothered her that those kids didn’t get enough help, with parents and families not getting enough education in the community.

One day, she decided she needed to serve the community and opened up her private practice.

“One of our pillars is education. I often knock on doors, email, call, and do whatever outreach I can to let folks know we want to partner and provide education and training because I don’t want people to end up at the end of the line in a facility.

Fludd came across Yes Girls Create through a mutual connection and saw their work as a non-profit with young girls and their parents. After a few emails and Zoom calls, the team at her private practice, Kensho Psychotherapy Services, agreed to support the emotional wellness of families through parent-child workshops.

“We hosted the first at our office in Lynbrook in September and will have them back again in November. It was families from all over NYC and LI. It’s been a great way to continue to provide mental health education, which consists of great tools that foster communication and connection. This is one of many places we’ve shown up. We’ve been to high schools and created a space for high achieving students to discuss their mental health stories and speak about trauma for local libraries because their staff witness a lot, too. By majority, our connections and collaborations started by freely giving of our time,” she explained.

These are just two of Fludd’s many acts of kindness within her community.

“If I teach a mother and daughter how to communicate, that child may grow up to be a more effective communicator and, one day, a better parent. A workshop for a group of teachers has a wider impact than a single therapy session — the reach is further. The impact is the potential of the seeds I have planted,” Fludd states.

Drawing and running were her favorite hobbies growing up. She does not draw anymore, but she stays active by running and walking now to avoid getting overwhelmed by the responsibilities of life, including family, running a business, and navigating other people’s issues. “It’s also where I’ve connected with amazing women, and I still do that now through run groups like Black Girls Run,” she added.

Fludd wants her legacy to be about service: helping others feel good about who they were meant to be so that they can live on their terms.

 “We waste too much time being stressed, overwhelmed, anxious – if we have the knowledge and tools to alleviate that in some capacity from someone else’s life, we definitely should,” she stated. “I want to equip people, especially young people, with the emotional tools they need to handle challenges and create a life that feels true to them. My hope is that the seeds I plant will take root and continue to bear good fruit long after I’m gone, giving more folks a chance at living a great life.”

Those interested can learn more about Fludd’s private practice, Kensho Psychotherapy Services, by visiting her website, www.amandafludd.com, or calling the office at 347-868-7813.