Send a text

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 conversation to explore how disparities in food allergy diagnosis, treatment access, and outcomes are shaped by psychosocial and systemic factors.

We discuss insights so far from the FORWARD study about how stress, culture, language, and resources impact allergy management in underserved communities, and what it means when families are underrepresented in oral immunotherapy research and access. Dr. Herbert also shares her work on the GAP study, which examines global access to psychological care for individuals and families managing food allergies.

This episode is a call to move beyond assumptions and toward allergy care that is culturally responsive, equitable, and grounded in real-world context.

Links:
Food Allergy Stages handouts:
https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/food-allergy-stages-handouts

https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/Media-Library-PDFs/Allergist%20Resources/Statements%20and%20Practice%20Parameters/Addressing-Health-Disparities-in-Food-Allergy-position-statement-Jan-2025.pdf

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

Send a text

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 allergy families experience and why advice like “just go no contact” or “let them” often misses the reality of chronic illness.

Isolation can feel protective but ultimately becomes unsustainable and unhealthy. This episode offers a more nuanced framework for boundaries, influence, and connection that balances safety and belonging.

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

Send a text

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.

Together, we discuss:

• How gaps in food allergy education and policy disproportionately impact certain families
• Why awareness alone isn’t enough without structural change
• The emotional toll of navigating systems that don’t reliably protect children with food allergies

This conversation invites listeners to move beyond individual responsibility and consider what it means to build food allergy care that is safer, fairer, and more inclusive for everyone.

Follow Allergy Strong:
@AllergyStrong
allergystrong.com

Erin's blog, Allergy Shmallergy:
https://shmallergy.wordpress.com/

In this episode, Erin also mentions the work of Lianne Mandlebaum, No Nut Traveler, on airplane regulations and policies for food allergies:
@nonuttraveler
nonuttraveler.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

Send us a text

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 representation and trust in medical care, and how food allergy spaces can—and must—become more inclusive and trauma-informed.

This episode is essential listening for parents, clinicians, advocates, and anyone who wants to better understand the full human experience behind food allergy care.

https://blackallergymama.com/
@blackallergymama

Also mentioned in this episode:
Elijah Alavi Foundation: https://www.elijahalavifoundation.org/
Food Equality Initiative: https://www.foodequalityinitiative.org/

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

Send us a text

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 and families.

We also explore Dr. Lombard’s extensive work with hypnotherapy, including her role as President of the National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute (NPHTI), where she trains clinicians to incorporate hypnosis into pediatric care. Dr. Lombard breaks down common misconceptions, explains what hypnotherapy actually looks like in practice, and shares why it can be especially helpful for children navigating chronic illness, procedures, and anxiety.

This episode is for parents, clinicians, and anyone interested in gentle, evidence-based ways to support regulation, resilience, and healing. It’s a reminder that care doesn’t have to be forceful to be effective, and that feeling safe is the necessary foundation for healing and growth.

Episode Links:
lisalombardphd.com
NPHTI.org
comfortkitsforchildren.org

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

Send us a text

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 information landscape.

We discuss how social media shapes patient anxiety and expectations, and Dr. Rubin shares insights from his upcoming book All About Allergies, available for pre-order now and releasing in February, which focuses on empowering patients with accurate, compassionate, and practical medical information.

This episode is an invitation to approach health information with curiosity instead of panic, and to remember that good care is about helping people feel better, not just managing symptoms.

Links:
Dr. Rubin: https://www.oakbrookallergists.com/our-team/zachary-e-rubin-md/

Book preorder (releases 2/24/26): https://bookshop.org/p/books/all-about-allergies-everything-you-need-to-know-about-asthma-food-allergies-hay-fever-and-more-zachary-rubin/a2fea4994be4ecf4?ean=9798217047970&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

Send us a text

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, somatic awareness, and compassionate reflection, you will explore how everyday acts of self-care teach the body that it can be safe, even when you are not perfect, productive, or pleasing others.

This practice is grounded in polyvagal theory and research on chronic illness, anxiety, and self regulation. It is designed for anyone who feels chronically on edge, emotionally exhausted, or unsure how to rest in a body trained to stay alert.

There is nothing broken that needs to be fixed.
You are teaching your nervous system something new.

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

Send us a text

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 resist self-care
• How self-care functions as nervous system regulation, not indulgence

This conversation is for anyone who feels like self-care is a luxury or a burden rather than a necessity.

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