About Dr. Adwoa

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Food is more than food™—it reflects stress patterns, regulation, culture, and the broader stability of the family’s health system. I am Dr. Yolanda Adwoa, a health psychologist, researcher, mother, and professor whose work sits at the intersection of food, family, and the daily realities of caregiving under pressure. I hold a PhD in Psychology, specializing in health psychology. ​

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As a mother who has raised a child with medical complexity, I understand firsthand how caregiving can quietly shift sleep routines, and stress—even when you're highly capable and holding everything together. That experience did not just shape who I am as a mother—it shaped the questions I ask as a researcher and the way I show up in this work.

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While my work centers on parents and primary caregivers, I consider the full family system—how sustained caregiving demand shapes the health environment for everyone in the household. 

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Families living under chronic medical or developmental complexity often experience shifts in eating patterns, how and what families eat, sleep, stress regulation, routine stability, and consistency with medical or therapeutic follow-through. My work centers on understanding these patterns within real-life environments and developing structured, sustainable strategies that support long-term stability.

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I am a researcher and a graduate-level psychology professor, conducting and teaching at the intersection of family health psychology, food-related behaviors, and caregiving systems under medical complexity. I hold a research and faculty position at the university level, integrating research and applied practice in health and behavioral science.

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My research focuses on food behavior, maternal psychological well-being, and family health systems. publications and academic contributions are available through my ORCID profile.

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My work is grounded in health psychology and behavioral science, and shaped by personal values of stewardship, resilience, and faith. For families where spiritual belief is central to how they sustain themselves, I welcome that as part of the work—not separate from it.

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Professional Focus

I work primarily with:

• Parents and caregivers of children with disability, chronic illness, or neurodivergence.

• Adult family members providing sustained care to a family member with complex medical or developmental needs.

• Families experiencing strain in meals, routines, daily health behaviors, or medical follow-through.

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Early sessions focus on understanding your daily environment — what is working, what has slipped, and where the pressure is concentrated. From there, we build structured, measurable strategies designed for real caregiving life. The goal is not perfection — it is observable, sustainable change that holds over time. This work draws on health psychology and behavioral medicine to strengthen medical routine consistency and stabilize the lifestyle habits that support long-term well-being.

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Professional Background

My training spans health psychology, behavioral medicine, and applied behavior analysis — an integrated foundation that informs both the research I conduct and the practical work I do with families.

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Applied behavior analysis–informed services are delivered under professional supervision in accordance with credentialing standards.

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Scholarship & Writing

I write and present regularly on the intersection of caregiving, food behavior, and family well-being. Current topics include:

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• Parent and caregiver health

• Food psychology and family eating patterns

• Family routines under chronic demand

• Long-term behavior change within medically complex family systems

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My first book, From the Kitchen to Well-Being: The Psychology of Motherhood, Food, and Family Well-Being, releases April 21st. Drawing from a nationwide research study, it explores how food, motherhood, and daily routines shape the psychological well-being of families.

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In Summary

My work focuses on how daily routines, food-related behaviors, caregiving demands,  long-term health patterns and medical routine consistency influence the physical health and psychological well-being of families navigating medical complexity, disability, and neurodivergence.