Don't Feed the Fear: Allergy Anxiety & Trauma
Welcome to "Don't Feed the Fear," where licensed psychologist Dr. Amanda Whitehouse offers expert guidance on managing the social and emotional challenges of food allergies, celiac, and related conditions. Tune in for compassionate advice, practical strategies, and inspiring stories to help you navigate anxiety and trauma with confidence and resilience.
For more info on resources from Dr. Whitehouse, go to www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com
Theme song: The Doghouse by Kyle Dine, www.kyledine.com
Used with permission from the artist
Full transcripts are available to support accessibility and inclusive listening: https://www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com/dont-feed-the-fear-blog
Episodes
68 episodes
Dr. Zachary Rubin on Allergies in the Age of Social Media
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Zachary Rubin, board-certified allergist-immunologist, educator, and one of the most trusted voices in allergy and immunology on social media.Dr. Rubin has built a massive following by breaking down com...
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Season 7
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Episode 59
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43:50
Bonus Self-Care Meditation for Vigilant Nervous Systems
When you live with food allergies, celiac disease, or another chronic condition, your nervous system is asked to stay alert every single day. This ongoing vigilance is not imagined anxiety. It is a physiological adaptation to real risk....
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9:15
Beyond Bubble Baths: Self-Care for Food Allergies & Celiac
Self-care is often framed as indulgent, aesthetic, or optional, but for individuals and families managing food allergies or other chronic conditions, it is essential.In this solo episode, I explore misconceptions about self-care means, a...
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Season 7
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Episode 58
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28:20
Bonus Pranayama (4-7-8 Breathing) led by Dr. Gary Soffer
This guided pranayama meditation is led by Dr. Gary Soffer, allergist-immunologist and integrative medicine physician, and was recorded as part of our New Year conversation on health, healing, and self-care (episode 57).In this practice,...
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2:41
Rethinking Health in the New Year: Dr. Gary Soffer on Integrative Medicine
As we begin a new year and many are reflecting on their health and recommitting to self-car, this episode invites a deeper, more expansive conversation about what health actually means, especially for those living with food allergies, ...
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Season 7
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Episode 57
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49:14
Realize your CAN: New Year Inspiration with Riya Jain
In this inspiring New Year episode, Riya Jain joins us to share how growing up with food allergies fueled The Land of Can book series. She is a young entrepreneur, author, and food allergy advocate who won a major venture prize at Duke her fres...
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Season 7
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Episode 56
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32:39
Sniffing out Safety: Natalie and Harley the Food Allergy Detection Dog
This episode is a heartwarming and eye-opening look at what life is like with a food allergy detection dog. My guest, Natalie Rice, shares how their family decided to train a peanut detection dog to help manage her daughter's food allergy. Nata...
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Season 7
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Episode 55
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33:25
Reclaiming Joy in Eating with Lauren Less
Food should bring joy, comfort, nourishment, and safety, but food allergies and chronic illness often turn food into something stressful, restrictive, or scary.Lauren Less, creator of Less with Laur, is here to talk about her experience...
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Season 7
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Episode 54
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27:50
Bonus Holiday Boundary-Setting Meditation: Finding Your "Yes" and Your "No"
This 11-minute guided reflection helps food allergic/celiac individuals and food allergy parents pause, reset, and listen to their own internal “yes” and “no” signals during the busy holiday season. Using gentle, polyvagal-informed cues and som...
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11:32
Holiday Communication and Boundaries in Food Allergy Families
In this special crossover episode, Dr. Whitehouse shares a recent guest appearance on The Itch Podcast (episode 132), where she joined hosts Dr. Payel Gupta and Kortney Kwong Hing for an open and compassionate conversation about naviga...
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Season 7
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Episode 53
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42:31
Bonus Immunotherapy Dosing Meditation for Teens and Adults: Steady and Calm
This grounding meditation supports tweens, teens, and adults navigating oral immunotherapy (OIT), Tolerance Induction Program (TIP), sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), or any allergy dosing protocol. Using science-based nervous system strategies,...
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5:24
Bonus Immunotherapy Meditation: My Little Garden
This gentle, imaginative meditation helps kids feel calmer and more confident during oral immunotherapy (OIT), Tolerance Induction Program (TIP), or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) allergy dosing. Together with their trusted adult, children vis...
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6:55
How the Food Allergy Nursing Association (FANA) is Redefining Food Allergy Care
The Food Allergy Nursing Association (FANA) is celebrating one year of transforming the landscape of food allergy care. In this special anniversary episode, I’m joined by FANA’s president Dr. Olga Kagan, and secretary Sarah Pederson to talk abo...
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Season 7
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Episode 52
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30:36
Bonus Meditation: Cloud Release For Food Allergy Anxiety
Feel anxious about food allergies? This 10-minute guided meditation helps teens and adults gently observe anxious “what-if” thoughts without being overwhelmed by them.Using a calming sky and drifting clouds visualization, you’ll learn t...
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10:02
Bonus Kids Relaxation: Silly Animal Thoughts
This playful 5-minute, science-based meditation helps kids (and their grown-ups!) understand how their brains work, and that not every thought is true.Children learn that just like hearts beat and eyes blink, brains think thoughts: some...
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4:49
Bonus Relaxation for Kids with Food Allergies: Inside My Bubble
This gentle 5-minute guided meditation helps children with food allergies calm their worries and feel safe in their bodies and their world. Together with a trusted adult, kids will imagine creating a special “bubble of safety” around themselves...
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8:01
Safe Epi Use in Infants and Toddlers with Dr. Michael Pistiner
In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Michael Pistiner, pediatric allergist at Mass General for Children, we focus on anaphylaxis management in young children and epinephrine use.Dr. Pistiner walks us through which epinephrine dev...
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Season 7
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Episode 51
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23:39
New Criteria for Infant and Toddler Anaphylaxis with Dr. Michael Pistiner
In this first of a two-part conversation, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Pistiner, pediatric allergist and Director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education, and Prevention at Mass General for Children, Harvard Medical School.Dr. Pistiner discusse...
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Season 7
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Episode 50
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31:56
Connection Not Perfection: Holiday Talk with Megan Lavin
In this special holiday episode, I welcome Megan Lavin, the creator behind Allergy Awesomeness. She is a trusted voice in the food allergy community, allergy mom of four, and now a morning TV anchor. Together, we explore what it means ...
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Season 7
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Episode 49
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32:40
Gratitude, Grief, and the Gifts We Don't Choose
In this deeply personal Thanksgiving episode, I reflect on the ways that grief and gratitude are intertwined.This episode is dedicated to my brother Adam on his birthday. Acknowledging Worldwide Bereaved Siblings Month, I share how his ...
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Season 7
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Episode 48
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23:29
Safe to Eat: Devin Sailer's Mission to Change the Food Allergy World
This inspiring episode features Devin August Sailer, teen allergy advocate and founder of Safe to Eat, an organization providing Top 9 and gluten free foods to domestic violence and emergency housing shelters in upstate New York. W...
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Season 6
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Episode 47
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36:59
Living Out Loud While Invisibly Allergic with Zoe Slaughter
In this episode I am joined by Zoë Slaughter, the influencer behind the Invisibly Allergic blog and social media accounts and author of the upcoming book by the same name. Zoë shares candidly about her airborne and contact reactivity, her exper...
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Season 6
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Episode 46
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44:34
Why Social Anxiety in Food Allergies Deserves Attention with Dr. Melissa Engel
Food allergies don’t just bring the fear of anaphylaxis. They also bring unique social challenges that are often overlooked. In this episode, I sit down with psychologist clinician and researcher Dr. Melissa Engel, whose recently published pape...
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Season 6
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Episode 45
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33:35
Behavioral Health Insights with FAACT's Emery Brown
In this episode of Don’t Feed the Fear, Emery Brown, school psychologist and FAACT’s Behavioral Health Director, joins me to talk about how parents and schools can better support children with food allergies. We explore practical strat...
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Season 6
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Episode 44
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50:26
The ADINA Act: Fighting for Allergen & Gluten Labeling in Medications
In this episode of Don’t Feed the Fear, the family behind the ADINA Act joins me to talk about the federal bill's recently reintroduction to Congress. The Act seeks to require clear labeling of the Top 9 food allergens and gluten in pr...
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Season 6
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Episode 43
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42:21
