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
79 episodes
AUVI-Q and Epi Confidence with Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, board-certified allergist and food allergy mom and patient, for a grounded and practical conversation about epinephrine confidence.We talk about what it’s like to manage food ...
•
Season 8
•
Episode 68
•
30:29
BONUS Meditation Episode: Finding Glimmers (Teaching the Nervous System to Find Safety)
Many of our nervous systems become very skilled at scanning for danger. This is not a flaw. It is a protective response that develops when life has required us to stay alert. But when the nervous system spends most of its time looking for what ...
•
10:38
Simplifying Epinephrine with Dr. Farah Khan
This is the first guest episode in a season of the Don't Feed the Fear podcast dedicated to something many of us are feeling deeply right now: the excitement and overwhelm that comes with how quickly the food allergy landscape is chang...
•
Season 8
•
Episode 67
•
42:46
BONUS Meditation: Be Careful, Not Fearful
Living with food allergies or celiac disease often requires careful decision making. Reading labels, asking questions, and evaluating risk are important parts of staying safe. Over time, though, the nervous system can become so used to scanning...
•
12:13
Your Anxiety Isn't Keeping You Safe. It's Feeding The Fear.
Of course you feel anxious sometimes managing food allergies and celiac. Many patients and families believe that a little anxiety keeps us safe, that fear keeps us vigilant, and that without it we might become careless.But is that actual...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 66
•
23:27
Kyah's Legacy: Food Allergy Education and Advocacy
Lisa Cohen created the Kyah Rayne Foundation in honor of her daughter Kyah, who died following to an allergic reaction.As we approach Kyah’s birthday on March 17, Lisa shares Kyah’s story and the mission behind the foundation, with a foc...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 65
•
29:08
Understanding Barriers in Food Allergy Care with Dr. Linda Jones Herbert and Dr. Hemant Sharma
Food allergy care does not exist in a vacuum, and neither do the families managing it.In this episode, pediatric psychologist Dr. Linda Jones Herbert and pediatric allergist Dr. Hemant Sharma from Children’s National Hospital join the co...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 64
•
52:03
When Safety Creates Distance: Isolation, Connection, and Boundaries in Food Allergy Life
Living with food allergies often creates distance between us and friends, family, schools, and communities that don’t fully understand what our safety requires. This episode compassionately addresses the growing sense of isolation many food all...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 63
•
33:13
Allergy Strong Kids and Communities with Erin Malawer
What does food allergy safety look like when systems don’t work equally for everyone?In this episode, I’m joined by Erin Malawer, founder of Allergy Strong, to explore how inequities in education, resources, and institutional support sha...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 62
•
39:37
Black Families and Food Allergies with Renia Butler, Black Allergy Mama
In this episode, I’m joined by Renia Butler, founder of Black Allergy Mama, for an honest and powerful conversation about race, food allergy advocacy, and mental health.Renia shares her personal journey navigating food allergies as a Bla...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 61
•
37:31
Comfort Kits, Hypnotherapy, and Healing for Children with Dr. Lisa Lombard
In this episode, psychologist Lisa Lombard, Ph.D. shares insights from her clinical experience and research background in food allergy. She also shares aspects of her work that led to the creatio...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 60
•
43:00
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 59
•
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....
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 58
•
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,...
•
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, ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 57
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 56
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 55
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 54
•
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...
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 53
•
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,...
•
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...
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 52
•
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...
•
10:02
