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
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 shape the lived experience of food allergy families. Erin’s work focuses on improving safety and access at the community level so that protection doesn’t depend on privilege or proximity.
Tog...
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 Black mother, the systemic gaps she witnessed firsthand, and how those experiences fueled her advocacy work. We explore the emotional labor families carry, the importance of representatio...
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 creation of Comfort Kits, tools designed to support children experiencing trauma. We talk about why safety and imagination matter so much for healing, and how small, intentional interventions can make a meaningful difference for kids...
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 complex medical topics with calm, evidence-based guidance. In our conversation, we go beyond viral posts to explore what it actually means to navigate allergic disease in the modern infor...
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.
In this guided meditation, Dr. Whitehouse invites you to experience self care as nervous system re-education rather than another task to perform. Through gentle breathing, som...
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, and how it is uniquely difficult in food allergy and celiac life.
This episode covers:
- Why food allergy management creates chronic nervous system activation
- Why our nervous systems res...
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, chronic illness, or caregiver stress.
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Gary Soffer, allergist-immunologist and integrative medicine physician, for a thoughtful discussion about the inte...
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, Dr. Soffer offers a gentle, accessible breathing technique drawn from yogic traditions and adapted by Dr. Andrew Weil. This practice is a gentle introduction to pranayama perfect for ...
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 freshman year to develop her business.
Riya also talks about participating in an upcoming documentary about food allergies, what it's like being the daughter of a lead...
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. Natalie shares how having this remarkable companion has transformed daily life, and how she is using Harley's skills to help others with allergies, too.
We also discuss:
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 experiences with adult-diagnosed food allergies, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Lauren brings h...
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 somatic reflection, you’ll explore what feels nourishing versus uncomfortable and create an internal guide for identifying boundaries to honor this holiday season and all year long...
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 navigating difficult family interactions during the holiday season. Together, they unpack how to set and maintain boundaries, communicate effectively, and stay grounded in the face of emotiona...
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, you’ll practice shifting from anticipatory anxiety into a steadier, more regulated state—without increasing interoceptive focus or fueling symptom-checking.
Through ge...
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 visualize their dose as a tiny seed planted in an imaginary garden, growing stronger over time. Through slow breathing, grounding, and playful imagery, this practice helps settle t...
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 about their mission to elevate nursing education, improve patient care, and establish certified allergy nurse educators.
Together, we discuss how FANA is working to integrate food a...
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 to notice your worries, label them, and watch them float away, without pushing or holding onto them. This meditation teaches that you are not your thoughts and provides a scien...
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 helpful, some worried, and some downright silly! Together, you’ll explore why anxious thoughts happen (your brain’s way of trying to protect you) and discover how to shift ou...
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 that travels with them wherever they go.
Through simple breathing, imagination, and connection, children learn how to notice their worried “what-if” thoughts and gentl...
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 devices are appropriate for infants and toddlers, and demonstrates the best techniques for administering them safely. He shares practical guidance for holding a squirming baby, minimizing fear, ...
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