Don't Feed the Fear: Food 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 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
Episodes
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 experience using the new nasal epinephrine Neffy, and how she has navigated a safe work place. We also talk about what it means to advocate for change in a world where food allergies...
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 paper introduces a new model for understanding social anxiety related to food allergies.
We discuss why this distinction matters, especially for adolescents navigating peer relations...
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 strategies that help children and their parents feel safe, understood, and able to thrive. This episode is packed with helpful tips from Emery's real-life personal and professional exper...
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 prescription and over-the-counter medications. It's a critical step toward safety and transparency for people living with food allergies and celiac disease.
We explore the story b...
In this episode of Don’t Feed the Fear, Gabby Hemond (@noglutengabby) joins us to talk about being a young celiac influencer diagnosed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about the unique challenges of navigating a new diagnosis in young adulthood during the global shutdown, the insecurities and uncertainties that came with it, and coping through connecting with others. Gabby shares how she began posti...
This week on Don’t Feed the Fear, I’m joined by Kendra Williams, who lives with celiac disease and has a gluten detection dog Suki trained to keep her safe. In this conversation, we talk about when a food allergy detection dog is a good fit, the role Suki plays in daily life, and how this unique partnership has reduced anxiety and increased her confidence in navigating a gluten-filled world. We also dive into the impo...
Kayla King (@celiacwithkayla) joins us on Don't Feed the Fear this week for an open and candid conversation about the realities of living with celiac disease. Kayla is a young celiac influencer who speaks candidly about her experiences growing up with celiac disease. Together, we explore the challenges and triumphs of dating, traveling, and developing self-confidence while managing a chronic condition. She also o...
This episode of Don’t Feed the Fear opens our month-long focus on celiac disease with a powerful conversation featuring father and son advocates Jon and Jax Bari. Together, they share their personal experiences with celiac and the urgent need for systemic change—from increased research funding to clearer gluten labeling.
We discuss how advocacy at the family level can create ripples of awareness in schools, communities...
Heading back to school can feel stressful for families managing food allergies. Last year, new recommendations for food allergy management in schools were released, offering schools a roadmap for keeping students safe and included. In this episode, I’m joined by Christine Creter to break down what they mean, how they can be applied, and how parents can utilize them to support their child’s safety and success at school...
In this heartfelt and honest conversation, I sit down with Lyndsie Iiams, a fellow homeschooling food allergy mom and social media creator, to talk about how our journeys led us to educate our children at home. Neither of us ever expected to homeschool, but food allergies reshaped how we viewed our children’s safety, learning environment, and emotional well-being.
We discuss the myths about homeschooling, the challenge...
With only 14 foods she can eat safely, Jenna Gestetner could have built a life defined by restriction. Instead, she’s chosen to create one rich in joy, connection, and possibility. Living with MCAS, POTS, and multiple food allergies, she shares how she’s learned to honor her body’s needs without letting her diagnosis dictate her happiness. In this episode, Jenna shares how she navigates the mental health aspects of he...
Meenal Lele is the founder and CEO of Hanimune Therapeutics, which she founded with the aim of developing food allergy preventative products. The company's goal is to create solutions for parents preventing food allergies and doctors seeking better options to support tolerance. The company's commercial branch Lil' Mixins provides products making early allergen introduction to infants in a safe and contr...
In this episode, Dr. Whitehouse is joined by an inspiring young adult living with multiple food allergies, Mia Silverman. Mia shares her journey of navigating the world with confidence, resilience, and clarity. Together, they discuss what it really looks like to say “yes” to life, while still taking precautions and honoring the realities of her medical needs.
From dealing with bullying to building meaningful friendship...
In this special birthday episode of Don’t Feed the Fear, I’m pausing to reflect on a whirlwind year, both personally and professionally. I answer some of the questions I get most often, including what inspired the name of the podcast, what I’ve learned through a year of growth, grief, and gratitude, and how nervous system work continues to shape everything from allergy management to parenting to healing.
As ...
In this week's chat about choices, psychologist/researcher Dr. Katharine Dahlsgaard and your host Dr. Whitehouse explore what we can do about the emotional side of food allergies, exploring when everyday anxiety crosses the line into specific phobia and how to address it. Dr. Dahlsgaard walks us through her research demonstrating that exposure therapy, including the proximity challenges, like smelling or being cl...
In this episode, host Dr. Whitehouse welcomes dietitian-author Lucy Upton @childrensdietitian to explore developing healthy relationships with food. Topics discussed include:
- Nervous system–informed eating strategies
- Safe and science-backed early allergen introduction
- The gut-brain-axis, vagus nerve, and mental health connection
- Medicalization of food and how to combat it
- Lucy's "3 Fs" for encouraging b...
In this World Allergy Week episode, I'm joined by Ilana Golant, Founder and CEO of the Food Allergy Fund. She exposes the significant gap between the prevalence of food allergies and the amount of research dollars devoted to this. Ilana shares how the FAF is stepping into this gap, ensuring that every dollar donated goes directly to research on prevention, treatment, and eventual cures. She reports on the most ex...
This challenging and important episode concludes our spring season, "I Don't Want to Talk About It."
We tackle one of the most difficult questions food-allergic families may face: “Could I die from my food allergy?” Though we hesitate to bring it up, kids often overhear scary headlines, which there have been far too many of recently. When they ask, avoiding the topic or lying can erode trust and leave t...
This episode is the third in a series of recent discussions about Food Allergies and Intimacy. I encourage you to listen to Parts 1 and 2 to provide the medical background and social/emotional context for this episode.
In this deeply touching conversation, I sit down with Portia Barton, whose tween daughter Charlotte tragically died in 2022 from a mysterious allergic reaction. While she shared part of the sto...
It was an honor to record this Father's Day and Men's Mental Health month episode with Thomas Silvera, co-founder of the Elijah‑Alavi Foundation. In this discussion, Thomas revisits the tragic passing of his 3-year-old son, Elijah, due to a fatal allergic reaction at daycare, and explore how that loss sparked a nationwide advocacy movement. He shares the Foundation's progress with Elijah's Law, and...
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