Don't Feed the Fear: Allergy Anxiety & Trauma

Amanda Whitehouse, Ph.D.
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Mental Health

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. Her book, "From Fear to Freedom" is available wherever books are sold.      Theme song: The Doghouse by Kyle Dine, www.kyledine.comUsed with permission from the artistFull transcripts are available to support accessibility and inclusive listening: https://www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com/dont-feed-the-fear-blog

  1. 2d ago

    #98 Babies, Bites, and Buddies with Dr. Michael Pistiner

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Pistiner returns to the show to introduce FAMP-IT (Food Allergy Management and Prevention for Infants and Toddlers). It's a free, evidence-based resource supporting families and the professionals who care for them, from the very first bites. FAMP-IT has two sites. FAMP-IT Family is for parents and caregivers and covers early allergen introduction, recognizing reactions, and next steps if a food allergy develops. famp-it.org gives pediatricians, primary care providers, early childhood programs, and support services like WIC up-to-date tools and guidance. We discuss: What info and support families need starting in infancy and whyHow early introduction can reduce the risk of food allergy, and why getting that message out mattersHow FAMP-IT helps primary care and early childhood programs stay currentThe Food Allergy Buddies program, going national in a virtual format with AAFAResources FAMP-IT Family (for parents & caregivers): https://fampitfamily.orgFAMP-IT (for clinicians & professionals): https://famp-it.orgFood Allergy Buddies on Facebook: @foodallergybuddiesMore with Dr. Pistiner #50 New Criteria for Infant and Toddler Anaphylaxis: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371319/episodes/18014268#51 New Criteria for Infant and Toddler Anaphylaxis with Dr. Michael Pistiner: https://dontfeedthefear.buzzsprout.com/2371319/episodes/18014268Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #98 Babies, Bites, and Buddies with Dr. Michael Pistiner

  2. Oct 13

    #97 Can AI Change How We Detect Anaphylaxis?: Anjo.ai's Wearable Tech

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Don’t Feed the Fear, I’m joined by Tal Golan and Stephen Benford of Anjo.ai to explore the intersection of food allergy, wearable technology, artificial intelligence, and real-time physiological monitoring. Tal Golan is the co-founder and CEO of Anjo.ai, a company developing technology designed to use wearable biosignals and AI to provide continuous monitoring and, ultimately, earlier recognition of allergic reactions. Stephen Benford brings both a background in life-sciences finance and a deeply personal connection to anaphylaxis through the KeepSmilin4Abbie Foundation, which he co-founded in memory of his daughter Abbie who passed away due to anaphylaxis. We talk about what wearable technology can tell us about the body, how AI may eventually help identify patterns associated with anaphylaxis, what the current research does and does not tell us, and what earlier detection could mean for families living with food allergy. But we also go beyond the technology itself. Food allergy involves an enormous amount of uncertainty. Parents constantly make decisions based on incomplete information, watch for subtle changes, and try to determine when something is simply normal and when it might signal a reaction. What could happen if we had more physiological information available to us in those moments? AnjoProtect is still in development, and its anaphylaxis-detection capabilities are not currently available as a medical device. But the research raises fascinating questions about where food allergy management may be headed. This is a conversation about innovation, hope, uncertainty, and the possibility that the future of food allergy management may look very different from what it does today.    At the time of publication on 10/13/26, Anjo Connect is available for pre-order at anjo.ai. Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #97 Can AI Change How We Detect Anaphylaxis?: Anjo.ai's Wearable Tech

  3. Oct 6

    #96 Healing More Than Allergies With Dr. Atul Shah

    Send us Fan Mail In this season 8 finale of Don't Feed the Fear, Dr. Atul Shah joins me to talk about the medical and psychological sides of food allergy treatment. As the founder of NY Food Allergy & Wellness and creator of the FATE approach to food allergy tolerance enhancement, Dr. Shah has spent more than two decades working with patients and families navigating diagnosis, treatment, desensitization, and the pursuit of greater food freedom.  Together, we explore why building physical tolerance is only part of the story, how fear and past experiences can remain even as treatment progresses, what psychological healing can look like alongside medical treatment, and how clinicians and families can keep quality of life at the center of the conversation. This episode brings together many of the themes explored throughout the season: treatment options, informed decision-making, fear, hope, agency, tolerance, and what it really means to move toward greater freedom with food allergy. Follow Dr. Shah:  YouTube: @NYFoodAllergyWellness https://www.youtube.com/@NYFoodAllergyWellnessFacebook: NYFoodAllergy https://www.facebook.com/NYFoodAllergy/Instagram: @newyorkfoodallergy https://www.instagram.com/newyorkfoodallergy/TikTok: @nyfoodallergy https://www.tiktok.com/@nyfoodallergyhttps://www.nyfoodallergy.com/https://www.nyfoodallergy.com/game (FREE Food Allergy Game)Dr. Shah's books: Food Allergy: My Journey: A Complete Guided Journal to Lead You from Early Diagnosis to Oral Immunotherapyhttps://a.co/d/00igH6WP Allergies, and Awesome You: Believe You Can Get There Too! https://a.co/d/016YHjC2 Asthma, and Awesome You: Believe You Can Get There Too! https://a.co/d/009F5ALv My Book: From Fear to Freedom: A Guide For Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy https://a.co/d/0aCXL0G5 Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #96 Healing More Than Allergies With Dr. Atul Shah

  4. Sep 29

    #95 Traditional Chinese Medicine: Dr. Xiu-Min Li's Groundbreaking Research

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I speak with Dr. Xiu-Min Li, a physician and researcher uniquely trained in both Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dr. Li has spent decades conducting rigorous scientific research exploring how traditional herbal therapies may help treat allergic diseases such as food allergies and eczema. Her work focuses on developing standardized herbal formulas and studying their effects on the immune system through laboratory and clinical research. This includes the development of Food Allergy Herbal Formula (FAHF) and other therapies being studied for conditions such as severe eczema and topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). In this conversation, Dr. Li explains the scientific approach behind her work, how TCM concepts translate into modern immunology research, and what the future may hold for integrative treatments for allergic disease. Contact Dr. Li: 914-257-3754 xiumin_li@nymc.edu https://www.nymc.edu/gsbms/faculty/li-xiu-min.php Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Li+Xiu-Min+Valhalla Books: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tradition-chn-med-west-sci-fight-against-allergic-disease-henry-ehrlich/0b01ff3914cea929?ean=9789814733694&next=t https://bookshop.org/p/books/treating-eczema-with-traditional-chinese-medicine-henry-ehrlich/cb1efb84d7fdac75?ean=9789811247538&next=t Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #95 Traditional Chinese Medicine: Dr. Xiu-Min Li's Groundbreaking Research

  5. Sep 22

    #94 A Parent & Psychologist’s Perspective on the Emotional Side of Food Allergy Treatment with Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins

    Send us Fan Mail Food allergy treatment looks very different today than it did 17 years ago. In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins joins me for a deeply personal conversation about navigating food allergy treatment as a parent long before many of today's options were readily available. Elizabeth is a psychologist, celiac patient, and a celiac and food allergy parent. Her younger daughter has a complex history of multiple severe food allergies alongside asthma, eczema, and environmental allergies, and their family has navigated multiple forms of treatment. We talk about how her experiences shaped what she sees as a psychologist working with food allergy families. We also explore what parents facing immunotherapy decisions today can learn from those who have been navigating these choices for years. This conversation is about more than choosing a treatment. It's about living with uncertainty, knowing your child, making decisions within the reality of your family's circumstances, and finding a way to move forward without letting fear make every decision for you. Follow Dr. Hawkins on IG @foodallergypsychologist and dr-elizabeth.com Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #94 A Parent & Psychologist’s Perspective on the Emotional Side of Food Allergy Treatment with Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins

  6. Sep 15

    #93 Helping Kids Through OIT: Fear, Coping & Building Confidence with Kelsey Mora

    Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to support a child through oral immunotherapy? The medical protocol is only part of the experience. For children, OIT can involve fear, uncertainty, frustration, procedures, new sensations, and a lot of big feelings—sometimes without the words or skills to communicate what's happening. In this episode, I talk with Kelsey Mora, a dual-certified Child Life Specialist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, about the emotional and developmental side of supporting kids through food allergy treatment. Kelsey brings nearly a decade of hospital-based child life experience together with her training as a therapist, giving her a unique perspective on helping children and families navigate medical experiences. She's also the creator of The Method Workbooks, including The Y Method, an interactive workbook designed to help children understand food allergies and immunotherapy while building communication and coping skills. We talk about preparing children for OIT, helping kids understand what's happening in their bodies, coping with anxiety during treatment, giving children appropriate choices and control, and supporting the whole family through the process. Follow Kelsey: @childlifetherapist childlifetherapist.com The Y Method: https://a.co/d/0cYsEAPW Find my book, From Fear to Freedom: On Amazon - https://a.co/d/0iiOwy04 On bookshop.org -  https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-fear-to-freedom-a-workbook-for-navigating-allergy-immunotherapy-amanda-r-desio-whitehouse/62f4d096796ed48c?ean=9798995147404&bkshp-astro=t Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #93 Helping Kids Through OIT: Fear, Coping & Building Confidence with Kelsey Mora

  7. Sep 8

    #92 Doing What It Takes: Advocating Through Immunotherapy and Kawasaki

    Send us Fan Mail What does it look like when a family is navigating multiple complicated medical journeys? In this episode of Don't Feed the Fear, I sit down with Natalie Grijalva to talk about her experience with her son's food allergy immunotherapy and her son's additional medical challenges related to Kawasaki disease. Natalie started her Instagram account @createlikeamom as a space to explore and express her artistic pursuits, but motherhood led her in a different direction and she now uses the account to raise awareness about food allergies and Kawasaki.  We discuss what it takes to make treatment possible for a child when life is already complicated. We discuss the emotional and practical realities of navigating multiple medical concerns. We also talk about Kawasaki disease awareness and the importance of learning from other chronic illness communities—even when our diagnoses and experiences look different. Many families within the food allergy community find themselves navigating their own unique combination of medical concerns. This conversation is ultimately about hope, persistence, and finding meaningful connection even though none of our stories are exactly the same.  Follow Natalie @createlikeamom and her artwork @dragonflycanvasco Order From Food to Freedom on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0bT0HjQi or on bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-fear-to-freedom-a-workbook-for-navigating-allergy-immunotherapy-amanda-r-desio-whitehouse/62f4d096796ed48c?ean=9798995147404&bkshp-astro=t Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #92 Doing What It Takes: Advocating Through Immunotherapy and Kawasaki

  8. Sep 1

    #91 The Reality of Immunotherapy: Progress, Setbacks, and Persistence with Sarah Danna

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Danna, the creator behind @sarahandspices, to talk about her life with food allergies, her more recent diagnosis with MCAS, and her experience with immunotherapy through the Tolerance Induction Program (TIP) at the Food Allergy Institute. Sarah shares the emotional and practical realities of navigating treatment while also building an online community around allergy-friendly living. We talk about the progress she has experienced through the program, some of the challenges and setbacks along the way, and how her care team is adapting treatment in the context of mast cell activation syndrome. We also discuss what it’s like to share your health journey publicly as a content creator and how community support has shaped Sarah’s advocacy. Thank you Sarah for sharing your honest patient perspective on navigating complex allergic disease and treatment. Find Sarah @sarahandspices and www.sarahandspices.com From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy: https://a.co/d/03L4ZM8g Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme! www.kyledine.com Find Dr. Whitehouse: -thefoodallergypsychologist.com -Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist -Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist -welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

    #91 The Reality of Immunotherapy: Progress, Setbacks, and Persistence with Sarah Danna
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About

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. Her book, "From Fear to Freedom" is available wherever books are sold.      Theme song: The Doghouse by Kyle Dine, www.kyledine.comUsed with permission from the artistFull transcripts are available to support accessibility and inclusive listening: https://www.thefoodallergypsychologist.com/dont-feed-the-fear-blog

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