Don't Feed the Fear: Allergy Anxiety & Trauma

Send us Fan Mail 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 fo...

Send us Fan Mail 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 re...

Send us Fan Mail 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 an...

Send us Fan Mail 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 o...

Send us Fan Mail 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-f...

Send us Fan Mail 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 ma...

Send us Fan Mail 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 rippl...

Send us Fan Mail 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 thei...

Send us Fan Mail 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 m...

Send us Fan Mail 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 nav...

Send us Fan Mail 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 intro...

Send us Fan Mail 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 bul...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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&ap...

Send us Fan Mail 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 eve...

Send us Fan Mail 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 top...

Send us Fan Mail 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. Whi...

Send us Fan Mail 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'...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our series on dating and intimacy with food allergies, author and mental health professional Sloane Miller joins me to explore the emotional and social dimensions of navigating relationships while managing food allergies. We delve into the complexities of identity, self-trust, communication, and vulnerability that individuals with food allergies may encounter in roman...

Send us Fan Mail In this insightful episode of Don't Feed the Fear , researcher/physician Dr. Scott Sicherer and author/food allergy coach Sloane Miller join Dr. Amanda Whitehouse for a panel discussion focusing on the complexities of dating and physical intimacy for individuals with food allergies. The group discusses evidence-based guidelines for kissing and physical intimacy when managing...

Send us Fan Mail Season 4: I Don't Want to Talk About Politics In this important episode, we’re joined once again by legal advocate and friend of the show, Laurel Francoeur, to unpack the Texas v. Becerra lawsuit—a case brought by 17 states challenging how the federal government enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This law is crucial for ensuring students with disabilities, includ...

Send us Fan Mail In this special Food Allergy Awareness Week episode, we sit down with Chief Mike and Becca Suhy, the founders of the Allison Rose Foundation. Their vibrant, fun-loving, caring, and slightly mischievous daughter Allison's life was tragically cut short by anaphylaxis during her first semester at college. Through their heartbreak, the Suhys have created the foundation as a way t...

Send us Fan Mail Season 4: I Don't Want to Talk About It In this special Mother's Day episode, I'm joined by one of the world's leading allergy researchers — who also happens to be a food allergy mom. While Dr. Ruchi Gupta's professional credentials are impressive, today’s conversation focuses on something even more powerful: her personal experience raising a child with fo...

Send us Fan Mail Season 4's theme is "I Don't Want to Talk About It."  Today, Robyn and Addie Lao and I are talking about it and we hope you'll do more than listen. We hope you'll take action. Mother-daughter advocates Robyn and Addie are the driving force behind California’s proposed Senate Bill 68 Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences (ADDE) , alongside the bil...