Amanda Lowell, PhD
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Assistant Professor Adjunct in the Child Study Center
Biography
Amanda Lowell, Ph.D. is an Associate Research Scientist and licensed psychologist at the Yale Child Study Center. Dr. Lowell specializes in the treatment and research of mothers with substance use disorders (SUDs) and their young children. Specifically, Dr. Lowell’s program of translational research utilizes an infant mental health framework to study the impact of addiction, adversity, and attachment on maternal neural and behavioral responses to infant cues, and the implementation of evidence-based parenting interventions for mothers with addictions. Dr. Lowell is the Director of Training for Mothering from the Inside Out, an evidence-based parenting intervention designed specifically for mothers in recovery from SUDs.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Assistant Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Center for Brain & Mind Health
- Child Study Center
- Child Study Center - Scholastic Collaboration
- NICU GRAD Program
- Yale Medicine
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Yale University (2018)
- PhD
- University of Central Florida, Clinical Psychology (2017)
- Predoctoral Intern
- Yale University (2017)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Amanda Lowell, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and loves working with both children and their caregivers.
"I love that the work I do impacts two generations: parent and child," she says. "The positive growth and development a parent achieves in therapy has the potential to be passed down from generation to generation and improve the lives of others for years to come."
Lowell is trained to evaluate and treat emotional and behavioral difficulties in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as to support their caregivers and enhance parent-child relationships. She provides psychotherapy and parenting support to mothers and fathers with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
She particularly enjoys working with mothers who have experienced adversity or struggled with addiction. Lowell also conducts developmental evaluations and screens for delays in infants and toddlers who have graduated from the neonatal intensive care unit.
“My favorite part of my job is learning each individual caregiver's story. It is a privilege to learn about a person's family and why they think, feel, and respond in the ways that they do,” she says, adding that she often tells families that there is no such thing as “perfect” parenting. “I always assumed I would work with children, but in my training, I realized each child comes with a caregiver, and they often need support of their own. Standard mental health treatment often did not incorporate adults' roles as parents into their treatment. I see my job as helping to integrate a caregiver's experience as an individual and as a parent, and how this interplay can impact and support their mental health.”
An associate research scientist at the Yale Child Study Center, her research interests include understanding the impact of addiction, adversity, and attachment on the maternal brain, and the implementation of evidence-based parenting supports for mothers with addictions.
Lowell is actively involved in the training and supervision of therapists providing Mothering from the Inside Out, an evidence-based parenting support program designed specifically for mothers in recovery from substance use disorders. She is also passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding parents with substance use disorders.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Chronic Stress
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Links & Media
News
- November 08, 2023Source: NYC Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center
Tipping the Scales: Supporting the Intergenerational Needs of Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorders
- October 05, 2023
Aneni and Lowell Selected as 2023 Viola B. Bernard Prize Winners
- July 24, 2023
Expanding Grief-Sensitive Training & Resources for Health Care Professionals
- June 08, 2023
Yale Child Study Center welcomes 2023 summer interns